“The liberal agenda.”

That’s how a conservative columnist at the McClatchy papers described this week’s teacher protests in Raleigh. 

For years, I was an education reporter before I started covering politics. So I wanted to devote the new Billy Ball Explains NC to the question:

Is it really a “liberal agenda”? Here’s your answer 

We’re talking North Carolina educators’ big “May Day” protest this week on the new Billy Ball Explains NC. (Graphic by Desirée Tapia/COURIER Newsroom)

We had a blast talking about the 2026 election today with former Gov. Roy Cooper and NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls. 

If you missed it, don’t fret. We’ll post the video on our social media accounts.

Here’s what’s in today’s C&P newsletter: 

This photo could only be taken in North Carolina. 

C&P reader Trenia Riggs sent this from Bladen County, one of NC’s largest swine-production counties. Hog Slat, by the way, sells poultry and hog farming equipment. 

Got a view from NC? Don’t be shy. Send it to us!

Big breaking news out of the US Supreme Court. 

In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the court ruled that Louisiana violated the US Constitution by drawing an election map giving Black residents slightly more representation in a state that had long suppressed their electoral voice.

The ruling, which lets states limit the reach of Black voters as long as they cite politics instead of racial data, could set off a scramble in Republican-led states ahead of the 2026 midterms to ensure GOP control at the local, state, and federal levels.

That includes right here in North Carolina. As C&P’s Michael McElroy notes, the ruling is unlikely to affect NC this year because the primaries are already past. 

But it could make it easier for NC Republicans to redraw districts in 2028 that dilute the voting power of Black North Carolinians.

The Trump administration is celebrating the ruling, but civil rights advocates are describing it as a death blow to the Voting Rights Act, which all but ended the “Jim Crow” era in the South. Stay tuned.

Education advocates outside the North Carolina General Assembly on April 21, 2026. (Dylan Rhoney/Cardinal & Pine)

May Day commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Square Massacre, in which workers protested in support of an eight-hour workday in Chicago, Illinois.

During a clash between protesters and the police, a bomb was detonated that claimed the lives of workers and law enforcement.

In 1889, members of the labor movement established May Day to remember the lives lost in the massacre.

Participating in a May Day event? You can sign the pledge here. We’ve put together a list of May Day events taking place across the Tar Heel State.

🗓 Friday, May 1

NCAE May 1st Rally (10 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Location: Halifax Mall, 300 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh

Teachers, education advocates, and people from across North Carolina will be marching in Raleigh. Attendees are calling for support for educators, students, and public schools.

Asheville May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (4-6 p.m.)
Location: Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza, Asheville

Black Mountain May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (5-6 p.m.)
Location: Black Mountain Town Square, 100 E. State St., Black Mountain

Chapel Hill May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (10 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Location: East Franklin Street and South Elliott Road, Chapel Hill

May 1 Indivisible Charlotte: People Over Profits (10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Location: Pearl Street Park, Pearl Park Way and Kenilworth Avenue, Charlotte

Charlotte’s May Day March: Immigrant Rights Are Worker Rights (5-8 p.m.)
Location: 4938 Central Ave., Suite 1, Charlotte

Cullowhee May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Location: Western Carolina University (Catafount), 1 University Drive, Cullowhee

Durham May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (5-6:30 p.m.)
Location: The Bull (CCB Plaza) 211 W. Parrish St., Durham

Elizabeth City May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (4-6 p.m.)
Location: Veteran’s Park, 222 N. Water St., Elizabeth City

Franklin May Day 2026: Feeding Democracy & Community (1-2 p.m.)
Location: Macon County Courthouse, 5 W. Main St., Franklin

Grantsboro May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (3-5 p.m.)
Location: Highways NC-55 and NC-306, Grantsboro

Students Rise Up on May Day: Southwest Guilford High School (12-3 p.m.)
Location: Southwest Guilford High School, 4364 Barrow Road, High Point

Laurinburg May Day Canvass 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)
Location: 317 N. Main St., Laurinburg

Wilmington May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires (3-7 p.m.)
Location: Long Leaf Park, 314 Pine Grove Drive, Wilmington
 
Read more: 3 things happening in NC: Teachers take to the streets on May Day

Have an event to add? Email organizing coordinator Dylan Rhoney with details (please send details at least one week in advance).

(@cardinalandpine on Instagram)

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8. 

We got busy finding out what educators really want this year—in addition to not having to drive to Raleigh to protest dismal funding and poor pay. 

We have your list of ideas right here. Make sure to read and share!

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from Dylan Rhoney, Michael McElroy, and Karishma Desai. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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