After publishing my original campaign finance analysis earlier this week, I realized I made significant errors and omissions in the data. I want to be transparent and take full responsibility for that. Here’s what happened: I relied on incomplete filings that had not yet been updated in the state database. I misread or missed newer […]
Context isn’t spin, it’s honesty. Misleading mailers don’t just twist policy; they corrode trust in how local democracy works. A season of sharp mail and short memories Municipal elections are where democracy meets the curb—literally. The stop-sign arguments about growth, traffic, and taxes in Wake Forest are as local as it gets. Yet this year’s
Moral panics start anywhere; outrage can spread fast and has evolved as an “…innate reaction to social change.” The exact mechanics you see in local controversies play out in statehouses, cultural institutions, and national politics. The details shift — books, drag shows, vaccines, immigration — but the workflow stays the same. How it works It
I grew up in Wake Forest. My family has called this area home for generations, long before the Baptist college or the seminary came here. This land, where my family has lived for generations, was first the home of the Tuscarora, Shakori, and other Siouan-speaking peoples. They tended these forests and rivers long before settlers
Wake Forest, North Carolina, is the kind of town where decisions usually happen face-to-face. I’ve lived here all my life; my family’s roots stretch back to the 1700s. In early September 2025, a single misspoken announcement at a meeting sent this small town into a week-long storm of emails, phone calls, and quiet political pressure,
As winter approaches, federal cuts to food-assistance programs like SNAP will ripple through every North Carolina town, including ours. While these decisions are made far from Wake Forest, their effects land here at home, in grocery lines, classrooms, and kitchen tables. For many of our neighbors, the difference between stability and hunger may soon depend
When people ask what this year’s election is really about, I tell them it’s simple: growth — and how we handle it. For all the talk about national politics, most of what shapes our daily lives happens right here in town — the roads we drive, the water we drink, the neighborhoods we live in,
(This commentary is offered in the spirit of civic reflection, not political endorsement. Its purpose is to encourage respect, understanding, and neighborly relations in Wake Forest’s public life.) I believe that everyone in Wake Forest, North Carolina — candidates, elected officials, and all residents alike — should join in a commitment to civility. In an
Civic responsibility in Wake Forest starts at the local level. The heartbeat of our democracy resides right here locally, in the zoning meetings, the town council votes, and the quiet decisions that define our daily lives. My connection to this community runs deep. My family’s roots here stretch back further than the town’s charter itself—predating
Wake Forest civic discourse is something I think about often — especially late at night, when the noise of the day fades and what remains is love for this community. It’s late, and I’ve been thinking about my family, my town, and my country — about how much I love this place and the people
The Fear That Never Left Across North Carolina, some stories never made it into the history books — stories passed quietly between generations, in kitchens and on porches. Stories about white hoods flickering in torchlight. About meetings held after midnight in the woods. About the sound of engines idling at the edge of someone’s land.
Good evening, Mayor Jones, Commissioners, and residents of Wake Forest My name is James Thomas Baker IV,My extended family, Baker, Harris, Clifton, and Timberlake, has called this land home since before it was Wake Forest, before Wake and Franklin were counties, when it was still a colonial holding under the Crown. We’ve farmed, fought wars,
When Fear Comes Home: Before I Speak at the Wake Forest Town Meeting a few thoughts about harassment, belonging, and what happens when intimidation becomes civic culture. Tom Baker IV I’ll be speaking at the Wake Forest Town Board meeting tonight about something that’s been weighing heavily on me — not just as a journalist,
It’s easy to imagine authoritarianism as a distant threat, something that happens in broken states or under military regimes. But its logic is already visible, in our neighborhoods, in our campaigns, and in the digital spaces where civic life now unfolds. Across the country, and yes, in our own town we are witnessing a troubling
In the weeks leading up to Wake Forest Pride Fest on October 11, 2025, a flyer circulated through conservative Facebook groups, local email lists, and in-person meetings around Wake Forest. A flyer circulated among conservative activists in Wake Forest ahead of the 2025 Pride Fest, calling on participants to “witness, observe, and record” attendees —
Wake Forest Matters — Independent local journalism for Wake Forest, NC
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