Good Morning! With the weekend just a day away, are your taste buds ready to experience A Taste of Charlotte? The three-day festival will kick off tomorrow at 11 a.m. In addition to delicious food, there will also be plenty of kid-friendly activities, wine tasting, and live entertainment. For more information checkout our Qcity events listing.

The weatherman says today will be partly cloudy with a highs in the mid 90’s and a slight chance of thunderstorms. It is also a code orange ozone day.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news this morning:

'Do Not Enter the EpiCenter' Campaign

A man is spearheading a campaign to protest discrimination in Uptown Charlotte after he was arrested at the Alive After Five event last week for wearing his hat backwards.

Phillip Agnew believes he was a victim of racial discrimination and is encouraging others who have also been victimized to speak out. Following his arrest, Agnew started the Do Not Enter the (Epi)Center Facebook page. As of this morning the page had 100 fans and is growing.

Today he is asking all those on Facebook who support his cause to change their profile pictures to the “Do Not Enter” profile icon (shown here) in a show of solidarity.

He is also asking organizers of the CIAA and the Democratic National Convention to speak out on the issue as well. He said he is not calling for an all out boycott because that approach doesn’t appear to work. On the BJ Murphy Show this morning, Agnew said, “We’ve been boycotting here and there and that doesn’t seem to affect it.”

Last week, Agnew was with a group of people when he was approached by a security guard and asked to turn his hat around. He said he was never asked to leave and did not realize he was being arrested until he was lead away in handcuffs.

He was charged with misdemeanor trespassing.

Agnew said he was singled out of a crowd of hundreds, not only because he had his hat on backwards, but because he was black.

“I think it's a case of blatant discrimination,” Agnew told WSOCTV. He believes businesses uptown selectively enforce dress codes to target African Americans.

*** QUESTION: Do you believe businesses uptown use dress codes as a method to discriminate against African Americans? If you believe there is an ongoing issue with racisim and discrimination in Uptown Charlotte, what should be done about it? Use the comment section below to share your comments.

Read more: Man Arrested At EpiCentre After Violating Dress Code
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Creflo Dollar has Eddie Long’s back

Is the church being too hard on Bishop Eddie Long? It appears that fellow megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International in Atlanta thinks so.

A YouTube video of one of Dollar’s sermons is making its rounds on the internet, receiving more than 34,000 views.

In the sermon Dollar says: “I don’t know what it is with the church. When you have a wreck you expect for God to forgive you and everyone else. Don’t let the preacher have a wreck, now. Then you become self righteous and you become judgmental and you’re gonna leave the preacher for his wreck when you done had more wrecks. That preacher’s still anointed to do what he was called to do. He just had a wreck. The blood will take care of his issue just like it will take care of yours.”

Dollar does not mention Long’s name. Instead he refers to the well known preacher in question as a “friend” and “brother in the Lord.”

Dollar also had a stearn message for those who left his "friend's" church.

“I don’t want you to join here,” he said. “You need to go and join where you supposed to be. I don’t want you here. That is my friend that is my brother in the Lord.”

The sermon on forgiveness was delivered a little over week after it was reported that Long reached an out-of-court settlement in a lawsuit filed against him by four men who say Long abused his spiritual authority to coerce them into sexual relationships with him. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.

QUESTION: Did Dollar overstep his bounds when he told worshipers they could not join his church and should return to where they are “supposed to be?”

See the video at The Root.
***

Woman sues ex-boyfriend over abortion billboard

A New Mexico man says his ex-girlfriend had an abortion against his wishes. So, he posted a billboard on his city’s main thoroughfare blasting her decision. The sign shows 35-year-old Greg Fultz holding the outline of an infant. The text reads, "This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!" Fultz’s ex-girlfriend is taking him to court for harassment and violation of privacy. A domestic court official has recommended the removal of the billboard, but Fultz’s lawyer claims that is a violation of client’s free speech rights. (Read more at ajc.com)

*** This is your chance to speak out. Share what's brewing on your mind in the comments section below.

Got news to share with Qcity readers? Email us at editor@qcitymetro.com.
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