For the past seven years in Charlotte, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, or CIAA, has been synonymous not just with the annual basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena, but also with parties — excellent parties held across the city that bring alumni from historically black colleges and universities together each year to reconnect and have a good time. From official events like this year’s Old School Skate Party on Feb. 28 and Stepshow Afterparty Throwdown on March 1 to the Chaka Khan concert at Crown Ballroom the following night, the CIAA folks know how to pack a weekend of fun.
So, why do they want to be such last-minute party poopers this year?
Earlier this month, the CIAA filed a copyright lawsuit in federal court against unofficial party and concert promoters, nightclubs and others that have used the CIAA name without permission. Among the defendants listed are the Neighborhood Theatre, Allure Life Entertainment, 5th Element, Southern Dynasty Entertainment, Torri Entertainment, Dream NC, and one of the promoters we spotlight this issue, Maz Entertainment. Some of those, including Maz, have since worked out agreements with CIAA. Many of the promoters and venues say they had already printed up fliers for their events.
One defendant, Elvado Laing of Paradice Entertainment, which is throwing this year’s “Island Style 3” party at the Neighborhood Theatre, told The Charlotte Observer he wasn’t aware his company couldn’t use the CIAA name. “This is the third year,” Laing said. “I had no idea it was an issue, a problem or against the law.”
In a press conference, the CIAA’s new commissioner, Jacqie Carpenter, explained the reasoning behind the suit: “If somebody was attaching your name and not using it for things that are healthy for your family, what would you do?”
We understand why the CIAA would want to protect what belongs to the CIAA. After all, the event has become huge business in Charlotte. Last year, it brought about $50 million to the local economy. But a lot of that money isn’t going back to the CIAA. According to Carpenter, the organization is $200,000 in debt, partly because about half the people who come to town for the festivities aren’t attending the games.
“That’s quite alarming,” Carpenter told WBTV. “Because that means they are doing something other than what the whole event is about, and that’s basketball.” It’s also about higher education, she added. “So when I see events that have inappropriate content … and it appears to be a CIAA official event, that nerves me terribly.”
The event’s official logo this year reads: “2013 CIAA Charlotte, Back to Basketball.”
Here’s hoping the CIAA and all good party promoters come to agreements that will keep both the spirit of the tournament and all the great parties going for another eight years. And if there are some rogue promoters whose antics are antithetical to what CIAA stands for, here’s hoping they’ll fall by the wayside.
Meanwhile, CL will continue offering you the most comprehensive list of great tournament week parties this year and every year.
SPEAKING OF comprehensive, don’t miss this week’s lead music story on local jazz fanatic Jeff Jackson’s terrific free-jazz website Destination: Out. Known far beyond the Charlotte area — it’s been written about everywhere from Wired to The New York Times — Destination: Out covers the spectrum of experimental and avant-garde music, from the tinkling cacophonies of the pianist Cecil Taylor to the atonal skronk of Ornette Coleman and John Zorn.
“We take a big-tent approach, covering anything that falls under quality, adventurous jazz,” Jackson tells CL music writer John Schacht for his story here. And we think few outlets do that as well as Destination: Out.
FINALLY, a news item we ran last week on the annual Human Rights Campaign Gala drew loud cries of protest from some members of Charlotte’s LGBT community, who say that CL unfairly characterized the HRC’s funding strategy.
Based on disagreements about where money raised by the HRC goes, we sent reporter Joanne Spataro to talk with some members of the local LGBT community. She came back with a story that we believe is fair. (You can read it online here.) Those who disagree with the thrust of Spataro’s story criticize her reporting. See their reactions in this week’s letters section on page 8.
One thing I will say on this issue is that Creative Loafing has been consistently and strongly supportive of Charlotte’s LGBT community and of LGBT issues in general, but our position on this controversy — or any controversy — is that no matter what the inner politics of a group may be, it is in everybody’s best interest to be informed. Spataro reported the facts about a legitimate issue and we stand by her story.
Related Stories
North Carolina’s HRC Gala returns to Charlotte
CIAA 2013: Pimping the promoters
Destination: Free Jazz
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 5, 2013.
With all respect, Kemp: How many out LGBT writers and, or staff do you have at Creative Loafing? It’s hard to be informed about a community from the outside, looking in. Spataro demonstrated this in her article. She does not know our community and failed to understand what she was reporting. Your article dealt with something we discussed 4 years ago and she merely rehashed it in a disingenuous, sensational way. The basis of news is that it is “new” information. Nothing in her article was new.
Take the criticism Kemp and let it sink in. If you have been consistently and strongly supportive of the LGBT community, then listen to our LGBT leaders. Ask yourself what it means to be a paper that reflects the diversity of the community you serve and do you really have that diversity present in your leadership, your writers, etc. You heard some very harsh criticism about Spataro from some of our most involved, notable community leaders — and I think you should show some concern, rather than be dismissive.
Lastly don’t miss my point: Its 2013 — time to diversify your staff and your reporting on our LGBT community. We are more than fancy dinners, nightclubs, drag shows — where is CL at other LGBT non-social events, community forums, actual news? I invited Spataro to a young adult leader panel in early February where QNotes showed up — and so did about 20 of our LGBT community organizations (about 50 people in total). LGBTQ young adults shared about being in Charlotte and what it is like — sometimes feeling silenced/invisible. Where was Creative Loafing? You know the answer: CL is largely absent in our LGBT community unless its a party, a club or nightlife.
So stand by your story, but until you diversity your staff and where you show up in our LGBT community, you don’t “stand for us.”
I hear your concerns, Shane, and we are completely willing — in fact, we would be more than happy — to meet with members of the LGBT community, and we will schedule something as soon as we can arrange a time to do so. Right now there’s much going on at Creative Loafing — but take note: We WILL be meeting with you and we WANT to hear your feedback and suggestions.
As for us covering only fancy dinners, nightclubs and drag shows: how many other local non-LGBT publications published not one, but two cover stories — two COVER stories in a row! — on the Amendment One issue? CL has consistently supported the LGBT community and LGBT issues. No, I am not personally a part of the LGBT community and neither is our news editor — and yes, I think we always could use more out-gay reporters and more reporters of other diverse backgrounds. And in fact, we HAVE a new out-gay writer, Charles Easley, whose “Class is in Session” column will be appearing regularly in the paper — most recently, he wrote a piece on one of the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement, Bayard Rustin. You should give it a read. It is excellent.
Could we do more stories on LGBT issues? Absolutely. We could do more stories on many issues. I wish we still had the number of pages we did several years ago to more thoroughly cover every important issue and every minority group as they SHOULD be covered. Could we assign more stories to out-gay reporters? Yes. And we’d love to. We’d like to hear from any out-gay reporters interested in writing for Creative Loafing. Can we do better? Yes, we all can always do better. But to suggest that all CL does in terms of LGBT issues is cover the parties and drag shows is quite simply disingenuous.