Spelling bees, historic sites, baseball milestones: Our week of ‘momentum moments’

There were so many news moments in the final week of May 2024 to remember — or ignore.

I like how Jenni Carlson, a nationally known sports columnist based in Oklahoma, recently used the phrase “momentum moment,” which is an astute and alliterative way to describe unintended turning points.

Here are three I hope the Triangle remembers:

She spells with a smile

No doubt, Ananya Rao Prassanna had a momentum moment when she charmed a national TV audience by finishing tied for third place at the National Spelling Bee.

The News & Observer’s T. Keung Hui’s story on Ananya, a seventh-grader from Cary, had this sweet-as-honey headline: “A-m-a-z-i-n-g: NC teen spells her way to the final three of the National Spelling Bee.”

When Ananya moved to North Carolina, her family picked Davis Drive Middle in part because of the school’s strong support for the Spelling Bee program, according to Keung’s story. Her strong placing also was a moment for Michael Hokenberg, the principal of Davis Drive Middle in Cary, who drove to Maryland when he couldn’t book a flight. THAT’S a proud principal.

And Ananya will be eligible to make the Triangle proud next year.

Students who care about education.

Educators who care about students.

Families that care. That’s J-O-Y.

Triangle, tobacco and tourism

I wonder if Triangle newcomers understand the potential momentum moment that follows a $2.5 million donation to the Duke Homestead State Historic Site and Tobacco Museum.

Mary Helen Moore reported on the reasons behind the donation, notably the opportunity to “build a fuller picture of North Carolina’s relationship with tobacco, illuminating narratives of enslaved people and Native Americans that might otherwise be lost to history.” Mary Helen’s story is featured on NC Inside Look, The N&O’s ongoing initiative to take readers behind the scenes to illuminate the people and places in our community.

Signs along Durham highways will guide you to the Duke Homestead State Historic Site and Tobacco Museum at 2828 Duke Homestead Road. You’ll eventually take a winding journey past unpretentious homes on large lots shaded by glorious trees. This isn’t a Biltmore greeting: You’ll be able to park near the modest building that greets visitors. (One other tip: The place is closed Sundays and Mondays.)

We spent a hot summer Saturday at the site and came away impressed with the substantive story of the Washington Duke family and the evolution of tobacco into a livelihood and political battle that split our country.

North Carolina — and the Triangle — can do more to tap into the cross-generational curiosity of heritage tourism. The Duke family foundation’s gift could be a connective point.

Not far from the homestead is the Bennett Place Historic Site, another unpretentious splash of history in a quiet, semi-rural area. Many historians make a worthy argument that the Civil War ended in Durham after Union Gen. William Sherman and Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston met at the family farm of James and Nancy Bennett.

Add in Sherman’s march into Raleigh, how tobacco changed the state … and this is how a generous $2.5 million donation can change how we view history, race relations and our own sense of place.

‘We didn’t hold any anger’

There was no better timing than the end of May to highlight another news moment that could be a turning point for how Rocky Mount recognizes a local legend — how Walter “Buck” Leonard now will be remembered beyond his beloved hometown.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball updated its all-time records to include players from the Negro League. Josh Shaffer’s Uniquely NC story titled “‘The Black Lou Gehrig’ from North Carolina is finally recognized in the MLB record books” chronicles how Leonard now ranks eighth all-time with a batting average of .345.

Here’s this wonderful passage from the story and N&O archives: “We didn’t think of playing in the major leagues very much,” Leonard told The N&O in 1997, not long before he died. “The majors were for the white guys. But we didn’t hold any anger for them. We didn’t even think about them. We had our own league, like another world, and we played like no other world existed.”

Buck must be smiling down on us. Now, the baseball worlds come together.

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. He once made it to the semifinals of his class spelling bee.