Michael Graff

Writer, Editor, Journalist, Essayist, Columnist

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A goodbye to Uncle Johnny

Posted on December 13, 2020December 16, 2020 by Michael

Was asked to write an obituary for my uncle Johnny. He was my dad’s brother and best bud, but he was everybody’s best bud. In the photo, he’s in the blue, along with my dad in the middle and great-uncle George in the yellow. Most prominent three men of my childhood, all gone now. Here’s what…

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On the Proud Boys and North Carolina history

Posted on October 1, 2020December 16, 2020 by Michael

In the debate, the president told a white supremacist group to stand by, then told supporters to watch the polls. It reminded me of some things I’d found while researching our forthcoming book on election fraud in eastern North Carolina, in particular the Wilmington coup of 1898. Been getting quite a response from this essay…

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Justin Carr was killed while protesting for Black lives. Now his son, who wasn’t yet born that night, is almost 4.

Posted on June 9, 2020December 16, 2020 by Michael

The night I saw his father die, Justin Carr Jr. was still in the womb. It was September 21, 2016, and I was covering a protest in uptown when a shot rang out. The bullet could’ve hit anyone. But for some reason it chose Justin. And now his son is almost 4.  Of all the…

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A message of hope, from me and Julius Peppers

Posted on April 11, 2020December 17, 2020 by Michael

180 words. That’s all I wrote for the Panthers in this “Message of Hope for the Carolinas.” They added video footage. They added sound. And Julius Peppers read them. Now. In this month. In this year. I’ll remember writing these 180 words the rest of my life. What a trip. 

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These were the first few weeks of your life, baby George

Posted on March 24, 2020December 16, 2020 by Michael

Our son was born March 6.  The world shut down the next week.  In a new essay, I tried to write about all that.

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2019, and some things I wrote

Posted on December 29, 2019December 16, 2020 by Michael

For Charlotte Agenda, a story on one man’s drive to save the youth in his neighborhood, starting with a boy named Haji.  And a sad follow-up in November. And the story of Chynna Deese and her beautiful family, after she was the victim of a murder that set off the largest manhunt in Canada’s history….

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Yes, I joined Charlotte Agenda. Here are a few things I’ve done so far.

Posted on October 19, 2019October 19, 2019 by Michael

Hard to believe, but I’m seven weeks into a job at Charlotte Agenda already. Days and weeks move faster when you’re on staff somewhere. But I’m enjoying it. I mean, of course I miss the freedom of freelancing and midmorning walks with Gizmo, but Agenda’s been a refreshing change.  A few months ago I thought…

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Our First Father’s Day without Dad

Posted on June 18, 2019June 18, 2019 by Michael

The pelicans—excuse me, the goddamn pelicans—are back. They skipped town for the hurricane last fall like everybody else, and weren’t to be seen during a 99-degree Memorial Day weekend, but they made it in time for Father’s Day, gliding over the beachfront homes in a single line, headed wherever it is smug and certain creatures…

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A Few Words on the UNC Charlotte Shooting

Posted on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 by Michael

When Charlotte College moved to a nearly 300-acre stretch of farmland in north Charlotte in 1961, construction crews finished the first two buildings ahead of schedule. It was August, and The Charlotte Observer was so excited it sent a photographer out for pictures of the buildings standing next to a barn. A woman saw that…

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A few extra thoughts on the NASCAR.com story, and a few other stories from the past month or so

Posted on April 30, 2019April 30, 2019 by Michael

Have a new story out today on Karsyn Elledge. She’s an 18-year-old race car driver who just happens to be the granddaughter of Dale Earnhardt. I’m really happy with how it turned out, and hope you’ll enjoy it, too. The only way a story like this comes together is with time. My editor, NASCAR.com’s Brad…

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