https://www.whqr.org/tags/mahlaynee-cooper Mahlaynee Cooper en-US Copyright Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:45:33 GMT https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2026-08-20/maylahnee-cooper-until-its-your-son Last month, the news started following the story of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, a young Black man who went missing and was later found dead under unclear circumstances — leading to far-reaching criticisms about how the case was handled. And tragically, Wells' case isn't isolated. There have been several other similar stories this year. It's an upsetting, emotional, and complicated topic — one this week's commentary, from Wilmington-based spoken word artist Mahlaynee Cooper, addresses in her poetry. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:45:33 GMT https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2026-08-20/maylahnee-cooper-until-its-your-son https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2026-04-02/commentary-maylahnee-cooper Mahlaynee Cooper is a poet, teaching artist, and the founder of Speak Ya Peace NC. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:52:34 GMT https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2026-04-02/commentary-maylahnee-cooper https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2025-11-20/commentary-maylahnee-cooper Mahlaynee Cooper is a poet, teaching artist, and the founder of Speak Ya Peace NC.WHQR commentaries don’t necessarily reflect the views of WHQR Public Media, its editorial staff, or its members. Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:24:00 GMT https://www.whqr.org/inside-whqr/2025-11-20/commentary-maylahnee-cooper