Congress has cut federal funding for public media — an $800,000 loss for WFAE. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
More than 50 people gathered in Charlotte’s low-income Beatties Ford Road corridor on Wednesday night, ahead of the upcoming municipal election, for a forum that aimed to highlight some of the top concerns and priorities amongst Black residents.
Community members gathered at First Baptist Church-West. They broke into breakout rooms to discuss some of their concerns and priorities. Better education, training for high-paying jobs, affordable housing to address displacement, and access to health care were among the top priorities. Gerald Patton, 61, said he would like major businesses to address a problem he sees in east Charlotte, where he resides.
“The lack of economic growth and development. We feel as though we are not getting the equitable share of resources in our community that you see in other communities,” Patton said.
The nonprofit For The Struggle hosted the conversation, which featured some city council representatives. Malcolm Graham who represents the Beatties Ford Road corridor, said he could understand why some community members are focused on training for high-paying jobs.
"If you don't have a job, you can't get into affordable housing. If you don't have a job, you can't get healthcare. If you can't have a job, you can't have access to quality education,” Graham said. "You need a job. You need a job that pays more than the living wage, a job to support yourself and your family.”
To identify concerns and priorities, the group For The Struggle surveyed more than 1000 Black residents. Brandi Williams is one of the organizers behind the Black Charlotteans Town Hall Series.
“We want to recenter the power with the people, and let elected officials know that these are the opportunities you need to take to actually listen and not just come and tell us about your programs,” Williams said.
The group plans to host two more community conversations.
SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS
No matter what happens in Congress, WFAE remains committed to our mission: to serve our community with fact-based, nonpartisan journalism. But our ability to do that depends on the strength of the financial response from the communities we serve. Please support our journalism by contributing today.
