The Cherry neighborhood just southeast of uptown Charlotte was set to hold its annual reunion and parade this Labor Day weekend, drawing many former residents. The historically Black community would have celebrated 133 years since its founding. But it was canceled due to safety concerns following a drive-by shooting last month.
The Cherry community was built in the 1890s next to an area of land that would become Myers Park many years later. African Americans bought homes and started families in Cherry. These days, older houses are sandwiched between big new ones.
Rosalyn Allison-Jacobs sat on her front porch with her husband on a recent afternoon.
They moved here 10 years ago, partly to be surrounded by other Black families. They’ve come to look forward to the parade and its celebration of Cherry’s roots.
“The kids march, and they have sort of a little band. And then there’s a history of antique car owners, who either live in the neighborhood or used to live in the neighborhood, and they sort of parade their antique cars around,” Allison-Jacobs said.
The Cherry neighborhood group canceled the event, citing safety concerns and threats of retaliation after a drive-by shooting on July 28. In an email to residents, the group said one house was targeted, and though surrounding homes were hit with bullets, no one else was hurt. Police say the shooting may be linked to other incidents around the city.
“I was surprised," Allison-Jacobs said. "This is a quiet neighborhood. We don’t have any concerns; we feel safe. I was really surprised and disappointed.”
That’s how Tremaine Tyson felt, too. Tyson is disappointed that the reunion that holds so much meaning to him has been canceled.
Tyson has lived in Cherry his whole life. His mother lives in the same home his great-grandmother lived in.
She rents it from the Cherry Community Organization that sprang up in the 1960s as federally-funded urban renewal demolished many of the nearby Black communities, such as Brooklyn.
“Right behind me. My mother's house is here. My Aunt Ruthie actually still owns the block that houses the corner store, the barbershop,” Tyson said.
The church across the street is led by the same minister who was there when Tyson was born nearly 50 years ago. But over the past few decades, as rents and property values rose, many of Cherry’s Black residents left.
Tyson said the reunion provides an opportunity to rekindle relationships with those no longer in the area.
“It’s one of the very few things we have left," Tyson said. "And so, each year, this is the time when 90% of the people who don’t live here can come back. And so, it’s their safe place. And that’s kind of what the Cherry reunion has been since its inception.”
Tyson pulled out a big box filled with newspaper stories about past Cherry reunions, efforts to form the Cherry Community Organization and community challenges around affordable housing.
Tyson has preserved items from past Cherry reunions. He even has a newspaper clipping with a photo of himself as a kid participating in a potato sack race. He’s kept the items as a way to preserve the history of an evolving community. For Tyson, the parade brings up special memories.
“I can be preparing breakfast, and all of a sudden, I hear the drum roll and then that beating in your chest. Then, I just open the window, and you know, today's the Cherry reunion,” Tyson said. “And it brings me back to being a youth and knowing that day and how important the Cherry reunion was. It was one of those days that lasted forever."
Back at the Jacobs’ porch, David Jacobs said the shooting has made some Cherry residents uneasy. He’s changed his bike route, but said he and his wife still generally feel safe.
Jacobs said the parade provides an opportunity for newcomers and longtime residents to connect. He understands why the event has been canceled.
“It is disappointing because it’s a sense of community pride to see the youngsters marching, the band playing, and folks just hanging out,” Jacobs said.
Residents remain upbeat that the annual event will return to the historic Black community.
