Charlotte nonprofit hosts town halls toward community-led agenda ahead of elections
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- Nonprofit For The Struggle launches town halls to shape Black policy agenda
- Community survey responses from 1,000+ residents will guide discussions
- Collected input will inform agenda shared with candidates before Charlotte’s local elections
Next month, Charlotte nonprofit For The Struggle will host a town hall series designed to help Black residents craft a community-led policy agenda ahead of the local elections.
The Black Charlotteans Town Hall Series starts Wednesday, Sept. 3, at First Baptist Church West in the city’s Historic West End. The series is part of For The Struggle’s Eatmon Project, a grassroots effort to educate, engage and empower Black voters, organizers say.
The town halls will use data from “The Black Charlottean Community Survey,” which the nonprofit has circulated since May.
The survey collected information about the challenges, priorities and changes Black Charlotteans say they want to see. Through the town halls, the nonprofit hopes to create a “space for live storytelling, breakout group discussions, and facilitate dialogue that transforms real experiences into an actionable agenda,” Brandi Williams, the Eatmon Project director, said in a news release.
“Too often, our communities are studied but not heard. This isn’t just another program — it’s a movement to center the people closest to the pain in the process of influencing policy,” Williams said. “We’ve taken the surveys. Now it’s time to build the agenda — together.”
Since the survey’s launch, more than 1,000 Black residents across Charlotte have responded to the survey or shared responses during phone bank campaigns, Williams said.
Journalists with The Charlotte Observer will assist by facilitating discussion during the breakout group sessions.
Other organizations partnering include The Beloved Community Center and Black Voters Matter with a goal to “elevate the voices of everyday Black Charlotteans—from youth to elders and everyone in between,” according to a release from the nonprofit.
The town hall is free and open to all. It will feature:
- A review of real-time community survey data
- Breakout groups led by trained facilitators
- Free dinner
- On-site voter registration and civic resources
Ideas gathered will be used to craft an agenda that will be publicly released before the general election and shared with elected officials, candidates and community stakeholders, organizers said. Future town halls expect to take place on Sept. 25 and Oct. 9.
“This is about building a vision and power — not just voting,” Williams said. “We want to know: what would a city with resources and services for us look like?”
How to attend
What: The Black Charlotteans Town Hall Series
Where: First Baptist Church West, 1801 Oaklawn Ave.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 3
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
RSVP is required to attend: https://bit.ly/CLTTH1
About For The Struggle
For The Struggle is a grassroots organization founded in 2019 by Charlotte-based attorney Alesha Brown. The nonprofit serves multiple communities in Mecklenburg County, but much of its work is centered in the Beatties Ford Road corridor.
Some main goals include: combating displacement, improving economic mobility through generational wealth and preserving the history and culture of Black neighborhoods, the Observer previously reported.
A signature program is its Elder Response Initiative, provides services like home repairs, legal assistance and grocery delivery at no cost to residents.
Brown also heads Charlotte-based Justice in Action Law Center.
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
