New report shows top issues facing Black Charlotteans — and how to fix them
Black residents in Charlotte say housing programs are too complicated to be effective and the education system fails their kids’ basic academic and cultural needs, according to a report released on Monday.
Social justice nonprofit For the Struggle collected feedback from more than 1,000 residents to shape its “Black Charlottean Agenda,” a report on the biggest issues facing Black residents today and how leaders might solve them.
The agenda called for city leaders to require major developments and transit projects to ensure residents won’t be forced out of their homes and that impacted people have input on the terms. The report also recommended the city pay temporary relocation stipends to people displaced during construction and establish a network to provide legal representation and answer questions for tenants who face housing struggles.
Report respondents expressed frustration they have to “know someone on the inside” or “the right person to call - and most people don’t.”
“Residents envision a Charlotte where housing stability is the norm, not the exception — where people can stay in their homes, access help easily, and share the benefits of growth,” the report said.
Black Charlotteans want government to “work with us, not for us”
For the Struggle surveyed residents through town halls, online forms and phone calls. The Charlotte Observer helped facilitate a town hall.
The nonprofit then identified three top priorities to address in its agenda: housing, education and healthcare.
Residents routinely expressed a want for elected officials to “work with us, not for us” and hand more power to the people in a co-governance model, according to the report.
“Across every town hall, the same message was clear: people are not looking for charity — they are asking for fairness, enforcement, and a system that keeps them rooted where they are established and call home,” the report said.
For the Struggle recommended several resident-driven initiatives that would reflect the experiences of the people they serve.
One suggestion is a displacement assessment and community review incorporated into the city’s contract approval process. Residents should lead these reviews, and the government should serve only a supporting role, according to the nonprofit.
The report suggested the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education establish a community-led panel of parents, students, teachers and cultural organization leaders to design curriculum standards that include Black history and character education. The panel should address equity concerns related to opportunities like field trips or extracurriculars, where money and transportation can pose barriers.
The school board should also promote more trade and apprenticeship opportunities and use public funding to recruit and train Black and bilingual tutors so students “see themselves reflected in their educators,” the report said. And the district should launch a literacy and comprehension initiative that offers other services, including guaranteed meals and after-school transportation.
“Many noted that too many students are promoted without mastering core reading and math skills, while others described the system as fragmented and difficult for parents to navigate,” according to the report. “Parents indicated they often feel blamed for systemic challenges, while teachers described being under-resourced, overworked, and unsupported in trying to close gaps on their own.”
The Mecklenburg County Commission could address Black residents’ health care concerns by launching a community health program that hires trained navigators in high-need zip codes to help residents access care. Navigators would be trusted figures who already live and work in their communities, like hair stylists, faith leaders and neighborhood advocates.
Residents reported confusion over where to go and who takes what insurance, the report said.
One solution could be mobile clinics focused on behavioral health, maternal health and chronic disease prevention that operate within their neighborhoods. Another recommendation is mobile “healing hubs” that provide ongoing, community-based support for emotional or spiritual needs.
“Residents want a system that meets people where they are, both literally and emotionally, through trusted messengers, mobile services, and community-rooted providers who understand their lived experiences as Black Charlotteans.”
