Charlotte loses model of a leader
Charlotte’s emergence from a long list of similar small, sleepy, Southern cities was not chance. It was driven by the ambitions of a large handful of people with supreme vision, intellect and a dedication to this place.
We lost one of those people last week. Mark Bernstein was 85.
It’s possible you never heard of Bernstein before last week’s news, which speaks to his humility, not his impact. From the law to the Jewish community to the arts and humanities, his leadership was instrumental and transformative.
He chaired a group whose work resulted in the building of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center uptown. He led another effort that produced the Levine Center for the Arts complex on South Tryon. And he facilitated the creation of Shalom Park, a 54-acre campus for the Jewish community off Providence Road.
He served on countless boards, chairing many of them, ranging from the Charlotte Symphony to Davidson College to Family Dollar to the Mecklenburg County Bar.
Besides his unparalleled resume, Bernstein was a man of compassion, integrity, humility and generosity. He was all action, not just talk.
Michael Marsicano, president of the Foundation for the Carolinas, remembered Bernstein at his funeral on Wednesday.
“When asked about his prolific service to community, Mark laughed out loud likening himself to the singer in the Broadway Classic Oklahoma, the girl who just can’t say no! And then he said and I quote ‘service is integral to who I am and what I aspire to be.’”
As Charlotte wrings its hands trying to discover what its next generation of leadership will look like, it should remember Mark Bernstein and his model of endless energy, selfless giving and love for the city.
Justice and decency
While Americans should be heartened by the strong steps taken toward justice last week in Baltimore, a story closer to home also deserves notice.
Last month, Greensboro police officer Travis B. Cole was suspended with pay for an incident last August in which he arrested two brothers, Devin and Rufus Scales, for walking in the middle of a traffic-free neighborhood street.
Police Chief Wayne Scott said the arrest was justified, but acknowledged that a video taken by one of the brothers was “bothersome.” The video showed Cole treating the brothers poorly after seeming to go out of his way to confront them.
The charges against the brothers were dismissed, but as the (Greensboro) News & Record reported last week, Scott went one important step further: He sent them a personal letter of apology and offered to meet with them to discuss his findings.
It was a simple gesture, and it sent a strong and critical message in these tension-filled days:
Justice is important. So is decency.
This story was originally published May 3, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Charlotte loses model of a leader."