Charlotte Mayor Grapples With City’s History of Inequality

The Berewick Subdivision in Steele Creek is a new housing development near Charlotte, NC which has been planned and built in the questionable mold of the city’s past development practices. Source.

In 2013, researchers discovered that Charlotte, North Carolina had the least economic mobility of the United States’ largest 50 cities. This means that, compared to children in other big cities, children in Charlotte are far less likely to earn more than their parents. There are many possible causes for the low rating, but one that cannot be ignored is the city’s long history of racist practices and their residual effects.

In the 1930s, the Federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation assessed the risk of lending to potential homeowners in many cities throughout the country. In a process called ‘redlining,’ the corporation outlined Black neighborhoods in red to indicate a high risk, meaning that banks would be less likely to give loans to potential Black homeowners. Overwhelmingly, the wealthy, all-white neighborhoods were labeled low risk. The effects of these racist loan practices are still clearly visible today. While laws have changed, research has shown that most neighborhoods in Charlotte are still segregated by race. Homes in predominantly white neighborhoods gain more value than those in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Additionally, white residents are about 1.5 times more likely to own their home than Black residents, revealing the disparity between Black and white residents’ ability to accumulate generational wealth. The city’s decision in the late 1960s to bulldoze and rebuild some of the historically Black neighborhoods in Charlotte, most notably the Brooklyn neighborhood, exacerbated this problem. This gentrification destroyed the homes and businesses of Black residents and made the area more expensive to live in, displacing many with little restitution or justice. 

The segregation of economic and racial groups has also affected the education system. According to research done by Leading on Opportunity, a group created to assess Charlotte’s inequity, half of the city’s schools are separated by race and, in a fifth of the schools, 90% of the students are the same race. These disparities lead to strikingly unfair outcomes. The same researchers found that, due to uneven resources, Charlotte students attending predominantly white schools tend to perform better than those who attend racially diverse campuses and students in predominantly Black schools. 

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles addressed some of these problems in a speech she gave earlier this month. The speech served as an apology for the decisions of past city officials to segregate and gentrify the area, as well as a promise to do better. Mayor Lyles promised to fund Black businesses, partner with organizations that fight for racial justice, advocate for working wages in the city, and build more public infrastructure in impoverished areas. Leaders of Restorative Justice CLT, who originally called for the apology, say her acknowledgement of the trauma and inequality facing the Black community in Charlotte is a good starting point. However, they worry about the lack of significant action attached to the Mayor’s words, as she has yet to act on any of the plans laid out in the speech. 

These events follow a summer of nationwide protests against police brutality and racism throughout all policy areas, with a focus on criminal justice. In response to these protests, Charlotte legislators unanimously passed the “8 Can’t Wait” police department reforms, which aim to decrease police violence and overdependence on the police in cities. The North Carolina General Assembly has also made applicable changes. They have passed the First Step Act, which grants judges increased flexibility with mandatory minimum sentencing, and the Second Chance Act, which increases opportunity for record expunction. Governor Roy Cooper has also created a task force to further address racism in North Carolina law enforcement. 

Mayor Lyles’ speech serves as an important acknowledgement of how generational and current racism negatively impact Charlotte’s Black community. As protests over police brutality begin to slow down and people begin to lose interest, her actions could keep the momentum going in the right direction. However, simply noticing the faults in policies and communities will not fix the problem. Many groups, such as Leading On Opportunity and Restorative Justice CLT, have outlined concrete ways to make Charlotte more equitable and increase the quality of life for many residents. To actually change the trajectory of the city and its relationship with its Black community, officials must take action rather than offer empty rhetoric.