Creative Loafing columnist Nsenga Burton opines this week that Charlotte has a vacuum of black leadership.
What is she talking about?
We have a black mayor, we have city council members, county commissioners and school board members who are black.
JCSU President Dr. Ronald Carter slightly trails Mayor Anthony Foxx in popularity among city leaders. And then there’s Urban League CEO Patrick Graham also representing for the brothers. So, what is Burton saying?
Burton argues despite these notable names and some other people, the city lacks a collective consciousness in which blacks rally together. In her column, Burton laments the recent deaths of Civil Rights pioneers such as Dorothy Height and Lena Horne.
I understand Burton’s argument. The Heights and Hornes of our past fought a different battle for equality. It was easy to rally together to fight segregation. Today, the inequities blacks’ face are less obvious which makes it harder for blacks to rally together. It would seem that the days of one collective consciousness are gone, but the question is what will replace it?
Below is a slideshow of Charlotte black leaders. Before you gripe about the lack of females, I already know there’s a void. What women would you add to the list? What men?
