March 18, 2024

SPECIAL SECTION

Men Moving Mountains

We know it’s true. Black men often get a bad rap, and they can be hidden— although in plain sight, but let’s make no mistake, Black men in Charlotte are doing amazing things. They are feeding the poor, preparing our youth to be bigger and better, making something out of nothing and building empires. In the Queen City, Black men are moving mountains. In this issue of Pride, we tell some of their stories.​

Khalif Rhodes

A 50-YEAR CAREER and the first Black artist in the Guild of Charlotte Artists, Tommie Robinson will make history as the first Black artist whose portrait of a judge will hang in the Mecklenburg County courthouse. Robinson’s portrait of the late Chief District Court Judge James Lanning, who passed in 2015 will be installed in December. […]

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Police Chief Johnny Jennings

“LAW ENFORCEMENT CHOSE ME. I didn’t choose law enforcement.” That is what Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Police Chief Johnny Jennings will tell you about how he became a member of the 108th recruit class in May of 1992. He will also tell you it was the best decision he ever made. […]

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Kenneth Snow

MANAGING PARTNER AND leading attorney for The Snow Legal Group, Kenneth Snow, does not recall when he first decided to become an attorney but says, “I do know that I became a lawyer to speak for the voiceless and fight for the justice of those who cannot fend for themselves.” […]

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Home Run! Baseball Team Owner Brandon Bellamy

THE DECISION WAS UNANIMOUS. In July, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball approved real estate developer Brandon Bellamy to purchase a new club expansion in Gastonia, NC, becoming professional baseball’s only Black majority owner in the nation. There has not been a Black majority owner of any professional baseball club since Tom Lewis owned the South Atlantic League’s Savannah Cardinals from 1986-1987, according to Baseball America.
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William McNeely

WITHIN ZIP CODE 28208 in the heart of Charlotte, are many neighborhoods such as Ashley Park, Camp Green, and Revolution Park— mostly low income with nearly double the state and national unemployment rates. In these neighborhoods, the children have big dreams. They are high in creativity and high in passion, but many have few outlets to pursue their desires. […]

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Rickey Hall

SENIOR BOARD CHAIR for the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition and Westside Community Land Trust, Rickey Hall, has spent his lifetime working to implement sustainable communitydriven solutions to address systemic social and economic mobility challenges in disenfranchised African-American communities and promoting community-driven initiatives focused on addressing systemic food insecurity and improved health access. […]

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Tommie Robinson

A 50-YEAR CAREER and the first Black artist in the Guild of Charlotte Artists, Tommie Robinson will make history as the first Black artist whose portrait of a judge will hang in the Mecklenburg County courthouse. Robinson’s portrait of the late Chief District Court Judge James Lanning, who passed in 2015 will be installed in December. […]

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Jamall Kinard

EDUCATOR, COACH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, and racial equity trainer Jamall Kinard is revitalizing efforts in the community by focusing on family stability and civic awareness. After serving 10 years as an educator in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System, Kinard eagerly joined the Racial Equity Institute (REI) in August of 2019. […]

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Nicholas Wharton

NICHOLAS WHARTON is the President and CEO of the Charlotte Area Fund, a nonprofit that helps people at 200 percent or below the federal poverty guidelines to find their way out of poverty. […]

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Joshua Proby

AUTHOR OF THE 30-DAY JOURNEY from Prison to Spiritual Peace, Joshua Proby, is a minister, motivational speaker, mentor and entrepreneur. His life is not one of glitz and glamour, but he has dedicated it to educating and uplifting children and young adults to have a better understanding of who they are. […]

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