CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The group Charlotte Black Pride gathered Sunday with a message of solidarity to share, marking the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and Uprising in New York City.
Sunday, speakers from Charlotte Black Pride and several other Black-led organizations in the Queen City addressed issues of systemic racism, white supremacy and police violence directed toward Black and LGBTQ people.
A total of 41 LGBTQ and non-profit organizations in Charlotte collectively signed a letter released Sunday with a clear message: Black Lives Matter.
"We know that Black people in this city, state, and country have been victimized by hundreds of years of systemic oppression and violence," the letter says, in part. "This systemic racism and white supremacy has manifested itself in all areas of our society in various ways throughout history — in slavery, Jim Crow, the convict-leasing system, racist or xenophobic immigration policies, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, educational segregation, healthcare disparities, policing, and more."
The group says their work is built on human rights advocacy that was "laid down by Black Americans, including Black LGBTQ visionaries," and that the LGBTQ movement as its known today was founded by Black and Latina transgender women.
In light of that, the 41 organizations said they pledge to several actions, including diversifying the organizations' leadership boards and using funds to generate "accessible, intentional and uplifting" programs for the Black community in Charlotte.