CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly 10 years after a study ranked Charlotte last among the 50 largest US cities in upward mobility, Winston Robinson says progress is being made in baby steps.
"I don't even want to create that false sense of hope, but I appreciate the drive towards that change," Robinson said on WCNC's Flashpoint.
Robinson is a community advocate working to create positive change. He's the founder of The Applesauce Group which works to promote generational wealth and home ownership in the Black community.
"This is work that we're in for the long haul," he said.
The 2014 report, known as the Chetty study, tracked tax returns of 40 million families from the 1980s through to the mid-2010s to see if the children were able to improve their economic outcomes in adulthood.
Robinson credits Charlotte leaders for creating the Leading on Opportunity Council whose work he said could be "transformative." But he says it's just the start of conversation in making meaningful change in Charlotte's Black communities.
"The weight of systemic racism, it's physical, you feel it, this is something that is very much a part of your everyday life," he said.
That's why Robinson created Applesauce, a 501c3 nonprofit, to provide vital resources through various community events.
"Applesauce Group will show you the greatest time of your life with these festivals with experiences with events. However, on site, we have resources that will meet the needs of community," he said.
Applesauce's next community event is a fish fry at 1600 West Trade St. on April 27.
Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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