The Echo Foundation presents Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities The Echo Foundation 1125 E. Morehead St., Ste. 101 Charlotte, NC 28204 704-347-3844 www.echofoundation.org www.inthefootstepsofeliewiesel.org www.echocubaproject.org Dear Teachers, Inspired by the Opportunity Task Force Report, and in harmony with Leading on Opportunity, with its 2018 curriculum, The Echo Foundation brings to the table the significant power and vision of students. How many among us were surprised to learn that out of the nation’s 50 largest cities, Charlotte ranks at the bottom in terms of opportunity for upward mobility of its citizens? For some, it was new information, for others, it was no surprise – it is their reality. As teachers, students and Echo Trustees considered the Task Force Report, we found ourselves wondering about the role of young people. “Where are they in this process?” we asked. Do they understand the opportunity divide and what it means for their fellow students? Are we harnessing the power of the good minds and untethered spirits of Charlotte’s youth as we look for answers? After all, they will inherit tomorrow, what we do today. The Echo curriculum has three elements: 1.) Information & Opinions, 2.) Activities & Resources, and 3.) An Invitation to each school, teacher, classroom, club, and student to reach out to another school, another group, another individual for a serious discussion about opportunity. We did this at Echo this summer; most interestingly with members of the Young Black Leadership Alliance. We made new friends, learned a great deal that we had previously not known, and began brainstorming ideas for creating a better Charlotte – all this among students from diverse zip codes! But this isn’t enough. We need solutions. In these uncertain times of social divides in nearly every arena, here and around the globe, we believe in the power of young people and the urgency of their participation in finding lasting solutions to the substantial issues facing us today. We invite each of you to expand on what we offer here. With minimal encouragement, your students will surely invent far better ways of building a sustainable upward mobility track for all citizens. Let’s invite them to design the future for they see the meadow with no fences – they believe anything is possible. And perhaps it is! Through Echo's unique collaborations with Leading on Opportunity and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, we embrace the challenges to equal opportunity and look forward with hope to creating a better future as we experience the beauty and blessing of bonds that bind us to all people. Wishing you an inspired and rewarding path forward, Stephanie G. Ansaldo President, The Echo Foundation The Echo Foundation presents Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities 2018 – 2019 Voices Against Indifference Initiative Foreword This summer, we were honored with the task of creating a collection of texts and activities addressing Charlotte’s pressing issues with social mobility. The problem has been building for decades, dating back to the Jim Crow era and the tumultuous fight for desegregation. Widespread awareness of this disparity, however, is quite new. In 2013, a Harvard/UC Berkeley study led by Professor Raj Chetty quantified the potential in 50 US cities for a person in the bottom fifth of the economic ladder to climb to the top fifth. The city that ranked dead last? Charlotte. This headline spurred city leaders to action, creating a Task Force to study Charlotte’s cracks, and after two years of work, releasing the Leading on Opportunity report. It is a great report, one that acknowledges the wide and systemic lack of opportunity for the already disadvantaged populations in Charlotte. However, we wondered, where was the crucial input of Charlotte’s youth, the future of our city? This curriculum is designed to inform the students in the Charlotte Mecklenburg region and empower them to have insightful discussions about what’s happening in our community. The six chapters encapsulate the five factors the Chetty study listed at the source of issues with social mobility: Segregation, Income Inequality, School Quality, Social Capital, and Family Structure. An additional sixth chapter addresses disparity in the criminal justice system and its consequences in Charlotte. The curriculum ends with activities, interviews, and resources designed to include youth in the discussion and foster empathy among people of all backgrounds. We’re a group of young adults, a group of kids, growing up in this divide, and we know how much power our voice holds. Our goal for this curriculum is to inform and inspire our fellow students to become active agents in making our community a more equal and just environment, no matter what zip code we are growing up in. Because if we don’t speak up about the future of our home, who will? Here’s to Charlotte’s youth! Our passion, our ingenuity, our hope. We invite you to join us and shape this critical journey toward a better Charlotte! Be informed, and then become part of the solution! With hope, Julia Carr Elise Palmer Seungmin Park Molly Ruebusch Duke University East Mecklenburg High 4 The Echo Foundation “Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities” Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities —————————————————— The Divide of Upward Mobility Table of Contents Curriculum Alignment with North Carolina Standard Course of Study . 9 I. Segregation and Race Relations . .. .13 A. “Segregation Had to Be Invented” B. A ‘Forgotten History’ of How the U.S. Government Segregated America C. How Redlining’s Racist Effects Lasted for Decades D. Extensive Data Shows Punishing Effects of Racism for Black Boys E. Trump’s EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real F. White Flight Never Ended G. Shattering Charlotte’s Myth of Racial Harmony H. The Desegregation and Resegregation Of Charlotte’s Schools I. Black Charlotte’s Frustrated - And That’s by Design J. Discussion Questions II. Education . 54 A. Good School, Rich School; Bad School, Poor School B. Charlotte Organizations Use Early Childhood Education to Help Break Poverty Cycle C. Bright, Low-Income Kids Are Missing Out on Advanced Classes. This Bill Would Force a Change. D. Church Saved Charlotte’s McClintock Middle School from Closing, Study Finds E. High Court Closes Historic Desegregation Case F. The Resegregation of Charlotte’s Public Schools G. Capacchione vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education H. Julius Chambers, a Fighter for Civil Rights, Dies at 76 I. Discussion Questions 5 The Echo Foundation “Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities” III. Income Inequality . .. 89 A. Why It’s So Hard to Get Ahead in the South B. N.C. Poverty Line, CMS Title I Schools, CMS Socio-economic Distribution C. Economic Hardship, Racialized, Concentrated Poverty, and The Challenges of Low-Wage Work: Charlotte, North Carolina D. Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life E. What Poverty Looks Like in Charlotte” F. ‘Money Rock’ Dives Deep into Charlotte’s History of Inequities G. Charlotte Spending Millions on Affordable Housing that the Poor Can’t Afford H. Discussion Questions IV. Family Structure . 124 A. The Many Types of Family Structures in Our Communities B. Living with One Parent C. How do Poverty Rates Compare for Single Moms? D. Single Mothers Are Not the Problem E. Marriage Can Fight Poverty- But How Do You Promote It? F. Politicians Push Marriage, but That’s Not What Would Help Children G. Promoting Marriage Has Failed and Is Unnecessary to Cut Poverty H. Family Structure: The Growing Importance of Class I. What Actually Helped J. John Legend K. Discussion Questions V. Social Capital . 160 A. Social Capital and Inequality: The Significance of Social Connections B. Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis (Excerpt) C. Vague Hopes and Active Aspirations Parts 1 and 2 D. Inequality Matters E. Social Capital is a Critical Factor for change in Charlotte - 4 Experts Weigh in on What Needs to Happen Next F. We Must Attack Opportunity Gaps at Their Root Causes G. Discussion Questions 6 The Echo Foundation “Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities” VI. Criminal Justice . .. 187 A. Mass Incarceration and the Cycle of Poverty B. Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the Pre-incarceration Incomes of the Imprisoned C. The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons D. OpEd: Charlotte is Burning: Waking Up from the American Dream… Finally? E. Charlotte Police Shooting and Protest Timeline: How the Protests Started, Spread and City Reaction F. CMS’s Treatment of Black Boys Creates School-to-Prison Pipeline G. Mecklenburg D.A. Should Tackle Mass Incarceration H. 10 Ways to Put Justice Back in the Criminal Justice System I. Alternatives to Incarceration J. Why Norway’s Prison System Is So Successful K. Discussion Questions ADDENDUM I. Community Outreach . 226 1. Interview with Young Black Men (YBM) 2. Interview with Young Black Women (YBW) 3. Interview with Bethany Darnley, Teacher at Garinger High School and Founder of the Ultreia Society. II. Classroom Activities . .. 239 1. American Mobility Discussion 2. Suburban Redlining Discussion 3. Cathartic Narrative 4. Privilege Race 5. “Spent” Poverty Simulation Game 6. Writing to Your Local School Board Member III. Reference Materials . .. .250 1. Students Respond 2. Good Stuff Happening in Charlotte 3. Further Reading & Filmography 4. Bibliography 7 The Echo Foundation “Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities” APPENDIX . .263 1. About The Echo Foundation 2. Footsteps Ambassador Responses 8 The Echo Foundation “Charlotte: A Tale of Two Cities” Alignment with NC Standard Course of Study This serves as a resource for teachers and faculty working in North Carolina Public Schools and planning to attend Echo’s annual Student Dialogue. In preparation for the dialogue, we ask that teachers familiarize their students with the curriculum on Charlotte’s issues with social mobility.