Charlotte’s Black community leaders just disturbed about neighborhood crime as they are passionate about “Black Lives Matter” movement

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Plans are being made to make sure that the shooting on Beatties Ford Road from over the weekend never happens again. Different community groups throughout Charlotte say no one else has to die to get this done.

Members from the NAACP met with members of Mothers Against Murdered Offspring, Million Youth March, and Team TruBlue Tuesday night – all groups who’ve spent countless hours working to stop crime in Black neighborhoods.

It’s mostly young people who were killed or hurt during the shooting on Beatties Ford. Community leaders say to reach that specific generation to try and stop the violence and crime, it’s going to take a village.

“What’s happening right now is not going to get solved by City Council. We’re going to have to really get out there and go talk to these guys in the streets and talk to these women in the streets and find out what’s really, really going on,” said No Limit Larry of Power 98 FM, who helped to lead conversations.

Cosmopolitan Community Church is where the meeting took place. Pews were filled with the men and women who’ve dedicated time away from their full-time jobs to make things better for people struggling in some of Charlotte’s Black neighborhoods.

“A lot of these young guys go out and rob and go do things because they have kids, so we started a diaper program, we started a feeding program. That’s one problem,” said Larry.

Crossing problems off a list isn’t good enough for them because lives are still being taken. This is why they say moving collectively is better. They believe there is power in numbers.

“Until we decide on what we’re going to do and make sure we’re unified, then we’re not going to accomplish anything. I don’t care what y’all say,” one woman said during the meeting.

A lack of resources for programs to keep kids off the streets, and a need for positive role models and mentors to help guide a generation are just a couple of ideas being talked about.

“If we create it, they will do it,” Larry added.

“We know all lives matter. Black, White, green, yellow, but black on black lives matter now guys...let’s get busy with that,” another man said Tuesday night.

They also want people outside the meeting to understand the Black community is just as disturbed about crime as they are passionate about the Black Lives Matter movement.

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