Podcast, Weekly Newsletter

[Podcast] Episode 7 — Resourcefulness and Reparations in North Carolina with Christine Edwards

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Christine Edwards of Civility Localized, a Charlotte-based public engagement firm that is changing the game on so many levels.

But most of all, this is an episode of two Black Southern women who are connected in some shape or form to North Carolina, talking about how we both are motivated and have or haven’t been supported by that state.

Black folks can be agents and victims of gentrification, nothing more and nothing less. Oh, and I'm going to be doing my art in peace. – Defying Gentrification

Hey y'all! This is an update on the future of this platform. My health has dictated that instead of leading with defying gentrification, I need to lead with crafting liberation. Or in other words, I need to center my art projects and imbue them with the values about community and collectivity that I've always honored. I'm tired of being sick and broke trying to make folks listen. So this podcast will be shifting focus, but keeping the same name for now. Oh and to make it clear from what the episode title is and why, here's my final word on Black folks and gentrification:Black folks, especially in the diaspora, but sometimes even in heavily colonized areas of our home continent, can facilitate gentrification over their own people. And of course it can happen to us. But until the day we globally admit that Black folks that aren’t named Oprah, Beyonce, Tyler Perry, and other documented Black billionaires and millionaires can’t be gentrifiers, we are done as a movement and as a people. Those people I named aren’t above being followed, sanctioned, denied financing opportunities, and the like for what they are intending to do with their work, because of global white supremacy over the financing markets and sometimes just the pettiest of racisms and other isms we do need to process as a people.Also, I will have 15th anniversary celebration this falll, a showcase of what the future of Kristen Jeffers Media will hold. Get full access to Defying Gentrification, Crafting Liberation at theblackurbanist.substack.com/subscribe
  1. Black folks can be agents and victims of gentrification, nothing more and nothing less. Oh, and I'm going to be doing my art in peace.
  2. Gentrification is fascist, but it's not too late to stop either.
  3. Making Plenty Good Room with Rev. Dr. Andrew Wilkes
  4. The Grief that Gentrification Brings
  5. [PODCAST] Past and Present Black Migrations for Liberation with Arionne Nettles

About our Guest

Christine Edwards is a civic firebrand who has immersed herself in helping urban communities grow with dignity. Since founding Civility Localized in 2018, her work has affected change nationwide through innovative outreach strategies that support racial equity, reducing barriers to participation, and encouraging sustainable growth for cities. Christine earned her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Urban Management and Policy from UNC Charlotte. Christine’s work has been featured in Fast Company, Axios, The Business Journals, Queen City Nerve, Mountain Xpress, Pride Magazine, QCity Metro and many other local and national publications. Christine serves as a board member for Generation Nation, an organization cultivating the next generation of civic leaders and is a member of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Charlotte. She enjoys southern food, and loves seeing urban policy theory play out in daily life.

Also, I had to have an NC-related hot topic this week and it’s about this new mask and protest banning bill, that’s just the latest of laws making me not want to move home again, despite my love and homesickness.

Read the hot topic reference article here — https://www.wral.com/story/nc-senate-votes-to-ban-people-from-wearing-masks-in-public-for-health-reasons/21433199/

And I found two Black North Carolina authors for you to read this week, you can purchase then in my Bookshop.org store:

Never miss an episode, subscribe to my Substack or on LinkedIn

You can also find me, Kristen , @blackurbanist or @kristpattern.