James B. Lee oral history interview 3, 2019 November 13
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In this third interview, James Bradley Lee III discusses the changes happening in his life and the challenging effects of gentrification in the Grier Heights neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr. Lee describes how he recently pulled himself out of experiencing homelessness, and his current work with the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queen's University of Charlotte. He details his role with the Greenspon Center, where he works with a team to advocate for local affordable housing, with particular focus on those who earn thirty percent and below of the area median income. He elaborates on the various developments underway in the Grier Heights neighborhood and the tensions between the interests of long-time Grier Heights homeowners and renters, and the rapid economic development of the area. Mr. Lee also discusses his involvement with the movement for reparations for the destruction of Charlotte's uptown Brooklyn neighborhood, which was razed during the 1960s and 1970s as part of the city's urban renewal program. He expresses hope that the proposed new Brooklyn Village development planned for the site will allow for affordable housing. Mr. Lee concludes the interview by describing himself as a conduit between disparate societal groups in the community, and as a catalyst for change.
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