30 Mins With Darrel Williams

Editor's Note: Democratic County Commissioner Darrel Williams has combined his passion, his profession, and his politics. As a partner in the architectural firm Neighboring Concepts, he works with urban projects that are revitalizing some inner city areas. And at the core of his politics, is a passion for improving neighborhoods. Charlotte World Editor Warren Smith visited Williams at his office on Morehead Street, an old factory renovated into an upscale space that could serve as a model for Williams' vision for the city. They talked about Charlotte politics, the difficulties of urban revitalization, and the upcoming mayor's race.

Warren Smith: As an architect and an elected official, you've had an opportunity to look at the evolution of neighborhoods in Charlotte. What do you think neighborhoods in Charlotte will look like five years from now?

Darrel Williams: I think that people are realizing the value of living closer to the city. Those who have to drive in to work every day are realizing that there are a lot of advantages to living closer to the city and so there's a movement to go back, redevelop, and create a much better environment among our inner city neighborhoods. To make sure they are safe and livable and more diverse and people can walk out of their homes and feel safe about their community and about what is happening in their community. Giving folks hope.

WS: But some say that as that occurs – such as in cities like Boston and Atlanta, we end up with neighborhoods that might be racially diverse but not financially diverse. The struggle becomes one not necessarily of race, but one of class. And, to make matters worse, in Atlanta and elsewhere you end up with affluent black neighborhoods, affluent white neighborhoods, poor white neighborhoods, poor black neighborhoods, and so on. Could that happen in Charlotte?

DS: That is an issue that we continue to deal with. I am a strong advocate for making sure resources are accessible to people in these communities so that they can change along with the communities. There are resources out there for home ownership programs, for job training. We can take churches in these communities and make sure that there is a resource center in the community. I think an excellent resource center that is being utilized to its fullest extent right now is on Beatties Ford Road where several neighborhoods have gotten together to create a resource center. It's called the Northwest Neighborhood Search Center and 15 neighborhoods came together and asked to restore that building for them and right now it has police station, a community pool, and so on. The most important thing is that there is a resident at the receptionist desk. Volunteers staff the facility and the neighborhood is very proud of that. We have to take advantage of the resources in our communities -- like churches, abandoned buildings, libraries. The resources are there; we have to utilize them.

WS: When you say resources, it sounds like you are talking about government resources.

DW: I am talking about government resources and non-profit agencies that are available to help communities. There is a lot going on. There are so many agencies doing so many different things, but they are not talking to one another. No one is talking, so I am talking about government, non-profit or profit -- it doesn't matter as long as there is a center where all these different entities can coordinate. What they are doing now -- it's a problem. More so for the non-profit than the government.

DW: I think it's hopelessness. I think a lot of folks feel like that government is too complex. some feel that government cares, and I think government does care and wants to help, but it's a complicated situation. That's why we advocate for people coming together and developing a vision and a plan for their own communities. Deciding what you want you community to be and going out and getting the resources that you need to change you community. Government is not going to do it. Government is just a partner. You have to get the business community involved and everybody needs for everybody to plan.

WS: You said there is a feeling of hopelessness because some think government is too complex and others think government don't care. It's seems as if the Democrats are focusing on the “government doesn't care enough” part of that problem and the Republicans are focusing on the “government is too complex” part of the problem.

DW: The happy median is to make folks understand that they have a responsibility to change their situation. They can't continue to use racism as an excuse. They can't continue to use excuses, because these are their communities and no one is going to come and change it for them. They have to create neighborhood associations and make sure the neighbors are involved in the association, and they need to attend the meetings and know who their elected officials are. They need to know who to contact when things need to be done in the community, and as government leaders we must be able to assist them in anyway we can.

WS: That approach would sound pretty good to a lot of Republicans. If that's your idea of a “happy median” I think a lot of folks, both Democrats and Republicans, could live with it. But the vote between Republicans and Democrats is still – at least in Charlotte – split significantly along racial lines, and not along the lines of those who subscribe or don't subscribe to the “happy median” you just described. Why is that?

DW: I think that not all Democratic candidates, but most Democratic candidates, uphold the values and concerns of the African American community.

WS: Well, you know, I hear that, but I also hear from people like Arthur Griffin, who of course, is both black and a Democrat, that the African-American community is a church going community and it has relatively conservative values. And if you look at the Democratic Party you see that it stands for abortion, which most black churches preach against. On a whole range of moral issues it seems that the Democratic Party is significantly out of step with what many African Americans believe. Surely you're not suggesting that African American voters put their morality in a box and simply vote for the candidate that promises them the most goodies?

DW: The bottom line is that black churches understand the social ills that exist in the African American communities. Most of them are located in areas that need a large amount of help, and I think that a lot of folks in the Republican Party assume that you can keep locking folks up and that will solve all of our problems. The Democratic Party believes that certain programs, certain resources, can help.

WS: I understand that, but how well are these programs really working? We've had New Deal programs, and Great Society programs, and a growing welfare system. Have the conditions of the black family gotten better or worse in the last 60 years?

DW: I think generally the condition for some has gotten better for others it has gotten . Again it's a class issue. I think the “have nots” continue to get worse and there are certain segments of the African American community where there are a lot more opportunities today than 60 years ago.

WS: Of course, 60 years is a long time ago and probably almost everyone – black and white – are better off because of advances in technology and communications and transportation. But I'm talking about the effects of social and political policy. I have seen numbers that suggest that since 1960 that the number of two-parent families in the black community and in the white community in the 60s were more or less equal, but between 1960 and 1990 the number of two-parent families has declined in the black community at twice the rate as the decline in the population as a whole.

DW: Eight years of a Democratic presidency doesn't do that. I mean that was happening before. It was happening when Reagan and Bush were there, so you can't take the eight years of Clinton and use that as the reason for those declines.

WS: I don't blame it on Clinton, but I do wonder if there is a relationship to a general increase in spending on social programs over that 40-year period. If there aren't, perhaps, some unintended consequences.

DW: In public housing and in other areas we are helping people become more self-sufficient. I think over the last 8 years I think those conditions are starting to change

WS: Well, since you mentioned public housing, there are some folks in Charlotte – I can think of Don Reid, for example – who thing that the Housing Authority in Charlotte is pretty wasteful and inefficient, if not corrupt.

WS: So you don't share that opinion? You feel that public housing is moving in a positive direction in Charlotte?

DW: I think that because if you look at when I first came to Charlotte, I would ride through Earle Village and I would see junk cars in parking lots. No grass. I mean how do you expect a child to grow up in that environment and have hope of becoming anything? You ride through that community today and I see a different community. I see people who can walk down the street and feel safe. I see hope for the children because they see grass. They see the same kind of environment that they would see somewhere else. So what the housing authority has done is taken advantage of some of those funds that were going to be spent anyway if we didn't get those funds. I think Charlotte Housing Authority is one of the most respected public housing authorities in the country.

WS: But didn't they tear down Earle Village? Wasn't that the way they made improvements in that area – to tear it down and start over?

WS: I am not sure what point that makes – unless it is the point I am trying to make, which is in order to improve you have to tear down the government projects and programs.

DW: Well, it's changing the physical condition of them and allowing for programs for people who live there to change. It's not just wiping them out.

WS: I am fascinated about your opinion on housing authority. I have heard it said that what Habitat for Humanity has done in the city of Charlotte has had a more positive impact over the last 10 years in cleaning up inner city neighborhoods the Charlotte Housing Authority.

DW: That is someone's opinion. I think Habitat for Humanity has done a great job, but you can't just deal with the housing part. Look at the Belmont community. Look at how many Habitat houses are over there, but the community still has some serious issues. So it takes more than just building a house to change a community. It has to be more comprehensive than that.

WS: Of course, but when Habitat builds a house, it's not just building a house. It's putting equity in the hands of somebody. It is providing a means to create wealth and security.

DW: I think that the perception is that people don't want Habitat housing in their neighborhoods because when you look at one you can see that it is a Habitat house. I think there is a certain stigma attached to Habitat housing that most communities don't want to be associated with.

WS: To shift gears a bit: Susan Burgess and Pat McCory announced that they are going to run for mayor. I guess Ella Scarborough is also going to run. It's not that Ella Scarborough isn't credible, but she obviously didn't do well in the last election and Susan Burgess was the largest vote-getter city-wide last time around, What do you think about the race?

DW: I think that it's going to be tough for Ella to win because she has lost the last two races, one as a US senate candidate and one as mayoral candidate. I think often times folks don't want to be associated with a loser. I think it's going to be tough for her to gain the kind of support that she needs to win. Ella is a fighter. She is not going to back down and I think she will do a decent job in the primary, but I think Susan will end up winning the primary because Ella has been out of it for a while and Susan has the name recognition and has been active on city council and so it's a good chance that Susan could win.

DW: I think that there is no question that Susan will be more competitive against Pat McCory than Ella. There is some history of Ella running against Pat and Ella lost pretty bad last time, and I think that Susan will make that race a little more competitive. Pat has been a good mayor and he's been fair but I think last year there has been a sense of arrogance on his part and that has has divided certain points of the community.

DW: Well I think that the whole issue of how he dealt with the county when he dealt with the arena issue. Calling a living wage “socialism” and basically ignoring what the concerns of the community instead of sitting down with them and helping them understand that the arena vote.

WS: What did you think about Claude Alexander talking about running for mayor and then deciding not to run?

DW: Claude has been great for Charlotte. He has political aspirations, but he has quite a challenge at University Park. That is a demanding job dealing with that kind large church, the size of their membership. But I think he would have been a credible candidate. I think he could have created some interest in the race.

WS: Did the fact that he was a co-chair of the Decade of Progress – which was beaten pretty badly – have any influence on his decision?

DW: Possibly. There is a chance I could do that. Right now I just want to continue to do the best job that I can as a county commissioner. I am just excited about the opportunity to serve and to blend politics with my profession and to do all I can to help change communities like the one I grew up in.