May 30, 2017

You could have heard a pin drop this morning as Braxton Winston spoke about his life before, during and after the Lamont Scott protests last September.

In the back of many minds was the picture at right, the one that went viral during the demonstrations. Those demonstrations that so many people felt were so un-Charlotte-like.

Yet here sat a well-spoken, Davidson-educated family man with three young children, one of whom was in the audience. And he talked about privilege – not just some theoretical construct of sociology, but of his privilege – the privilege of a having had great education, of being able to lean on a stable family, and the opportunity to make things better for all. He appealed for help “connecting the dots,” linking all generations in a way that will not only show young people that they are not alone in their anger at injustice, but that they can build on the work of earlier generations.

In the video below, Winston’s presentation begins at minute 9:57. During the Q&A session, which begins at minute 32:48, most of the questions were directed to Winston.

Also speaking were two staff members of the City of Charlotte Community Relations staff. They are Ryan Emmanuel and Maura Chavez. Their presentations begin at minute 22:30. They too fielded questions, which begin at minute 32:48.