urbanCORE News Releases

$5 million-plus from Mecklenburg County, Charlotte City Council and HUD will support a new, cooperative grocery store for West Boulevard

CHARLOTTE, N.C., (Oct. 5, 2023) – West Charlotte will soon be home to a for-profit, cooperative grocery store. A capital campaign to fund the $10 million cost of the co-op on West Boulevard and Clanton Road has been given a notable boost with funding commitments from key public funding sources, most significantly Mecklenburg County, the project’s longest-standing supporter and partner.

W+GRA Leadership Café Facilitates Strategic Community Conversations in Support of Women and Girls Across Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Oct. 5, 2023 – The Women + Girls Research Alliance, a unit of UNC Charlotte’s urbanCORE, in partnership with the Wooomen’s Intercultural Exchange (https://www.wi-ce.net), will host its second “Taking Space Without Apology: A Women and Girls Leadership Café” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 16, at UNC Charlotte’s Popp Martin Student Union.

This year’s themes will center on supporting women’s mental health and wellness, economic security and mobility through the lens of equity. The café facilitates partnerships with researchers, community leaders and civic investors that produce data-based transformative outcomes and is open to grassroots community leaders, faculty researchers, civic partners, students, parents, health care providers, teachers and nonprofit leaders.

Inaugural Julius Chambers Day to Celebrate the Legacy of Civil Rights Attorney

Charlotte, N.C. – Oct. 1, 2023

The inaugural Julius Chambers Day will be held on October 6, 2023, at 9 a.m. at Julius Chambers High School in Charlotte, N.C. The event will honor the life and legacy of Julius Chambers, a prominent civil rights attorney who devoted his life to fighting for justice and equality. The day will feature special archives of Chambers’ work from UNC Charlotte, showcasing his groundbreaking legal strategies and tireless efforts to advance the cause of civil rights. Randi Beem, UNC Charlotte archivist, will showcase rare documents, photographs, and artifacts that offer a glimpse into Chambers’ remarkable career.

Women +Girls Research Alliance Report Identifies Key Findings on Issues Affecting Women and Girls in the Charlotte Metropolitan Region

Charlotte, N.C. – June 20, 2023 – The Women + Girls Research Alliance , a unit of UNC Charlotte’s urbanCORE, unveiled key findings on issues impacting women and girls across the Charlotte metropolitan region. The alliance presented its findings during the “Taking Space Without Apology: A Women and Girls Leadership Café Data Report Luncheon” held Monday.

Top findings, which resulted from the 2022 Leadership Café hosted by the W+GRA, revealed:

  • High rates of poverty and economic insecurity, particularly among women of color and single mothers
  • High rates of certain health conditions, such as mental health disorders and maternal mortality and morbidity
  • Caregiving challenges, such as lack of paid parental leave and affordable childcare options
  • Harassment and violence including domestic violence
  • Disparities in healthcare access, quality and affordability
  • Workplace and school-based inequities, including gender-based pay gaps and exposure to career paths.