Dante' Anderson
What steps will you take (or have you taken) to ensure LGBTQ+ people who live in, work in, travel to Charlotte are protected against discrimination and included at all levels of decision-making?
It's critical that Charlotte embodies the characteristics and values of a welcoming city, fostering and protecting inclusion of all city residents. I've supported inclusive equality through advocacy and supporting policy that does the same. As a Council Member, I'd take a multi pronged approach. First, supporting policy that underscores protections of LGBTQ+ community members. Second, having community conversations and cultural training/exposure to LGBTQ+ community that would elevate and educate Charlotteans on the challenges the community faces. Lastly, working to ensure Charlotte rises on indexes/studies like the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index will drive home the importance of Charlotte being a community that LGBTQ+ members can live and thrive.
What will you do (or have you done) to address the affordable housing crisis that plagues Charlotte? What plans do you have to ensure Charlotte develops sustainably for future generations?
Affordable housing is a growing issue in Charlotte. For the LGBTQ+ community, the lack of affordable housing only further endangers vulnerable members of the community. I'm running on a platform of opportunity which includes the opportunity to access affordable housing. I currently serve on the board of Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI). We focus on creating various forms of affordable housing from single family homes and apartments for senior citizens on fixed incomes and leverage unique real estate structures. As a council member, I'd embrace concepts like the Housing Impact Fund and other forms of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. In addition, I'd leverage best practices and successful measures that organizations like RWCI and the West Side Community Land Trust have implemented in corridors/neighborhoods of the city with similar profiles. Lastly, this issue plagues so many city residents. We have to work with developers to reserve a percentage of dwelling units for city residents along the spectrum of the area median income (AMI) and not simply focus on impoverished residents at or below 30% AMI. Any Charlottean working a full time job should have the opportunity to access affordable housing.
What actions do you support (or have you supported) to ensure people have equitable access (including transportation) to jobs that provide a living wage?
The Transformational Mobility Network must continue to be a priority. Extending the Bus corridors and adding new modes of rapid transit is a direct way we can can ensure equitable mobility for all Charlotteans. I'd also advocate investing in less costly initiatives such as the extension of the streetcar and greenway expansion. In addition, as our public transit node grows, we must be thoughtful in ensuring Black and Brown communities are not negatively impacted or adversely displaced in the process. I'd champion the city creating an anti displacement fund and incorporating minority and women suppliers into the bidding process of these transportation construction projects.
With racism being declared a public health crisis, what steps do you support (or have you supported) to address the racial inequities that exist in Charlotte? These include but are not limited to environmental racism, overpolicing, and access to healthcare.
Environmental racism is blight on our country's history that has long reaching effects into generations to come. We know that Black and Brown communities are unequitably impacted by environmental decisions made today due to the decades of harm caused by the decisions of where to place manufacturing facilities, waste treatment plants and other carbon negative operations. These decisions had direct impact on the health and wellness of minority communities manifesting in asthma, over indexing of under health disparities such as cancer. As a council member, I'd be vigilant in the advocating for environmental protections and extending access to healthcare these communities.
Strides to create equitable opportunity will be undercut by the persistence of overpolicing in our communities. To address overpolicing, we must accept that mental health issues and social challenges exist in poor communities that are Black and Brown. We must partner with community organizations and leaders to produce an action plan to work with law enforcement to support the community. I've spent a day at the CMPD training academy and have gone on a ride along with a CMPD officer. There is little to no officer training on tactics like deescalation and managing mental health scenarios. Education for law enforcement, increasing cultural competency training and cultivating community partnerships are a few ways we can address overpolicing in our communities.
Are there any additional comments or initiatives you'd like to share?
Active civil engagement has been important throughout my life. I’ve volunteered in every community that I have lived in; dedicating countless hours to public service, serving on nonprofit boards that serve the community, mentoring young professionals and donating my professional expertise to advisory committees. I’m passionate about health and wellness disparities that exist in African American and Latin X communities and have focused on mitigating the driving factors behind that issue. Locally, I spent years on the board of Susan G. Komen Charlotte where I Co-Chaired the strategic planning committee.
I’m also involved with the 24 Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on cancer navigation and increased survivorship for all Charlotte residents.
Affordable housing and economic mobility have been key focal areas of the city of Charlotte. After becoming aware of the details of the economic mobility study, I begin concentrating my civic engagement on working to improve outcomes in those spaces. I’m actively involved in the Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI). It occupies the former space of Boulevard Homes, a place where I spent countless weekends with my grandmother as a child. RWCI is an innovative neighborhood redevelopment initiative to improve economic mobility, workforce development and end intergenerational poverty. I serve on the board where I’m a member of the strategic planning committee and was tapped to stand up an inaugural marketing committee to deepen the greater community’s understanding and engagement with RWCI’s mission.
I’m also involved with Feelingthropic Inc, an organization that addresses the needs of homeless and transitioning youth “aging out” of foster care in the city of Charlotte. Currently, the Charlotte Mecklenburg area has a significant growing homeless population with approximately 40% of that population between the ages of 18-24. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve broadened our focus to supporting the total homeless community in Charlotte, distributing footwear, essential personal items and hot meals Uptown and in Tent City adjacent to I-277.
I’ve been a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority for over 25 years, serving local, national and global communities through an extensive array of public service initiatives centering economic and educational development, health, global citizenship and political involvement. Throughout my career, I’ve exercised my community leadership in a variety of ways. Advocacy is at the center of my passion for public service. I’ve formally been involved in advocacy groups that concentrate on women in business, small and minority business (MWSBE) support. At different stages of my career I’ve emphasized the advancement and development of those groups.
Social equity is dear to my heart. In particular, social justice and equity challenges here in Charlotte and more largely in the great state of North Carolina. In recent years, a call to action to address social injustice and inclusivity has been a lived experience for many Charlotte residents. As a woman of color and a member of the LGBT+ community, I advocate for equity in opportunity and privileges throughout our city as well as the eradication of systemic bias. I’m an active member of Myers Park Baptist church.
We proactively engage with local and state communities to promote inclusion, community involvement and social justice.
In addition, as a member of the Leadership Charlotte community (LC38), I’ve been engaged with key challenges that impact the city of Charlotte. During the summer of 2019, Leadership Charlotte conducted Design Thinking workshop sessions to tackle some of the toughest issues around education, housing, and social equity for the broader community. I was a member of the event planning committee and co-facilitated the social equity Design Thinking workshop.
Professionally, my experience has aptly prepared me to serve as an engaged member of the City Council. I have over 25 years of professional experience working in medium to large scale companies with national and global reach. I started out my career at a Big 4 management consulting firm and have held leadership roles in innovation, strategy, marketing and digital transformation at Fortune 500 companies. I’ve managed multi-million dollar budgets, led large scale projects, cultivated diverse teams and created new jobs.
I will offer that my experience at coupling strategic and visionary alignment (macro) with project management and execution (micro) and activity in the community uniquely positions me to assist the Council in the forward progression of its key strategic focus areas.