When it comes to comparing the lives of Equity-Deprived Youth (EDY), versus Equity-Invested Youth (EIY), by every measure from outcome health to income wealth, Queen City Charlotte is truly a tale of two cities:
In one part of Queen City, the lives of Equity-Invested Youth (EIY), thrives and are well connected to opportunity pipelines and upward mobility pathways that almost guarantee their success in advance.
In another part of City of Charlotte, the lives of Equity-Deprived Youth (EDY) dives into chronic mobility failure, systemically and structurally.
In effect leaving the lives of these youth along with their hopes, dreams and aspirations chained to disadvantage, deprivation, and neglect at almost every facet of their social determinant of health development.
So much so, a strong case can be made that the greatest Poverty Injustice in Charlotte’ impacting the lives of these youth does not come from the hands of strangers who are unfamiliar with their struggle.
Instead, the greatest threat of ‘Poverty Injustice in Charlotte’ comes from the actions and inactions of the status-quo — reputable people and organizations, representing political, economic, and social forces who hold positions of influence, trust, judgement, and power.
Some of these social forces include well-known non-profit organizations who often receive huge donations through status quo partnerships or from an unsuspecting public, who may or may not realize this reality:
While these forces share an irrevocable responsibility for the safety, health, and well-being of Equity-Deprived Youth, at the same time, they also oversee in real-time the systemic abuse, neglect, and deprivation of these youth, on their watch.
Leaving their lives and the future of these youth STUCK in perpetual poverty and stagnation.