Local organization fights to preserve historic Charlotte school

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County commissioners will review a proposed lease agreement at one of Charlotte’s oldest schools.

Residents of the historically African American Cherry neighborhood are fighting to preserve the Morgan School, across from Cherry Park.

Built in 1925, the school is one of the last historical landmarks in the area. It holds significance because at the time, racism and discrimination plagued students who walked through the doors.

“Morgan School is the school where (Black) kids in the community attended when this city would not allow us to go anywhere else,” Dr. Sylvia Bittle-Patton said.

Bittle-Patton with the Cherry Community Organization has been fighting to use the building for the last 30 years as a community center.

“We’re here to reclaim Morgan School for children,” Bittle-Patton said.

Although the school has been used for various reasons throughout the years, it will once again have new life if a long-term lease is approved with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and ARTS+, formerly community school of the arts.

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In a statement, CMS said in part “leaving the building unoccupied put it in far greater jeopardy, relative to deterioration.”

The wear is visible now.

But, Bittle-Patton claims CMS left the Cherry Community Organization out of the conversation.

“We don’t want to see another entity coming to our school and take over a space that could very well be a great space to improve the quality of life for people in our community,” she said.

Mecklenburg county leaders including Commissioner Mark Jerrell are now intervening in an effort to explore their options.

“At the end of the day, their voices can’t be shut out of a process that’s going to impact their neighborhood,” Jerrell said.

Bittle-Patton said it’s just another example of gentrification and she won’t be excluded.

“Charlotte has a long history of discrimination, an ugly long history of displacing Black and Brown communities. That needs to stop,” Bittle-Patton said.

CMS said the lease with Arts+ would be 10 years or longer.

According to the ARTS+ website, the school focuses on students in low-income neighborhoods.

Channel 9 asked if they have plans to address any of the concerns from community members, but we have not received a response.

Cox Media Group