Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium

Truth, Racial Healing & TransformationThe Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium (CRJC) is a partnership between Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte Campus, Queens University of Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

vision

A Charlotte community that understands its history of race and racism, believes in our shared humanity, embraces a more comprehensive narrative on race, and develops faculty, staff, and student leaders who work across our campuses towards truth, racial justice and healing, and transformation.    

In 2020, the CRJC was selected by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center.

Goals

  1. Understand, recognize, and work towards healing the separation in Charlotte’s segregated past and present.
  2. Embrace a more comprehensive narrative on race.
  3. Build respectful and trusting relationships among diverse members of our university and Charlotte communities.
  4. Develop student, staff, and faculty leaders who facilitate truth-telling, racial healing, and transformation.
  5. Transform the language and culture of race and racism on our campuses and in the Charlotte community. 

To achieve these goals, the CRJC has three significant initiatives:

Charlotte Racial Justice Student Fellows: Six students from each campus participate in a year-long reflection of Charlotte's history of racism and its connection to each university/college, while exploring racial equity and developing leadership skills. The fellowship will culminate in unique, student-led projects designed to foster truth, racial healing, and transformation. 

Racial Healing Circles: In the fall, the Racial Healing Circles include CRJC Fellows and Campus Leaders, and in the spring, we will host Racial Healing Circles for Fellows/Leaders, University administrators, and the broader Charlotte community. Racial Healing Circles are group interventions designed to share personal truths and experiences, and use storytelling to promote racial equity and healing. 

Racial Equity and Justice Communications Hub: The CRJC will develop and maintain a joint website and Canvas page that serve as communication and resource hubs for our initiative. The website will house community stories and programs, showcase student and faculty research, foster cohesiveness among the five CRJC campuses, and engage the Charlotte community in deepening knowledge and working towards racial equity and justice.

Want to get involved?

We welcome your engagement and support of these efforts towards truth, transformation, and racial justice and healing!

Students

Learn more about the Charlotte Racial Equity Leadership Fellows program through this website or your campus contact (listed below). Applications are opening soon!

Administrators, Faculty, and Staff

If you’d like more information about participating in the CRJC, please connect with a member of the CRJC Leadership team.

Community Partners

If your organization is interested in partnering with the CRJC, please contact Professor Cindy Kistenberg or Rabbi Judy Schindler.