Commentary: Justice for East Winston?
By Miranda Jones and Olivia Doyle
Driving down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in East Winston often feels like traveling yet standing still. The familiar landmarks, like the Food Lion on New Walkertown Road that many Black locals call “311,” seem frozen in amber, perpetually paused, and unwilling or unable to move forward. No revitalization but a mere rearrangement of the same familiar pieces, an illusion of progress. It’s former home hosts Compare Foods. The Family Dollar, a constant presence, serves as a grim symbol of this community’s struggles. Navigating haphazardly stacked merchandise and enduring the inevitable long wait in line all contribute to diminished dignity, a feeling that one’s dollar doesn’t buy as much respect here as elsewhere. The landscape is further punctuated by a proliferation of foreign-owned beauty supply stores, ABC stores, and fast-food joints – establishments that seem to outlast generations. This oversaturation of certain businesses, often contributing to health disparities and limited economic opportunities, casts a long shadow over the community.
In the words of Tupac Shakur, ‘I see no changes.’
The lack of development is not just persistent, it’s a festering wound on the city’s conscience. The dilapidated infrastructure, the neglect, the disenfranchisement – is almost palpable. The most heartbreaking reality is the message this sends to our young people. Hearing from former students, who now attend Winston-Salem State University, that their mentors and advisors warn them to avoid venturing beyond campus is a damning indictment of our city’s failure. It’s about a city that sends the message that their future lies elsewhere, beyond the confines of the very place that should be nurturing their growth and aspirations.
In the words of my students, “I ain’t gon hold you,” this reality weighs heavily on me. My comfortable access to amenities in Ardmore – multiple Starbucks and diverse grocery stores like Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Whole Foods – contrasts sharply with the limited options in East and Southeast Winston. There are two Starbucks within less than 10 minutes. It highlights the disinvestment in East Winston with the corporate investment near Parkland High School, but the effect of exploitation of Black and brown consumers is still the same. Further compounding this situation is the impending arrival of a Sheetz right across the street from the school.
Sheetz is a far cry from the less-than-pristine convenience stores in Black and brown communities with their limited and often unhealthy choices. It is a glaring symbol of a system that fails to prioritize the needs of underserved communities. The social media commentary, during the 2020 unrest, conflating a lack of access to fresh food with police brutality, and citing “affordability” and fear of robbery as reasons for the absence of quality stores, is deeply troubling. Are these genuine concerns or are they thinly veiled excuses for systemic neglect? Do businesses deliberately exploit these communities, extracting wealth while offering little in return? Or is it more like many of these less swanky businesses come in and bleed these communities dry, and barely lift a finger for the people who patronize them?
It’s an intentional vicious cycle. Is it possible that businesses or corporations are gouging people with overpriced goods and limited options? It is said that it is too risky, but who profits while these neighborhoods crumble? This isn’t about ‘affordability’ or ‘fear.’ It’s about systemic neglect, about a lack of investment, and about treating people like they don’t matter. So why does a Starbucks sit right behind an apartment complex filled with residents, many of whom walk in the grass to get their necessities? Why did Sheetz pick Peters Creek Parkway to build right across from a Title 1 high school? Did they ask anyone other than the City? Did they consider the implications for student safety? How do the people benefit from them entering into their community? Did they reach any legally binding agreements or commitments with the City about jobs or safety? What happens when they get city funding, and the businesses fail? What happens when all of our tax dollars have gone into these businesses? Where is our utilization for our taxation? And not just some of us but all of us?
The Starbucks on Peters Creek Parkway, for example, likely targets the affluent commuters heading to medical centers like Novant and Atrium, the professionals working at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Truist, and Reynolds American. These are individuals with disposable income, willing to pay a premium for convenience and a quick caffeine fix on their morning commute well before the barrage of teenagers ditching school to ask for water cups and annoy Starbucks employees.
This focus on maximizing profit for a specific demographic often comes at the expense of the communities that these businesses operate within. Existing residents, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds, were not considered. Corporations didn’t care because they didn’t have to. They ignored the need to get input from the school community. Corporations had their own planning and approval processes.
The sole beneficiaries of this development are corporations themselves. These doors welcome not our neighbors but their dollars. These same businesses will sic cops on them when they become an inconvenience of walking in without enough money to spend. We’ve asked our state leaders to demand more of these businesses, especially as public education is defunded in favor of charter schools. One-time payouts are insufficient. Our communities deserve systemic investments from these wealthy corporations. All this divestment in Black and brown communities but reinvestment in businesses is woeful.
What might this look like? Residents of East Winston have voiced their demands for quality grocery stores and healthy dining options. Perhaps a survey of residents in majority Black neighborhoods that we consistently divest from would What if we imposed a commercial landlord registration fee to cover nearby infrastructural improvements? Schools always need more funding. A maker space would be nice for technological tools. These corporations, who profit handsomely from our community, must be held accountable. They must be compelled to invest meaningfully in our schools, our infrastructure, and the overall well-being of our community. They take, they profit, and they must give back.
It’s a matter of simple justice and the time is now.
Miranda Jones and Olivia Doyle are leaders of Hate Out of Winston.
