On September 20, 2016, the city of Charlotte was turned upside down. Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old African American man, was fatally shot by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer. According to a number of sources, officers saw Scott leave his car with a handgun as he repudiated orders given by the officer. There was much conversation and disputation about what really happened on that day.
The following evening, protesters began to gather, displaying their disagreement for the actions made on Scott’s case. They gathered near the scene of the crime on Old Concord Road. These protests eventually progressed into riots, as violence became prevalent. This behavior attracted attention from CMPD, The National Guard, and many news outlets. Additionally, civilians began getting involved when the protests were only feet from their living quarters. Only days after, Black Live Matter groups and movements began forming near Uptown, one of the most active and populated districts in the Charlotte region.
Not only did this case affect civilians in Charlotte and the surrounding areas, but there was a huge impact on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Many students, located both on and off campus, were frightened to leave their dorms or apartments, walk to their car, and even attend class. The protests located on Old Concord Road had been only about a mile or two from the university as well as many off-campus student apartments.
“These protests and riots affected UNC Charlotte students a lot, according to my daughter. But of course you don’t see any of that because it’s not big enough news to be plastered all over the media,” said Judy Holt, mother of a fourth year student at the university. “I felt so helpless because there was nothing I could do to help my child when she felt so unsafe in her own apartment and on her school’s campus.
On September 22, two days after the death of Scott, UNC Charlotte students organized a peaceful protest in the Popp Student Union on the UNCC campus. According to WCNC, more than 300 students were involved in the “lay-in” as the students assembled to make a statement about the change needed following the shooting. The movement was recognized on popular media outlets like The Charlotte Observer and USA Today.
It wasn’t until a few months later that the court made the decision to not charge the officer with killing Scott. Civilians of Charlotte were a bit concerned that there might be additional protesting. There were some small gatherings to protest but for the most part, the evening passed rather quietly.
Although the protests have come to end, people are not giving up on fighting for their beliefs. What were once peaceful gatherings to voice similar rights turned to violent outbreaks that promoted chaos and hatred. This city will never forget that blood that has been shed on its streets and civilians will never forget the day that the lights went out in the Queen City.