Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx Hopes Convention Will Grow City

by: Oreo

Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 12:00:00 PM EDT

Conventions come and go, including the big blast that will be Charlotte's first. But what will be left for the communities that have struggled for jobs and adequate housing and education? What will they gain once the glitz, dollars and international spotlight have moved on?

The first conversation in a series sponsored by the Charlotte in 2012 convention host committee explored those questions and more on Wednesday. The Access to America Dialogue series supports Mayor Anthony Foxx's convention legacy program to build a broader, more inclusive economy after the DNC, a challenging task in tough times. The four programs fall into the following four categories: youth employment and civic education; healthy children and families; and energy, technology and sustainability. So far, there has been a youth fitness program at Piedmont Middle School, garden planting at the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, and the Kids Convention that the mayor attended with his family.

"The goal of our convention is to expose people to all parts of our city," Foxx told me, "and also to create economic opportunity for people who traditionally may not have been able to access something like this." - The CLOG