Community Context
Asheville's Black communities, including historic neighborhoods like Southside, East End, and Shiloh, have long demonstrated profound resilience. To effectively inform our strategy, we must ground our discussions in demographic realities. Black residents make up a vital, yet numerically smaller, portion of the citywide population, requiring targeted approaches for resource allocation.
Total Black Population
10,528
Individuals living within Asheville city limits (11.2%).
Historic Displacement
4,000+
Black residents displaced during urban renewal (1960s-70s).
Asheville Demographic Breakdown
Comparing general population representation citywide (Based on ~94,000 total).
Accelerating Wealth
Economic resilience is foundational. Systemic barriers have created significant wealth gaps when comparing citywide averages to specific Black census tracts. The data below highlights disparities in median household income and homeownership—the primary driver of generational wealth in the United States.
Median Household Income
Citywide averages vs. historically Black Census Tracts.
Housing Tenure (Own vs. Rent)
Rates of homeownership are critical for long-term wealth building.
Health Equity
Health outcomes are deeply intertwined with economic and environmental factors. Our network focuses on bridging these gaps. The radar chart below maps key public health indicators, showing the stark contrast between citywide averages and the averages within predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Life Expectancy Gap
Residents in specific historically Black tracts experience a life expectancy up to 7 years lower than the Asheville citywide average, driven by social determinants of health.
Chronic Conditions
Rates of manageable chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes remain disproportionately high due to systemic healthcare access barriers and food deserts.
Maternal Health
Maternal health outcomes continue to require aggressive intervention, with disparities in prenatal care access persisting at the neighborhood level.
Public Health Indicators
Values normalized to a 100-point scale (100 = Optimal Outcome).
Historic & Cultural Preservation
True resilience requires knowing and preserving our history. Asheville's urban renewal policies drastically altered the cultural landscape of the city. Today, local initiatives are fighting to reclaim and preserve Black history through vital state and federal investments.
The Impact of Urban Renewal
Pre-1950s: Thriving Hubs
Neighborhoods like Southside were thriving cultural and economic hubs with over 100 Black-owned businesses, schools, and distinct community infrastructure.
1960s-1970s: The Erasure
City-led "urban renewal" projects demolished thousands of homes and businesses. Entire street grids were erased, displacing over 4,000 Black citizens and decimating local wealth.
Present: Reclaiming Narrative
Grassroots networks, community land trusts, and preservation societies are successfully designating landmarks and actively working to rebuild cultural resilience through securing structural funding.
City Cultural Preservation Grants
Recent annual distribution of municipal preservation funds by project focus.
State & Federal Preservation Investments
Analyzing recent capital flowing into Asheville to support the documentation, physical preservation, and storytelling of local Black history and civil rights heritage.
Federal Funding
Major grants from the National Park Service (NPS) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) are crucial for large-scale physical restorations and deep archival work.
State Funding
North Carolina state programs often provide foundational support for local historical marker programs, architectural surveys, and community oral history initiatives.