After decades spent grappling with limited access to fresh food in the West Boulevard corridor, the resilience and determination of local residents have paved the way for a novel solution to their food desert dilemma: a community-owned co-op market. Rickey Hall, a longtime advocate and local leader who has been spearheading efforts to address the scarcity of groceries, expressed a sentiment rooted in reality when he said, "We had inferior books, but we did not have inferior minds,” in an interview with CharlotteNC.gov, reflecting on his formative years in the area's all-Black school.
The journey to this juncture hasn't been void of challenges. In 1989, the community, armed with a study to back their proposal, approached big box supermarkets only to be met with unfulfilled promises and the same outcome a renewed housing development brought about 11 years later—a consistent, disappointing lack of commitment from external grocers. Hall, echoing the general sentiment that enough was enough, told CharlotteNC.gov, "If you try two times and it’s not successful, then you need to reach the conclusion that they are not coming," and he concluded with the resolve of the community, "We knew we had to build it."
Armed with the shared understanding that the power to change their community lay within, the West Blvd Neighborhood Coalition, along with city and county leaders, rallied around the concept of a market co-op; a cooperative designed to be a self-sustaining entity owned and democratically controlled by the residents, as detailed by Hall who voiced the core advantage of such an organization to CharlotteNC.gov: "It gives the people a voice." In essence, a share in the market, bought by the residents, ensures the market stays attuned to the community's needs.
The Three Sisters Market has emerged as a community-driven solution to long-standing food access challenges in the West Boulevard corridor. Developed through grassroots mobilization, the market reflects residents’ determination to create sustainable access to healthy food options. While Charlotte has made efforts to improve mobility across the city, residents in the corridor continued to face limited grocery access, prompting them to take action. Rickey Hall, in an interview with CharlotteNC.gov, noted that after previous attempts to attract outside investment were unsuccessful, the decision was made to establish the community-owned Three Sisters Market.
