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This picture will forever haunt me. It marks the day I began a journey to prevent tragedies like this from happening again. Five years have passed. He would be 19 now and graduating from high school, stepping into adulthood. I still wonder about his mother, his family, and how they are holding up. I remember reaching out to her in those early days. She was in shock. She had so many people calling, messaging, praying over her and I was probably just one voice among a gazillion. None of us could bring him back. I also wonder how we, as a community, can find the strength to change the conditions that give rise to violence in the first place. There are so many activists, organizers, nonprofits, and everyday people who care deeply and want to help and yet, here we are. One person alone can’t solve it. If it worked that way, violence would have disappeared long ago. But I want to be that one person bold enough, clear enough, and determined enough to push for answers to figure out how our schools, our neighborhoods, and every stakeholder can work together to stop the cycle. When I look at this picture, it still fuels me. It gives me the courage to keep going and keep pursuing peace. As a candidate for the District 2 School Board, I am committed to doing everything I personally can. And if I am elected, I will have the power to do even more. Will you help me?
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 At precisely 8:30 a.m. the walls of Freedom School vibrated with rhythm and possibility. Scholars swayed, clapped, and chanted ready to hear Shamaiye read to them.
After the reading, students asked questions about her life, why the book was chosen that she read and advice to give a student for success. Shamaiye lives the belief that education is liberation. The scholars saw someone who looks like them, leads like them, and fights for them. It was a great morning of inspiration. To Find out more about Freedom Schools or to get involved, visit their website HERE  The work ain’t new, but this window is. Everything we’ve built—community schools momentum, affordable-housing wins, Harambee joy…only matters if we keep pushing. I’m not chasing titles; I’m chasing change our kids can feel in real time. That takes a collective.
Volunteer, Donate, Join the Collective TODAY! www.shamaiye.com Reimagining Education. Reshaping Possibilities. Rising Together.  📅 Wednesday, July 9, 2025 @ 5 PM
📍 Pauline’s Tea Bar & Apothecary, 2326 Arty Ave, Charlotte 28208 👩👩👧👦 Family-friendly — bring the kiddos! RSVP HERE RSVP, grab a volunteer shift, or donate at shamaiye.com and let’s keep building the schools our kids deserve. When I became an active education constituent, I quickly realized how disjointed our public school system had become and especially for families and children on the West Side of Charlotte. I witnessed broken policy; broken trust, lack of access, and broken promises. The impact on our children will have generations of negative impact.
That realization lit a fire in me. It made me a fierce organizer, determined to bridge the gap between schools and communities. I’ve stayed the course because I believe every child deserves a fighting chance, and every family deserves to feel seen, heard, and served. I’ve remained in the fight, even when the way forward felt unclear. I’ve listened. I’ve learned. I’ve shown up with consistency, with compassion, and with conviction. And that’s what makes me a strong candidate for District 2. This collective we’re building is about rewriting the story of public education rooted in equity, accountability, and deep love for our people. I’m proud of the work we’ve done so far, and even more hopeful for what’s ahead. The journey toward systemic change has been powerful. And I’m just getting started. I’m asking this community that I love so deeply to fight for me and with me, just as I’ve fought for us. Your support, your vote, your voice, and your presence will determine what’s possible for our schools, our families, and our future. Let’s reimagine education, reshape possibilities, and rise together. With gratitude and purpose! Shamaiye Haynes Our “Community Schools: A People’s Perspective”  forum on June 9 proved that District 2 already holds the talent, vision, and willpower to transform every campus into a community-powered hub. Parents mapped neighborhood assets in real time, students spotlighted barriers only they can see, and local partners pledged resources from mental-health counseling to workforce coaching and all before the evening ended. This blog post picks up exactly where that momentum left off. It distills the forum’s biggest takeaway. Solutions must be designed with the community, not for it. It lays out the next steps: forming Community School Councils, launching an asset-mapping sprint, and recruiting site coordinators rooted in our neighborhoods. Think of June 9 as the ignition and these pages as the blueprint for keeping the fire burning until every child in District 2 feels the difference. Community Schools: Turning Our Schools into Hubs of Opportunity I’ve walked the hallways of District 2 schools as a mother, a community organizer, and with your help, a representative on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. In every role I’ve seen the same truth: when a child’s family is struggling, when health care is out of reach, when housing is unstable, classroom success is an uphill battle. The Community Schools model tackles those barriers head-on by wrapping academic rigor with the resources families actually need. The CSM is a proven strategy for liberation and belonging. What exactly is a Community School? A Community School is both a high-quality public school and a neighborhood hub. It keeps the doors open before and after the bell for tutoring, health clinics, mental-health counseling, meals, adult education, and culturally rich activities. Teachers still teach but a site coordinator braids together nonprofit partners, local government, and parents so educators can stay laser-focused on instruction. Why it works
The evidence is so compelling that North Carolina launched a statewide Community Schools Coalition last year, backed by U.S. Department of Education funds.nccscoalition.org Evaluators at Duke University are already tracking positive early results.childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu How this model answers CMS’s biggest challenges
My plan for District 2 Secure sustainable funding by recruiting philanthropic partners and leveraging the new federal Full-Service Community Schools grants. Place a trained coordinator in each pilot school and no one-size-fits-all fixes, but a shared standard of excellence. Momentum is already growing Earlier this month our Community Schools: A People’s Perspective forum drew educators, students, and advocates to map out next steps. If you missed it, visit our Google Site to read the exploration report and view the growing resource library. We’ll keep adding updates, events, and volunteer opportunities there Join the movement
Together we can transform every District 2 campus into a beacon of opportunity that our children deserve. Share your story, sign up to volunteer, or simply spread the word that community-powered schools work. Build an implementation team of students, parents, educators, faith leaders, and neighborhood organizations. Measure what matters, publicly. Attendance, achievement, and family-satisfaction dashboards will be published on our Community Schools site so you can hold me accountable.  In 2017, I joined the Natioanal Association of Educators to support our local Charlotte Mecklenburg Association of Educators (CMAE) not as a teacher, but as a community organizer committed to public education.
As an affiliate member, I’ve had the opportunity to stand with educators because I believed — and still believe — that public schools are the heartbeat of our communities. WE have a lot to do to improve public education and the status of academic outcomes for our babies. Becoming an affiliate member was the first step in understanding the issues in the teaching profession and how they are asking us to support them. Joining the NEA/CMAE is a declaration: I will support those who teach our children for equitable pay, fight for safe and well-resourced classrooms, and uplift the profession that shapes every other profession. Over the years, I’ve marched with educators, spoken at rallies, shown up at board meetings, and pushed for policy change. The benefits of being a NEA/CMAE affiliate member makes you part of a powerful coalition. It’s about collective action, shared struggle, and community voice. NEA/CMAE needs more community members because they understand that it takes all of us and not just educators. We must work together to create the schools our children deserve. As I campaign to serve as your next District 2 representative on the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board, my long-standing relationship with NEA/CMAE reminds me: real change happens when we build bridges between educators and the communities they serve. I’ve been building that bridge since 2017, and I will continue doing so with humility, courage, and unwavering commitment. Reimagining Education. Reshaping Possibilities. Rising Together. The cost to join NEA/CMAE as an affiliate member is on $25 per year. Visit NEA HERE Grateful for the support of Thelma Byers-Bailey who understands what it means to lead with community.
From neighborhood meetings to garden beds, we’ve both rolled up our sleeves to make our communities stronger, greener, and more united. We don’t just talk about change—we grow it, together. 🌱🏘️ #vote4shamaiye 📸: Me & Thelma | Enderly Park Neighborhood Association 💪🏾 What a day on the Westside! We celebrated connection, community, and new possibilities at our Greenway Grand Opening at Martin Luther King Park in Enderly Park. Enderly Park and Seversville is linked in a way that brings us closer together. 🌳🚶🏽♀️ This project isn’t just concrete and trail signs — it’s an investment in us. A reminder that when we build together, we rise together. 💪🏽✨ Afterward, I stopped by the Westside Fish Fry at the West Complex on W. Trade Street — nothing better than good food and even better people. Thank you to the Greater Enderly Park Neighborhood Association for allowing me the honor to serve as your president. 🙏🏽 We are building community, living community, being in community block by block. |
Shamaiye HaynesShamaiye is a candidate for CMS School Board. Archives
July 2025
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