Charlotte is a work in progress; our national identity is still being forged by countless residents dedicated to improving the lives of others.
In that spirit, QCity Metro presents this fifth edition of The Great 28—Black Charlotteans who are shaping our city. We have published this list each Black History Month since 2021.
This year’s edition includes entrepreneurs, business executives, volunteers, community leaders and more.
We start each year by asking you — our readers — to nominate people you deem worthy of recognition. A team of judges then makes a final determination. Honorees who made our lists in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 were not eligible for further recognition this year.
We acknowledge that our list is subjective and that countless others are deserving of recognition. But because we limit the list to 28 people —one for each day of Black History Month — we obviously can’t include as many as we’d like.
This May, we’ll host a celebration to further recognize (and party with) this year’s honorees. We invite you to join us. Organizations can learn about sponsorship opportunities by contacting our revenue strategist.
Now, meet the 2025 Great 28:
Keith Stanley
President & CEO, University City Partners
Since moving to Charlotte in 2023, Keith Stanley has worked to improve University City. As president and CEO of University City Partners, his focus is economic development. With 185,000 residents, a major university and dozens of tech centers, University City is the “brains of Charlotte,” he says. Stanley noted new festivals that have come to the area and a new initiative to help small businesses improve marketing and promotions.
“I have the opportunity to create a love of space, a love of University City. A part of that is being able to do things that speak to the community and the history and heritage of the community.”
