In early 1980's Charles participated in group called BADD (Blacks Against Dangerous Drugs). Started by I.W. WIlliams Charles marched in the streets with this group throughout Bartlett Park. This was one of the first radical anti drug marches in which local residents took to the streets in organized groups along with Community Police to "out" the drug users and pushers.
In 1995 - 1996 Charles was a strong participant in the WRICE marches named after Herman Wrice. Similar to the BADD group, this was also a group of local residents (white and black) who walked the streets of Bartlett Park and would stop outside known drug houses, calling out from written pages of chants such as "Save the Babies, Save the Children", "Up with Hope, Down With Dope", "Hidey Hidey Hidey Ho, Drug Dealers got to go!" "Turn on your porch lights". This had noticeable effect on the neighborhood because it was the first time residents stood together and took a stand against the drug community. They began their marches in District 1 and often ended up at the Bartlett Park Tennis Courts. The WRICE marchers believed that if your were not part of the solution then you were part of the problem.
In 1995 Charles Payne and a small group of dedicated people, started the Bartlett Park Community Resource Center. A small space in a storefront on 4th Street South provided a safe place for residents to come and register complaints, code violations and sometimes just sit and chat with neighbors. It also provided a free tenant check for landlords. The Community Police Officer, Karen Demick, could frequently be found there and made herself available for consultation on every aspect of community service. On any given day Charles Payne could be found manning the center. Volunteers have been working to keep the center open to the public 5 days a week for the past 15 years. In 1996 the riots came and the resource center was burned down. Undaunted, Charles and his group of volunteers (including Officer Demick) petitioned the city to donate a mobile resource center. That stayed on 4th Street until the newer, permanent center was built at 642 22nd Avenue South.
1996 Charles helped initiate a program through the Bartlett Park Neighborhood Association that called upon local landlords to attend neighborhood meetings, especially ones who had been notified of action by Nuisance Abatement Board that they were about to be shut down. Often he would gather landlords that had strong control of their tenants and kept their properties in good order to meet with problem landlords at the neighborhood meetings to share ideas to make changes. It was too easy in those days to loose a building to the disorder caused by drug sales. One bad tenant and a building could be gone.
Charles Payne, community leader, inspirer of hope and indomitable spirit!!
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