The names Ethel Brown, Doretha Davis, Thereasa Elder, Geraldine Hairston, Mildred James, Ellen Johnson, Ida McCauley, Annette Means, Roy Sowell and Lucille Stitt may not mean much to many area residents. But to the Rockwell Park community in northeast Charlotte they mean a lot. In fact, they have meant its survival.

On Saturday, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones and Charlotte city planning director Debra Campbell are among those scheduled to honor the 10 at the Rockwell Park Community Association's 2004 banquet. They are being lauded as servant leaders.

The work of people like these in fragile, African American communities such as Rockwell gets too little public notice. They labor mostly outside the limelight making sure their neighborhoods have what they need to remain strong, and they fight diligently to keep out the kind of problems that devastate other urban communities across the country.

It's no surprise that city and county leaders would join in honoring their work. Though others talk about strengthening endangered neighborhoods, they are the people already rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done. Rockwell Park underscores the power of engaged residents and responsive government.

The Rockwell Park community was established years ago on west Sugar Creek Road. Located near Derita, the community is named for the AME Zion church in the area. The neighborhood became a part of the city in 1988, says Thereasa Elder, a Rockwell Park Community Association past president, and has worked with city government to tackle crime, blight and other issues aging, working-class communities must combat.

Sometimes residents have battled local officials for help in keeping the community and its residents safe and stable. One of their biggest fights was over basic needs like clean water and the end to raw sewage spilling in the streets. In 1992, residents bemoaned their 1987 annexation into Charlotte, noting that the city had neglected them and ignored their pleas for basic services. Residents eventually won that fight, and established a working relationship with local government.

Over the years, the residents have helped close down six drug houses. They pushed local officials to enforce code restrictions against junked cars. Last year, they spoke out against big trucks parked on neighborhood streets. Elder said they created a hazard and left unsightly potholes. They're now taking on uncoordinated development in the area.

Much of their work has been to provide organized programs for the children in and around Rockwell Park. In 1996, Rockwell resident Robert F. Brown received the 1996 Dolly Tate Award given by the local Council For Children in recognition of his work to improve conditions for Rockwell Park children. There are now many structured activities in the community for young people. The Rockwell AME Zion church has sponsored educational and recreational camps for the community's children in the summer.

The impact of residents such as those being honored in Rockwell Park is immeasurable. I was reminded of that last week while I attended a breakfast celebration of the Community Building Initiative in Charlotte. The effort that was launched in the midst of a crisis -- racial tensions and divisiveness were high after a series of unarmed blacks were killed by police -- has evolved over the last seven years into a collaborative movement of individuals, groups and institutions focused on building a stronger, more inclusive community.

I was among those in 1997 who reached out to people unlike me in looks and background but who shared a vision of Charlotte as a community where all could feel safe and prosper. Thereasa Elder was one of those people too.

I was reminded at that celebration of how far this community has come in dealing with difficult issues of race, class and ethnicity that threaten the prosperity and progress of this region. As I looked out on the throng of people at a 7:30 a.m. breakfast, I also was reminded that many Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents continue to labor out of the limelight to make all our communities stable and safe. If you can think of no other reason for joy this holiday season, take joy in that.

The 10 Rockwell Park residents being honored Saturday represent many others who have devoted their lives to making their community and Charlotte better. They deserve our gratitude and recognition.

Fannie