By: Dr. Joseph Askew On the east side of Kinston, North Carolina, historic buildings still bear the original architecture. Whether it's on Queen Street, where formerly enslaved people became entrepreneurs, or Gordon Street, the neighborhood's significance is clear. The town, which is the county seat of Lenoir County, is grappling with decades-long change: a loss of industry, population decline, and high poverty rates. East Kinston, mere miles from downtown, is one