AKBAR MAJEED HE IS: The cofounder of Concrete2Green (C2G), a Charlotte-based company that transforms vacant inner-city lots and unused spaces into eco-friendly indoor and outdoor soccer fields. C2G opened its pilot center in Charlotte’s Eastland Mall in January and is planning projects in Atlanta and Chicago. Within the next few months, Majeed will also be touring the country with portable courts to pique kids’ interest in futsal, or freestyle soccer.
MORE THAN A GAME: A social worker and lifelong soccer enthusiast, Majeed says the sport offers kids a win-win scenario. “It keeps them off the street and promotes a healthier lifestyle,” he says. “And it opens them up to learning about different cultures, because if you play soccer you have to know about the international game.”
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS: In many African-American communities, soccer is considered a “suburban sport,” Majeed says. But with C2G’s efforts, he has started to see it become more socially acceptable in the inner city. “People have to see [the sport] and experience it before they start to embrace it,” he says. —Nicole Saunders
Photography by Richard Israel
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