Full Text of School Board Plan for Desegregation
Published in the Charlotte Observer Nov. 14, 1969, this is the full text of the proposed plan for desegregation of Charlotte’s schools that the Board of Education presented to the United States District Court
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w1oPgwKT2mnfPb-33NLShZtV1el-YOJ4/view?usp=sharing
Aug. 29, 1970 Letter Reassigning Mrs. Emily Ivory to Double Oaks Elementary
Letter from Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools reassigning Mrs. Emily Ivory, an African American teacher, to Double Oaks Elementary after the court-ordered desegregation was imposed. Donated by her daughter Darnell Ivory.
Feb. 20, 1970 Busing: Where It Is, Isn't
Feb. 20 1970 special section that discusses the particulars of the school busing case before the court
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XCmQz7C0Spwzn1CRNXV3G406jarrSkIY/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10guO-bL_f2piOw2YgTvOVUQBq1dyxFj-/view?usp=sharing
July 12, 1975 - School Desgregation Case finally closed after years of appeals
After years of appeals and court challenges, Judge McMillan announces that the case is closed and he does not intend to reopen it. The paper is filled with in-depth analysis of the history of the case.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y6qbzkon0vo3nXGm1bKNTYWA_9Ae8fvM/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16DAb-BES-mMINSQtwK6Ia8fDqbLm5UFq/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tbRbz-aS3J2mwyu0JEt6flfFcn5B4kL2/view?usp=sharing
June 6, 1982 - CMS graduates it's first class of "Desegregation Babies"
Story about Charlotte’s first graduating class of seniors that attended all 12 grades of integrated classes, in 1982.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qt8Ruz8LIkHa-r78R18sa7j8eTollFlO/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j42Fob5EW1iaMzTDrDnr3sELBJFtJfi9/view?usp=sharing
Sep. 11, 1999 - Judge Orders the end of Racial Assignments in Charlotte schools
In 1999, Judge Robert Potter ordered Charlotte schools to stop busing by race, effectively ending school desgregation in Mecklenburg County
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1icHNvnO0i5-ZXLDT304ht4Bxf2PByacT/view?usp=sharing
2016 - Desegregation and Resegregation of Charlotte's Schools
2016 New Yorker article about the saga of desegregation and resegregation of Charlotte’s schools and neighborhoods through the lens of the killing of Keith Lamont Scott.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-desegregation-and-resegregation-of-charlottes-schools
2018 - School Segregation in America as bad today as it was in the 60's
2018 Newsweek cover story detailing the resegregation of America’s schools and beginning with the national attention around Charlotte’s busing case.
https://www.newsweek.com/2018/03/30/school-segregation-america-today-bad-1960-855256.html
Highway Commission Right of Way Letter to Emily Ivory
Letter from the NC State Highway Commission notifying Emily Ivory of 1631 Van Buren Ave in McCrorey Heights that her property would be acquired by right-of-way. Donated by Emily’s daughter, Darnell Ivory.
Charlotte Post article about the Northwest Expressway and McCrorey Heights
Article from the Charlotte Post about the Northwest Expressway coming through McCrorey Heights, with the Ivory home at 1631 Van Buren Ave. visible in the picture. Donated by Darnell Ivory.
1966 Map of Proposed Highways around Charlotte's core
Map from 1966 Charlotte Observer article detailing the proposed highways that would begin construction shortly to surround the city’s downtown core.
Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America site
Site where federal redlining maps can be seen and examined https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/36.721/-96.943&opacity=0.8
Roads to nowhere: how infrastructure built on American inequality
2018 article from The Guardian about how infrastructure projects in the US in the 1960’s - 1980’s exacerbated and created racial inequality in cities.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/21/roads-nowhere-infrastructure-american-inequality
To understand Charlotte’s rage, you have to understand its roads
ThinkProgress.org piece about how the rage and protests after the Keith Lamont Scott shooting in 2016 can be traced back to the inequities perpetuated and symbolized by the city’s highways.
https://thinkprogress.org/charlotte-rage-charlotte-roads-1ee83a4753a4/
Negro Residents Want Expressway Rerouted
Apr. 4, 1962 Charlotte Observer article about how residents of McCrorey Heights objected to the path of the proposed Northwest Expressway
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ylT1l3p7JRLpdKVDnqmFLb_-1Qv-VdpG/view?usp=sharing
School board to resist Irwin I-77 Condemnation
Feb. 20, 1968 Observer article about the impact of the expressways on schools in Charlotte, especially on the West End.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uWSF6OiRlsMkreXPfWov7srx0dd_wXth/view?usp=sharing
You'll Be Riding High in Charlotte
March 2, 1970 Observer article about the design and utility of the various expressways around Charlotte being constructed at the time.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19gzVMuGx0Q4S-33IFYlRBUHfiW2yJulF/view?usp=sharing
West End Bombing damage photos
Flickr album of photos showing damage sustained by the coordinated bombing attacks in 1965. Used courtesy of Special Collections at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Reginald Hawkins Letters about Bombings
Flickr album of letters written to and by Reginald Hawkins related to the bombing attacks on Nov. 22, 1965. Donated to the project by Special Collections at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Alfred Alexander bombing interview
Alfred Alexander describes his childhood memories of the bombing at the home of Kelly Alexander in Nov. 1965 in an interview with the University of NC at Charlotte. Used courtesy of UNCC Special Collections.
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/alfred-alexander-bombing-interview
Bombing floor plan maps
Flickr album of maps shown in the Charlotte Observer in Nov. 1965 detailing locations of bombs and occupants of the homes
Nov. 23, 1965 - Law Agencies Mass to Probe Bombings
Charlotte Observer special article published the morning of the bombings
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ESBjSE9u1mYRU3-b9A1JxGreRdEEpges/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W6Q9ddCX9YUhwj9uiJI3SYmkCyfud434/view?usp=sharing
Feb. 5, 1971 - Incendiary Fire Burns Rights' Lawyers Offices
Observer article about the 1971 bombing of Julius Chambers’ downtown law offices, which brought back memories of the coordinated attacks in 1965
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cjpMNe1BDje8Q0vZ2-3ZD8CggJ3onXHB/view?usp=sharing
Nov. 22, 2015 - 50 Years Ago: Bombs Ignited Night
Article in the Charlotte Observer reflecting on the 50 year anniversary of the bombing attacks
Oct 29, 1966 Editorial
1966 Observer editorial discussing how residents displaced by the Northwest Expressway (mostly black residents) were not even compensated for their moving expenses because it was a city project while those moved by the North-South Expressway (mostly white residents) were since it was funded by the state.
JCSU and Civil Rights
A Flickr album of Johnson C. Smith University students seated at lunch counters demanding service, and marching to uptown Charlotte to ask for equal treatment. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmzJmtfE
Feb. 11, 1960 "Negroes Continue Protest at Diners"
Charlotte Observer article about the lunch counter protests led by JCSU students in the wake of the Greensboro sit-ins, February 1960 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HGgLYaaZEpDZ0VmxdzaD8Lqk4y_qWF13/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13J-i2Lugsr_Wzg9TKqLhZQSO6Ha0YEa1/view?usp=sharing
March 1964 - JCSU University Student "500 March to Back Rights Bill"
Article from the JCSU University Student reporting on the students who marched from the campus to uptown Charlotte to back passage of the Civil Rights Bill. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ALmOeSvBxcKIwCLNea8BlqlPC1B3-O7/view?usp=sharing
Sept. 22, 1966 - Dr. Martin Luther King speaks at JCSU
Charlotte Observer article recounting Dr. King’s 1966 visit to Johnson C. Smith University https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aArd8XaVLMaV2j32-_cN0cSwmtWKdGnN/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gZHg7Md7lj6Ot1AcyMgzzlZnGsHI3dRt/view?usp=sharing
MLK Jr. visit to JCSU, 1966
Flickr album of images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at JCSU in 1966, with Dr. Reginald Hawkins, JCSU President Dr. Rufus Perry, and others visible. Photos taken by James Peeler and available via the Peeler Collection at JCSU, the Special Collections of UNC-Charlotte, and the Carolina Room of the Public Library. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmzJt2w1
West End "Green Book" locations
Commonly referred to as Green Books, these travel guides for African Americans during the Jim Crow era listed establishments in cities and states across the U.S. that welcomed black customers. As compiled by the NC Historic Preservation Office and NC State University graduate students, here is a list of the Green Book locations in the West End.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19ZKNO_mxRk-fiHWAtwzmyF6zAqJMTRwf/view?usp=sharing
CharlotteFive: Meet the man who led Charlotte’s lunch counter sit-ins and went to jail with Martin Luther King Jr.
CharlotteFive podcast profile of JCSU Student leader Charles Jones, a long-time West End resident who rode with the Freedom Riders and led JCSU students on a march from campus to desegregate lunch counters in 1960.
https://www.charlottefive.com/charlottefive-podcast-charles-jones/
1963 - Malcolm X speaks at the Hi-Fi Club in the West End
in 1963, Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X spoke on the campus of JCSU and then at the Hi-Fi Club at 2700 Estelle Street in Washington Heights. Here is footage of that speech: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2wkr9q
The Atlantic, 2016 - "Shattering Charlotte's Myth of Racial Harmony"
Article written in the wake of the protests following the killing of Keith Lamont Scott by Charlotte police that discusses the “myth” of racial harmony and the “peaceful path” to civil rights that exists around Charlotte’s history.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/charlotte-race-history/501221/
Thoughts on Gentrification - Joseph DeLaine
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/gentrification-josephdelaine
Joseph DeLaine, McCrorey Heights resident and son of civil rights pioneer Rev. Joseph DeLaine, speaks about gentrification in the West End in an interview conducted by JCSU on 9/16/17
Thoughts on Gentrification - "Chatty" Hattie Leeper
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/hattie-leeper-gentrification
West End resident "Chatty Hattie" Leeper, the first black woman on Charlotte radio in the 1950's for WGIV, talks about the impact of gentrification on her community in an interview conducted by JCSU on 3/30/18.
"White People in Biddleville" - March 10, 2016
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16pDRXddoHRdiXBViJ9AyDtracpleqfDF/view?usp=sharing
Observer article detailing the benefits and drawbacks of the gentrification process going on in the Biddleville and Smallwood neighborhoods in the West End.
"Birth of a Possible Ghetto" - Dec 26, 1966
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZK2CbN11OnJWIK_jy5yqNxvGvWv1U2Hg/view?usp=sharing
1966 Observer article where councilman Fred Alexander predicts the rise of a “ghetto” on the West End of Charlotte.
"Besieged Westside Holding Up" - Sept. 1, 1975
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CEkTR8UUgaOqsjgMw2EKa2pckK0VabyZ/view?usp=sharing
1975 Observer article about the state of the Westside, which was already showing signs of decline and neglect.
Thoughts on Gentrification - Tom Hanchett
Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett discusses the historical context of gentrification and its impact on African American neighborhoods in Charlotte in an interview conducted by JCSU on 1/16/17.
Thoughts on Gentrification - Michael Doney
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/michael-doney-five-points-realty-gentrification
Michael Doney, realtor at Five Points Realty on Beatties Ford Road, speaks about the perception of gentrification from a business/real estate standpoint in an interview conducted by JCSU on 11/20/18
Savvy Real Estate - "Take a look at the beloved community of Biddleville and Smallwood"
https://www.charlottefive.com/beloved-community/
An example on the Charlotte Five site showing an example of the climate where certain language is used by media and real estate companies to push home buying/renting in the Biddleville and Smallwood neighborhoods.
"Residents get proactive in fight against gentrification" - Nov. 2016
Creative Loafing article about the response of neighborhood residents and groups to the gentrification concerns on the West End and the lack of affordable housing in Charlotte.
"A Revitalizing Vision" - June 13, 2006
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qV7tNK4hcEpbOXvT182tYCQLllnDrUDQ/view?usp=sharing
Observer article ahead of the financial collapse of 2008, when the West End was already poised to be “revitalized.”
Gentrification in Washington Heights - Mattie Marshall
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/gentrification-in-washington-heights-mattie-marshall
Washington Heights neighborhood advocate Mattie Marshall discusses the impact of gentrification on her community in an interview conducted by JCSU on 8/17/17
West Trade-Rozzelle's Ferry CNIP Summary - 2015
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NnUXW4b9NqzgPzZj6t26K1QHN5gvi04k/view?usp=sharing
2015 summary report of the Charlotte Comprehensive Neighborhood Improvement Program for the West Trade/Rozzelle’s Ferry zone that comprises the West End
"Inside the West Side Community Land Trust" - Nov. 2018
http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/April-2018/Spare-the-Land/
Charlotte Magazine profiles the West Side Community Land Trust, an organization dedicated to helping residents secure mortgage loans, build credit, and open black-owned businesses in the West End.
History of Black Settlement in Charlotte - Tom Hanchett
https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/history-of-black-settlement-in-charlotte-tom-hanchett
Historian Tom Hanchett discusses the history and patterns of black settlement in Charlotte in an interview conducted by JCSU on 11/16/18
Articles on Black Settlement and Urban Renewal
Collection of articles from the Charlotte Observer from 1938 - 1983 about the settlement of African Americans in Charlotte https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nmVNtkcE1VL8l6sy3CyXznHSwI682FSp?usp=sharing
Brooklyn Oral History
Collection of interviews with residents of the Brooklyn neighborhood compiled in 2004 and 2007 by students at UNC - Charlotte https://brooklyn-oral-history.uncc.edu/about/
Brooklyn Neighborhood Guide
Research guide providing history and resources on Brooklyn created by Atkins Library at UNC - Charlotte https://guides.library.uncc.edu/c.php?g=621704&p=4626874
Cherry Residents Struggle With The Effects Of Gentrification
Observer article from January 2019 about the gentrification of the Cherry neighborhood https://www.wfae.org/post/finding-home-cherry-residents-struggle-effects-gentrification#stream/0
Cherry Neighborhood Research Guide
Research guide providing history and resources on the Cherry neighborhood, created by Atkins Library at UNC-Charlotte
Greenville Neighborhood Research Guide
Research guide providing history and resources on the Greenville neighborhood, created by Atkins Library at UNC - Charlotte https://guides.library.uncc.edu/c.php?g=621704&p=5192974
Introduction to the West End
Historian Tom Hanchett gives an overview of the history and importance of the West End in an interview conducted by JCSU on 11/16/18. https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/intro-to-the-west-end-tom-hanchett
Trail of History Documentary on the West End
PBS Charlotte documentary on the history and culture of the West End from February 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AX-IpD_0So&feature=youtu.be
What It Means to Be From the West End
Tim Gibbs talks about what it means to be from the West End in a brief clip, from an interview recorded by JCSU on 11/1/2017. https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/character-of-the-west-end-tim-gibbs
North End is Charlotte’s newest hot growth area.
Charlotte Observer article from August 2017 about the changes happening in the North End neighborhood, a predominantly African American area in Charlotte bordering on the Historic West End https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/development/article165057842.html
Vermelle Ely Interview
Interview with Vermelle Diamond Ely, longtime Brooklyn resident, conducted on June 17, 1993 and included in Behind the Veil: Documenting African-American Life in the Jim Crow South Digital Collection, John Hope Franklin Research Center, Duke University Libraries. https://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/behindtheveil_btvnc02018/
Reginald Hawkins discusses bombing of his home
Reginald Hawkins discusses the bombing of his home on Madison Avenue in an interview held in the Special Collections at UNCC. Photo courtesy of the Carolina Room at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library. https://soundcloud.com/user-903488555/reginald-hawkins-bombing-interview