Legacy: Three Centuries of Black History in Charlotte, North Carolina | 2nd Edition

FOREWORD Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Charlotte’s Black residents have made invaluable contributions to this growth from slavery to today.

Resiliency has been a consistent theme in Charlotte’s Black history from enslavement through segregation, civil rights, urban renewal, growth and gentrification. Black contributions include constructing the roads and railroads that sparked Charlotte’s early growth, nurturing generations of community leaders, and shaping the racial reconciliation that helped build the city’s national reputation. African Americans now hold top leadership positions in government, banking, health care, education, and many other areas.

Black Charlotteans have shaped these opportunities in many ways. In the civil rights era, for example, Julius Chambers opened the first integrated law firm in North Carolina and became the leading civil rights attorney of his generation. Kelly Alexander headed the North Carolina NAACP and built up Black voting strength across the state. Dentist and activist Dr. Reginald Hawkins organized carefully targeted protests and mounted a historic campaign for governor. Sarah Stevenson led the merger of Mecklenburg County’s Black and white PTAs, served on the school board and mentored generations of young leaders. Dr. Bertha MaxwellRoddey worked to create lasting cultural and educational institutions, including UNC Charlotte’s Black Studies program and the Afro-American Cultural Center, now the Gantt Center.

Another great example of resiliency was Blacks’ ability to rise from the ashes of urban renewal that razed the Brooklyn community in the 1960s. Brooklyn consisted of businesses, churches, and homes, and hundreds were displaced. Hard work rebuilt institutions and forged new community ties. But those communities are once again under siege, as the gentrification created by Charlotte’s rapid growth is forcing many Black residents out of their homes once again.

Our younger generation needs to know our Black history, the struggle, sacrifice, and accomplishments that have marked this 300-year journey. Drawing on the knowledge that Legacy shares will help all Charlotteans engage in the process of creating a more vibrant, equitable, and just community.

David Taylor President and CEO Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture