Olaf Abraham, 2007 April 11

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Identifier: OH-AB0543

Staff Only

Olaf Abraham oral history interview, 2007 April 11

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Scope and Contents

Olaf Abraham recalls his memories of the Brooklyn neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, also known as Second Ward, and of urban renewal. He describes daily life as a youth during the 1940s and 1950s, including attending Second Ward High School, working as Queen City Pharmacy, churches, and playing sports with friends. Mr. Abraham and his family moved from Brooklyn to Southside when urban renewal began in the neighborhood, and shares his memories of the project including workers moving houses by mule to make way for Independence Boulevard, the lack of transparency from city officials about urban renewal, the state of housing in Brooklyn, and why he thinks Brooklyn was the first neighborhood to be targeted for demolition.

Dates

Creation: 2007 April 11

Conditions Governing Access

3 of the 57 interviews have been digitized and are available in the digital repository.

Biographical / Historical

Olaf Abraham was a 68-year-old man at the time of the interview, which took place at the Greystone Restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Charlotte in 1939. He graduated from Second Ward High School in 1957. He was employed with Queens Pharmacy and Wilson and Holmes Pharmacy during his youth in Charlotte, and served in the military from 1957-1961.