Curtina Simmons, 2004 April 13

File

Identifier: OH-SI0558

Staff Only

Curtina P. Simmons oral history interview, 2004 April 13

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Scope and Contents

Curtina Simmons shares her memories of living in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, also known as Second Ward, during the mid-twentieth century. Ms. Simmons moved to Second Ward as a child in the 1940s. She describes her education at Myers Street Elementary School and Second Ward High School, and how her teachers inspired her to become a professor at Johnson C. Smith University. She sheds light on details of the former Brooklyn community, including its origins, the role of funeral parlors as ambulatory service providers in the community, and its role as central hub for all African Americans in Charlotte and the surrounding region. Ms. Simmons also discusses how a small area in Brooklyn called Blue Heaven got its name, the United House of Prayer for All People's contribution to the Brooklyn community, and urban renewal.

Dates

Creation: 2004 April 13

Conditions Governing Access

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

Biographical Note

Curtina Simmons was a 63-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place at her home in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born in 1941 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She graduated from Kean College (now Kean University) in Union, New Jersey with a BA and from UNC Chapel Hill with a Master of Social Work degree and was employed as a professor and an administrator at Johnson C. Smith University.