Norman Mitchell, 2004 March 15

Norman A. Mitchell, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, recounts his experiences growing up in Charlotte during segregation in the 1950s and 1960s and after integration. He describes how black schools received fewer resources while he was a student, and discusses his high school jobs, including working as a delivery assistant for a pharmacy and as a junior counselor at Bethlehem Center. Mr. Mitchell discusses violence during segregation, and argues that African Americans' faith was often the only thing that kept them going during difficult times. He also shares his thoughts on casual racism in language and how he feels that people who aren't racist may use racist terminology when they feel comfortable among friends or colleagues, even though they should know better. Other topics discussed include Presbyterian churches in Charlotte, the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP, and how the city has changed over time.