Student Oral History Project on the Second Ward

Collection

Identifier: OH-KF

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The oral history project sought to document Brooklyn’s history, including social, cultural and economic aspects of the neighborhood; how Charlotte residents were affected by its destruction; perceptions of why the district was targeted; the process of negotiation between city officials and community members over compensation for loss of property; and how various stakeholders understood the projected outcomes of the neighborhood’s demise. The majority of interviews represent people who lived in or were closely involved with life in Brooklyn, although project members also sought the voices of policymakers involved in the urban renewal process.

Dates

Creation: 2004-2007

Language of Materials

The material is in English

Conditions Governing Access

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

Conditions Governing Use

The materials included on this web site are freely available for private study, scholarship or non-commercial research under the fair use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code). Any use beyond the provisions of fair use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication, broadcast, redistribution or mounting on another web site always require prior written permission and may also be subject to additional restrictions and fees. UNC Charlotte does not hold literary rights to all materials in its collections and the researcher is responsible for securing those rights when needed. Copyright information for specific collections is available upon request.]

Historical Note

UNC Charlotte graduate students conducted the interviews in this collection in 2004 and 2007 as the centerpiece of a class on “Oral History and Memory” directed by professor Karen Flint. They titled their project and website the “Brooklyn Oral History Project,” reflecting the popular local name for Second Ward in uptown Charlotte. Brooklyn, a thriving African American neighborhood from the early to mid-twentieth century, became Charlotte’s first urban renewal project. City planners largely demolished Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and businesses during the 1960s to make way for a new government center and city park.

Extent

57 Interviews

Additional Description

Abstract

UNC Charlotte graduate students conducted the interviews in this collection in 2004 and 2007 as the centerpiece of a class on “Oral History and Memory” directed by professor Karen Flint. The oral history project sought to document Brooklyn’s history, including social, cultural and economic aspects of the neighborhood.