William U. Harris oral history interview, 2004 May 4

Description

William Harris shares his memories of growing up in the Brooklyn neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, also known as Second Ward. He discusses his career as a principal at Myers Street Elementary School and Biddleville Elementary School, and his brief stint with the Educational Testing Service in New Jersey. Other topics include businesses in Brooklyn, attending Brooklyn Presbyterian Church, and his impression of Brooklyn's residents. He talks at length about Charlotte's urban renewal project during the 1960s, which he believes was an excuse by Charlotte's city leaders for dismantling African American communities and disenfranchising individuals. He also praises former residents of Brooklyn for their resilience and for keeping the spirit of the neighborhood alive.

In collections

Student Project on Second Ward

Details

Title: William U. Harris oral history interview, 2004 May 4
Interviewee: Harris, William Ussery, 1936-
Interviewer: Mann, Keith
Place of Publication: Charlotte, North Carolina
Publisher: J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Date of Interview: 2004-05-04
Physical Description: 1 audio file (1:15:55) : digital, MP3 + 1 interview log (3 pages : PDF)
Object Type: sound recording-nonmusical
Genre: spoken word
Language: eng
Interviewee Biography: Dr. William Harris was a 68-year-old man at the time of interview. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1936. He graduated from Winston-Salem State University and was employed as a teacher and principal in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Abstract: William Harris shares his memories of growing up in the Brooklyn neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, also known as Second Ward. He discusses his career as a principal at Myers Street Elementary School and Biddleville Elementary School, and his brief stint with the Educational Testing Service in New Jersey. Other topics include businesses in Brooklyn, attending Brooklyn Presbyterian Church, and his impression of Brooklyn's residents. He talks at length about Charlotte's urban renewal project during the 1960s, which he believes was an excuse by Charlotte's city leaders for dismantling African American communities and disenfranchising individuals. He also praises former residents of Brooklyn for their resilience and for keeping the spirit of the neighborhood alive.
Digital Object Notes: MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on analog audio cassette and digitized using a Digidesign 003 rack.
Interviewee Occupations: Teachers
School principals
Subjects--Names: Harris, William Ussery, 1936-
Subjects--Organizations: Brooklyn Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, N.C.)
Second Ward High School (Charlotte, N.C.)
Myers Street School (Charlotte, N.C.)
United House of Prayer for All People
Subjects--Topics: African Americans--Segregation
Urban renewal
Segregation in education
Manners and customs
African American neighborhoods
African American school children
African American families
Education
Subjects--Geographic: North Carolina--Charlotte
North Carolina--Charlotte--Brooklyn
North Carolina--Charlotte--Second Ward
Subjects--Genre: Interviews
Oral histories
Coverage--Dates: 1930-2010
Digital Collection Title: Student project on Second Ward
Rights: This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
This material is protected by copyright. Copyright is held by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Internet Media Type: audio/mpeg
Identifier: OH-HA0382
Handle URL: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/uncc:2711

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