Exhibit Dates:
6/9/2009 -
9/7/2009
|
Charlotte Neighborhoods: Brooklyn to Biddleville
Charlotte Neighborhoods: Brooklyn to Biddleville explores two of Charlotte's oldest African American neighborhoods. The Brooklyn neighborhood, which emerged uptown in the Second Ward area at the turn of the 20th century, became Charlotte’s first urban renewal project and was largely razed in the 1960s. Biddleville rose on the outskirts of uptown, and for the most part escaped the bulldozers of urban development. However, the destruction of Brooklyn affected the development of Biddleville and other African American neighborhoods in Charlotte. Consequently, Biddleville as a community helped foster and preserve the memories, stories, and cultural artifacts of Brooklyn. This exhibit examines the cohesive nature of these two communities prior to urban renewal, how they changed with the impact of urban renewal, and their roles within Charlotte’s larger African American population. Dr. Robert Smith, Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies at UNC Charlotte served as Curator for this exhibit.
Charlotte Neighborhoods: Brooklyn to Biddleville was created by and first exhibited at the Charlotte Museum of History, and funded through a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council. The travelling exhibit is part of the Charlotte Museum of History's community-based, design education and advocacy project, Charlotte Neighborhoods, which centers on an exhibit series that explores Charlotte's neighborhoods, past and present. The Charlotte Neighborhoods exhibit series includes historic and current maps and photographs that illustrate why, where and how we used to live and live now. The exhibit looks to address many questions concerning community, including: "What issues and factors have and will influence the development of Charlotte's neighborhoods?" and "How do we as individuals and as a community participate in positive social change?" Working towards a primary goal of civic engagement and community empowerment, the exhibit series challenges visitors to evaluate issues at stake in their neighborhoods and participate in the process of its evolution.
Currently on display at the Charlotte Museum of History is Charlotte Neighborhoods: NoDa.
|
