A group of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' students has created 3D designs as part of a project to preserve the history of Charlotte’s African American neighborhoods that were destroyed through urban renewal.
In a programming class at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, students have produced virtual models of the historic Brooklyn neighborhood that once spanned many blocks of uptown’s Second Ward. The designs depict buildings, such as churches, schools, and community gathering spaces, that shaped the community before the city demolished them during the 1960s.
Mariyah Curb’s 3D design portrays The United House of Prayer for All People that once stood on South McDowell Street. Curb, 17, said the project has enabled her to spread the word about a neighborhood she didn’t know existed.
“I can also assist in preventing something like this from happening again," Curb said. "It would have been really nice to be involved and get to explore that community where there have been so many other buildings that my classmates have spent their time investing in."
The James B. Duke Memorial Library at Johnson C. Smith University is behind the project. In 2020, the library received funding from groups, including the National Parks Service and the Knight Foundation, to help the public better understand what was lost as a part of urban renewal strategies.
The project focuses on creating an interactive online exhibit that will include the students' designs and other historic African American neighborhoods in Charlotte.
