Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood was a Black community that historians refer to as a “city within a city.” Located in the city’s Second Ward in uptown, Brooklyn was home to Black families from all different backgrounds and included schools, churches, homes, and Black-owned businesses.
But during the 1960s and '70s, Brooklyn fell victim to Charlotte’s first wave of “urban renewal.” The community was razed, resulting in the displacement of over 1,000 families and 200 businesses.
The razing of the Brooklyn community and the displacement of its residents, has remained a difficult and complicated part of Charlotte’s past. Developers say that they are committed to creating a mixed-use development in Second Ward, where the thriving neighborhood once flourished, and have aptly named it Brooklyn Village. But that’s easier said than done.
Development efforts have been ongoing, but there have been twists, turns, and delays along the way. On the next Charlotte Talks, we'll explore how development plans are moving forward in the area, including a new proposal from the developer to add a significant number of affordable-housing units. We also look at the neighborhood’s history and learn more about what revitalizing this area would mean for Black residents of Charlotte.
GUESTS:
Glenn Burkins, founder and publisher of QCity Metro
Elise Franco, Charlotte Business Journal reporter
Greg Jarrell, independent scholar and author of Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods. He is a Senior Campaign Organizer in Charlotte for The Redress Movement.
Special thanks to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for access to archival sound. Visit here to learn more about a past Brooklyn oral history project.
