EditorialsNewspapers are a great source of information. For generations, Charlotteans have looked to its newspapers, most notably the Charlotte Observer, to report on World affairs and to inform

its readers on daily city business. Also, newspapers provide a opportunity for historians to examine how earlier generations viewed the world around them and how that has changed

over time. By examining these articles, readers can begin to see the lives lived in the Brooklyn and Biddleville neighborhoods while also gaining a clearer understanding on Urban Renewal and its effects on the population. Read these articles and collect your own thoughts by answering the listed questions. After you are done, Write your own article and post it on

the site!

Brooklyn Articles Biddleville Articles Urban Renewal

Urban RenewalIn 1960, homes and offices in the historic neighborhood of Brooklyn began to

be torn down. For the next decade the entire neighborhood would be razed in the name of urban renewal. Throughout the process local Charlotte

newspapers reported on the progress and how it effected the Charlotte community. Editorials continued to be written trying to examine the

aftermath of Urban Renewal and seek out the lost history of Brooklyn. While reading these articles be cognizant of when the articles were written and

consider the tone and impression they give on the success in urban renewal in comparison to the loss of Brooklyn neighborhood.

1960’s 1970’s 1980’s1990’s & BeyondBefore 1960

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Brooklyn: Lost Community Lives Again In MemoriesBy Sheilah VanceCharlotte News, July 18, 1977

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What does this article tell use about the neighborhood of Brooklyn and how it differed from other neighborhoods

Why were James Jeeter and Rev. DeGranville Burke collecting information about the neighborhood?

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Brooklyn: Lost Community Lives Again In MemoriesBy Sheilah VanceCharlotte News, July 18, 1977

Next Section

What does this article tell use about the neighborhood of Brooklyn and how it differed from other neighborhoods?

Why were James Jeeter and Rev. DeGranville Burke collecting information about the neighborhood?

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A Story of Renewal In BrooklynBy Milton JordanCharlotte Observer, June 6, 1977

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What effect, if any, did urban renewal have on former residents of Brooklyn?

What does the article tell use about the preconceived views on the neighborhood? How does that compare to resident remembrances?

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A Story of Renewal In BrooklynBy Milton JordanCharlotte Observer, June 6, 1977

Next Section

What effect, if any, did urban renewal have on former residents of Brooklyn?

What does the article tell use about the preconceived views on the neighborhood? How does that compare to resident remembrances?

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Your PostsWhat effect, if any, did urban renewal have on former residents of Brooklyn?

So residents were able to move into a better living condition while others were only displaced and were not able to find anything better than what they experienced in Brooklyn. Urban development did clean up the area, but much a the situation that produced the poverty only moved to new locations throughout the town.

What does the article tell use about the preconceived views on the neighborhood? How does that compare to resident remembrances?

The neighborhood is described as a disaster and a great threat to the rest of town. It is filthy and diseased. The former residents do agree on many unsavory aspects of the neighborhood, but they also remember the closeness of the community and the fact that many good people called the area home. They remember it being home and a place they grew up in.

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Why were James Jeeter and Rev. Degranville Burke collecting information about Brooklyn Neighborhood?

They are trying to preserve its memory. Much of the memory from those that lived in the neighborhood could be lost and the gentlemen wanted to have more to the story than what was displayed for urban renewal. They wanted the individuals to tell the story also. Those that saw it as home.

Based on the articles you read and the answers you recorded, write your own editorial on urban development and its effects on Brooklyn neighborhood. Post it and share your thoughts with other visitors to the site.