“What is the New South?” asked a Charlotte home buyer this past Friday…
If you live here in Charlotte, you’ll hear the term often, something like “Charlotte is a great example of the New South” or if you live in or near Atlanta, you’ll know they claim to be the “Capital of the New South.” I had lived here nearly 5 years before hearing about a new Museum in town, that was named, curiously enough, The Museum of the New South. I had to see… this picture I took yesterday on Martin Luther King’s holiday as my wife and I, and many others took advantage of the free admission.
Again, what is the New South? Here is what I’ve told folks for the last several years: It was the simultaneous ending of all the Jim Crow laws of segregation in the south, that then allowed American business to invest in the south, and industrialize the south- something few American business would do prior- with a few exceptions like textiles- until the South desegregated. In the years following the tumultuous 1960’s, investment in the south took off as business investment soared and American business discovered that these were very business friendly states eager to have the jobs and income that these new plants and factories provided. In Charlotte, it was the friendly but fierce competition between two banks that spurred growth here, as each tried to be the first nationwide bank.
As I visited the museum yesterday on MLK’s birthday, I came to realize they talk of the New South as the time since the end of slavery– from Re-Construction to the Civil Rights movement to the present. And that is what the Museum is all about.
I now believe if Atlanta can claim to be the capital of the new south, then we Charlotteans need to be the “Heart of the New South.”
This is a great museum that explains Charlotte’s positive record on civil rights, from integrating at the drugstore counters in 1960 (3 years ahead of the famous Greensborough Woolworth sit in) to the 1963 effot by teh mayor and Chamber of Commerce that he led personally to end segregation in Charlotte.
Read on for the story in pictures from inside the Museum. Search for Charlotte Real Estate…
Roosevelt feels southern poverty is the #1 Domestic issue in 1933
The Mayor invited the head of the NAACP to lunch- and asked other prominent white city leader to do the same… the restaurants, and then hotels got the message, segregation was over.
Charlotte also played a role in the tumultuous debate over school busing, implementing court-ordered bussing in 1977, and living under that order until after 2000.
Here is the Museum of the New South’s introduction to the New South:
New South Quick Facts
A Time—The New South is the period of time from 1865, following the Civil War, to the present.
A Place—The New South includes areas of the Southeast U.S. that began to grow and flourish after 1865.
An Idea—The New South represents new ways of thinking about economic, political and cultural life in the South.
Reinvention—The New South encompasses the spirit of re-invention. The end of slavery forced the South to reinvent its economy and society.
People—The New South continuously reinvents itself as newcomers, natives, immigrants, visitors and residents change the composition and direction of the region.
Admission charges from their website:
| Admission | |
| Adults | $6.00 |
| Seniors (62+) and Students | $5.00 |
| Children (6-18) | $5.00 |
| Family | $17.00 |
| Under 6 free | |
| Groups* | $4.00 |
========================================================================
An interesting post- South Charlotte Homes For Sale and Appreciation Report.
Most folks like pictures, and I like taking them, so I’ve published more than 1500 pictures
divided into 45 galleries, divided by community, area
and fun things to do, see them at: Uptown Dilworth, SouthPark, Ballantyne Country Club, High Gate and more. (Pictures are of Charlotte at night on the left, and the a Weddington horse farm on right)
Concerned about the market? Here are couple of recent articles about the strong Charlotte real estate market by Forbes.com and ABC News
To learn more about me, and my business in Charlotte, visit TerryMcDonaldRealEstate.com, my easy to use search for houses, condos, land or multifamily~
Please don’t hesitate to call me direct with your Charlotte real estate needs and questions, 704-351-1519
