Alegra Westbrooks
section: Interviews
Ms. Allegra Westbrooks was born on March 13, 1921 in Cumberland, Maryland to Dr. Buford and Rowena Westbrooks. She attended Atlanta University School of Library Services and moved to Charlotte to begin working at the Brevard Street Library in Brooklyn in 1947 and became a member of the East Stonewall Ame Zion Church. She ran the library and began discussion groups to bring members of the African-American community into the library to use the services. She also worked the Book Mobile to bring books to African-American neighborhoods that lacked a well-supplied library. She was promoted to acquisitions for the Main Library in 1950 shortly before the Brevard Street Library was torn down during Urban Renewal in 1951.
Her memories of Brooklyn paint a picture of a tightly knit community that was targeted by Urban Renewal because it was considered the “weakest link” in the Charlotte area. However, regardless of that fact, it was a tremendous loss for the African-American community. The story of the Brevard Street Library delves into the issues of segregation and desegregation and the hard work and determination of the African-American community to find ways to have a strong and active community life.
Tape Log
Tape Log: Oral History Interview with Alegra Westbrooks
Interviewed by Nicole Glinski
| Time | Description of Interview Contents |
|---|---|
| 0:03 | Opening of interview |
| 0:30 | Ms. Westbrooks introduces a bit about herself |
| 1:00 | Segregation in libraries |
| 1:18 | Head of the African-American Library Services |
| 1:30 | Brevard Street Library and other branches |
| 1:40 | All White Libraries (Cornelius Branch) |
| 1:53 | Feeling of being banned from White Libraries |
| 2:10 | Retires at age 62 |
| 2:25 | Integration allowed her to work for the Main Library |
| 3:16 | Bringing books to neighborhoods without libraries |
| 4:07 | African-American Libraries borrowed books from the Main Library |
| 5:09 | Clubs and Churches used as a tool to promote books |
| 5:10 | Phillis Wheately YWCA |
| 6:10 | Book Mobile services for areas without libraries |
| 7:21 | 1903 Main Library |
| 7:40 | 1951 Urban Renewal closed Brevard Street Library |
| 10:30 | 2nd Ward High School students library usage |
| 12:38 | Teenage discussion groups, story hours, adult groups (American Heritage Series) |
| 14:38 | American Heritage Series discussion on African- American religion |
| 16:47 | Charlotte Community merged at group meetings |
| 18:12 | Book Mobile |
| 26:30 | Closing of the Brevard Street Library |
| 30:30 | Books at the Brevard Street Library |
| 32:00 | Non-religious organizations in Brooklyn |
| 37:25 | McCroury Branch YMCA |
| 39:10 | Notice of demolition in Brooklyn |
| 41:40 | The community response to the library being |
| 43:20 | Reasons Brooklyn was targeted for Urban Renewal |
| 45:00 | Opinion on whether Brooklyn needed to be rehabilitated |
| 47:10 | Plan to rebuild in Brooklyn |
| 48:00 | Martin Luther King Boulevard |
| 48:25 | Urban Renewal’s effect on the Black community’s relationship with local government |
| 50:50 | The Brooklyn Community |
| 52:55 | Lessons learned from the Urban Renewal Experience |
| 53:20 | Segregation |
| 58:15 | Library Programs |
| 63:20 | Where people moved after Urban Renewal |
| 66:25 | Library’s impact on Ms. Westbrooks life and personal accomplishments |
| 72:38 | Closing of interview |