Karen Flint

Mrs. Mae Orr was born and raised in the Greenville community. Her life has been spent almost continuously in some form of education from graduation at West Charlotte and Johnson C. Smith to teaching throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. Her experiences both as a student at West Charlotte and a student teacher at Second Ward High allows her to have a unique perspective on the rivalry between the two schools. Her young life included growing up near the famous first African-American policeman Mr. James Ross. Mrs. Orr’s memories of him are a marvelous set of stories.Read more…

Dr. John Matthew Murphy Jr. grew up in Brooklyn, graduating from Second Ward High School in 1953. He then left to attend Howard University, Morgan State College and Meharry School of Dentistry.  After time serving in the army and working in Ohio as a dentist, he returned to Charlotte in 1973 to serve in the Mecklenburg Country Health Department and as a visiting clinician at Charlotte’s Memorial Hospital Dental Department. In 1979 he helped originate the Metrolina Health Center now known as CW Williams Community Health Center. When he left Charlotte in the 1950s, Brooklyn knew that urban renewal was coming, by the time he returned in the 1970s the community was gone.

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Mr. James Ross II is an active member of the Mecklenburg County Black Heritage Committee. Mr. Ross was raised in Grier Heights and spent the summers in and out of Brooklyn with his grandfather. He is an active supporter of the United House of Prayer for All Peoples. Mr. Ross considers himself an amateur historian and speaks extensively and with confidence about his memories. He has been active in the African-American community since his youth. One experience he had with Mayor Brookshire appears in Alex Coffin’s book Brookshire and Belk: Businessmen in City Hall. In his professional life he has been a Management Consultant.Read more…

Mr. James Polk was born in Grier Heights (an African American community initially outside of but eventually incorporated into Charlotte, North Carolina; he lives there today. Since he did not live in Brooklyn, he brings a different perspective than most of the people interviewed to get information and meaning about Brooklyn. Mr. Polk had, however, worked in Brooklyn, and visited the community. Working at his uncle’s funeral home, Grier Funeral Home, he got a chance to know its residents from an intimate vantage point. As a man who worked in and visited Brooklyn, Mr. Polk saw its many black businesses and the pride the community took in the stores it patronized. Jim Polk saw urban renewal wipe out Brooklyn. Still, he insisted that urban renewal was good for the community, because some of its residents went from dilapidated housing to better housing. Mr. Polk thinks it is important to tell younger generations about their history, so they will have greater knowledge of their origins and will take pride in them.Read more…

Ms. Mary S. McGill did not grow up in the Brooklyn community, but became a member of Friendship Baptist Church in 1949, commuting from the Mount Holly area. Sister McGill recounted memories of her activity as a Deaconess and leader in the music ministries of the Church. She and Deacon Walter Kennedy recorded the first album for the Church and continued recording after moving from Brooklyn to help raise money for choir robes and other items the Church needed.

Sister McGill was also the Chairwoman of the Missionary Study and had much to say about the life of the pastor at the time in Brooklyn, Reverend Kerry. Sister McGill mentioned many places of business and locations of other Churches in the Brooklyn area and what stands in their places today. Ms. McGill participated in a group interview with other members of Friendship Baptist Church.

Ms. Mary S. McGill is included in the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Interview