Mary Poe

Mary Poe was born in Mecklenburg County in 1945, spent her childhood in the Brooklyn neighborhood. As a resident of 1st Street, she attended Second Ward High School from 1958 to 1965 and she recalls the supportive atmosphere that was fostered at the school by her teachers. Mrs. Poe also fondly remembers the some of the social events in Brooklyn, including dances at the high school and at the YMCA where students from all over the city would congregate to socialize. One of the most revealing aspects of Mrs. Poe’s oral history is her consideration of what it was like to be a young woman in the Brooklyn of the 1960s, including the classes that she was required to take at school and the requirements for getting married. As a resident of Brooklyn during the urban renewal period, Mrs. Poe spends time in this interview discussing how the process of urban renewal was perceived by the community, what the residents of Brooklyn were promised by the city, and what they actually received.

Mary Poe participated in an interview with Dolores Giles. See: Dolores Giles & Mary Poe