MeckRoots: Park and Recreation to Host Book Talks, Genealogy Workshops, History Presentations
This fall, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is offering residents several opportunities to understand local history and to learn how to collect and tell their own histories and stories.
These events are hosted by MeckRoots, a program to connect the people and spaces of Mecklenburg County through history and storytelling. MeckRoots features presentations and workshops by local historians, authors, genealogists, and other professionals. The program also records and preserves oral histories from Mecklenburg County residents.
All events will be held 6-7:30 p.m.
“Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods” Book Talks and Walking Tour with Greg Jarrell
Greg Jarrell, minister, cultural organizer, and author of the book “Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods,” will host a walking tour of Second Ward in uptown Charlotte and discussions about the impact “urban renewal” efforts had on predominantly African American neighborhoods in Charlotte in the 1960s.
- Sept. 11 at Second Ward High School Gym (book talk and walking tour)
- Oct. 9 at Amay James Recreation Center (book talk only)
- Nov. 13 at Northern Regional Recreation Center (book talk only)
- Dec. 11 at Mallard Creek Recreation Center (book talk only)
Each book talk will cover the same information; participants may plan to attend only one session.
African American History Presentations with Michael D. Connor
On Sept. 18, at Amay James Recreation Center, actor, playwright, director and academic Michael D. Connor will give a presentation about local Black architect W.W. "Willie" Smith and Black entrepreneur and landowner Thaddeus Tate. Both Smith and Tate were crucial in the development of Black communities in Charlotte.
Connor will also give performances and presentations about his own family, who were enslaved in the North Mecklenburg region. He will share about his grandfather’s farm, which was flooded to create Lake Norman. Those performances will take place on Oct. 16 at Northern Regional Recreation Center and on Nov. 20 at David B. Waymer Recreation Center.
Genealogy: Know Your Roots with Danielle Pritchett
Danielle Pritchett, genealogy librarian with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Carolina Room, will lead workshops where attendees can do family research. Each workshop will focus on a different topic, and attendees of any skill level are invited.
- Sept. 25 at Mallard Creek Recreation Center: The Surprising Benefits of Genealogy: Beginners Genealogy Training
- Oct. 30 at Amay James Recreation Center: Genealogy Essentials: A Beginner's Roadmap for Successful Research
- Nov. 25 at Northern Regional Recreation Center: Black Genealogy: Moving Beyond the 1870 Census
- Dec. 18 at David B. Waymer Recreation Center: Her Story: Discovering the Genealogy of Your Matriarchs
“Half Truths” Book Talks with Carol Baldwin
Local author Carol Baldwin will lead discussions on “Half Truths,” her fictionalized novel about an interracial friendship between a young, aspiring journalist and an African American woman serving as a maid in segregated 1950s Charlotte.
Each book talk will cover the same information; participants may plan to attend only one session.
