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Title
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Chris Folk oral history interview 1, 1997 October 16
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Interviewee
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Folk, Chris Evans, 1930-2010
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Interviewer
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Cooper, Chris
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Place of Publication
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Charlotte, North Carolina
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Publisher
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J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Date of Interview
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1997-10-16
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Physical Description
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1 audio file (0:55:30) : digital, MP3
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Object Type
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Audio
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Genre
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spoken word
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Language
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eng
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Interviewee Biography
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Chris Folk was a 67-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place in his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1930. He was educated at Duke University, University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University; and was employed as a teacher, school principal, and as the Associate Superintendent of Communications for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
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Abstract
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In this 1997 interview, Dr. Chris Folk, former associate superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, recounts the school system's history of desegregation in light of the filing of Capacchione v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools earlier that year. Dr. Folk explains that his first experience with school desegregation was as a teacher in 1957 when Gus Roberts became the first African American student at Central High School. He then explains how the consolidation of the Charlotte City Schools and the Mecklenburg County Schools into one school system in 1960 would play a critical role in the future success of desegregation in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). Dr. Folk then recounts the history of Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, explaining that school busing was crucial to the success of any desegregation plan because of the levels of residential segregation in the county. He also discusses the resistance and anger over busing, and how it was used by some people to hide their resistance to desegregation. Dr. Folk discusses how the school system changed its approach to pupil assignment and desegregation in 1992 with the addition of magnet schools, midpoint schools, and the growing enrollment of Asian American and Hispanic students. He also goes through the four goals guiding the school system's approach to pupil assignment and discusses some of the ways the school system has sought community feedback through task forces and advisory councils. The interview ends with Dr. Folk explaining that Charlotte's school desegregation problem is fundamentally a housing problem.
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Digital Object Notes
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MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on analog audio cassette and digitized using a Digidesign 003 rack.
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Subjects--Names
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Folk, Chris Evans, 1930-2010
Swann, James E.
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Subjects--Organizations
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
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Subjects--Topics
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School administrators
Busing for school integration
De facto school segregation
Magnet schools
Race relations
School districts--Planning
School enrollment
School integration
School management and organization
Segregation in education
Trials, litigation, etc.
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Subjects--Geographic
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North Carolina--Charlotte
North Carolina--Mecklenburg County
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Subjects--Genre
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Interviews
Oral histories
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Coverage--Dates
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1950-2000
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Digital Collection Title
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David Goldfield student project on change in the Charlotte region
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Rights
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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
This material is protected by copyright. Copyright is held by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
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Internet Media Type
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audio/mpeg
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Related Interviews
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Chris Folk oral history interview 2, 1996 September 16, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://goldmine.uncc.edu/index/render/object/pid/uncc:78/parentPID/uncc:gf); Chris Folk oral history interview 3, 1998 October 15, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://goldmine.uncc.edu/index/render/object/pid/uncc:3328/parentPID/un...)
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Related Materials
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Chris Folk papers, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/491)
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Identifier
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GF-FO0105
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Handle URL
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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/uncc:3329