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Description

Gwendolyn Burris is a Charlotte native who moved to the Optimist Park community in 1987. She shares her memories of growing up in downtown Charlotte and details some of the challenges her family faced, including school integration in the early 1970s. Mrs. Burris also discusses her outlook on recent changes arising from urban growth and gentrification in the Optimist Park neighborhood and the negative impact that these changes could have on current residents.

Details

Title
Gwendolyn Burris oral history interview, 2016 March 16
Creator
Burris, Gwendolyn, 1954- interviewee
Contributor
Brooks, Michael, interviewer
Coates, Carlie, interviewer
Burris, John Thomas, contributor
Date (Text)
2016-03-16
Place of Creation
Charlotte, North Carolina
Publisher
J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Extent
1 audio file (26:03) : digital, MP3
Biographical/Historical Note
Gwendolyn Burris was a 61-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place in the Optimist Park neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1954. She completed the ninth grade, and was educated at Seversville Elementary School, Irwin Avenue Junior High School, McClintock Junior High School, and West Mecklenburg High School. She was employed in housekeeping, food delivery, and as a nurses' aid in Charlotte hospitals and nursing homes.
Other Identifiers
Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/uncc:1449
System Control No.
CH-BU0001
Subject (Person)
Burris, Gwendolyn, 1954-
Subject (Topic)
School integration
Gentrification
Segregation in education
African American families
African American neighborhoods
Urban poor--Social conditions
Geographic Coverage
North Carolina--Charlotte
North Carolina--Charlotte--Optimist Park
Subject (Occupation)
Food service employees
Nurses' aides
Laundry workers
Subject (Date)
1950-2020
Type
Audio
Format
spoken word
Interviews
Oral histories
Language
English
Usage Statement
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). (http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/)
Copyright Holder
This material is protected by copyright. Copyright is held by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Record Appears in
Oral History Collections > UNC Charlotte Honors College and Charlotte Action Research Project Interviews on Charlotte Neighborhoods > Small But Significant : The Optimist Park Community
Internet Mime Type
audio/mpeg
Location of Original
J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Reproduction Note
MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on Zoom H5 digital recorder with XY modular mic.
2016-03-16

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