Stanford R. Brookshire shares his memories of his early years in Charlotte, North Carolina and his time as mayor of Charlotte from 1961 to 1969. He compares the city's size and population during the late 1920s and early 1930s with the late 1970s. Mr. Brookshire then talks about his term as the mayor of Charlotte and the urban renewal project. He describes urban renewal in Charlotte, which disproportionately affected African American neighborhoods, as necessary for the city's development and growth. Mr. Brookshire also discusses the civil rights movement in Charlotte and expresses his opinion that the city was able to avoid experiencing the extreme protests that occurred in other cities in the South by clearing slums and by working with the business community to integrate restaurants.