Hunter, David, 1933-

Howard, Debbie

Charlotte, North Carolina

J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

2005-04-14

1 audio file (1:07:59) + 1 transcript (46 pages : PDF)

sound recording-nonmusical

spoken word

eng

David Hunter was a 71-year-old man at the time of interview, which took place at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1933. He obtained a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics from Johnson C. Smith University, completed graduate studies in mathematics at North Carolina State University and Rutgers University, and received his Doctorate in Education from Nova University. He was employed as a mathematics instructor at Carver College, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) and as an administrator at CPCC.

David Lee Hunter chronicles his experiences growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina during segregation in the 1940s and 1950s to later living and working in an integrated society. Mr. Hunter describes working as a teenager during the 1940s at the Ringside Grill in Charlotte and developing a close relationship with the Stavrakas family, who supported his employment there despite facing racial prejudice from some customers. He then recalls his first professional job after college as a math teacher at Carver College, continuing his education, and the integration of Carver College and UNC Charlotte. Mr. Hunter describes the precariousness of his employment during the early 1960s and moving from positions at UNC Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to Central Piedmont Community College. He discusses how his race impacted his work life, particularly during and right after integration. He also critiques contemporary education and shares his belief that during segregation, teachers were more involved with the success of each student. Other topics discussed include the lack of public accommodations for black people during segregation, participating in sit-in demonstrations in the South, and changes in school discipline over time.

MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on analog audio cassette and digitized using a Digidesign 003 rack.

College teachers
College administrators

Hunter, David, 1933-

Second Ward High School (Charlotte, N.C.)
Johnson C. Smith University
Carver College (Charlotte, N.C.)
Central Piedmont Community College (Charlotte, N.C.)

African Americans--Social conditions
Mathematics--Study and teaching
Race relations
Segregation
Segregation in education
African American schools
College integration
Social integration
Education
Civil rights demonstrations

North Carolina--Charlotte
North Carolina--Charlotte--Cherry
North Carolina--Charlotte--Second Ward
North Carolina--Charlotte--Brooklyn

Interviews
Oral histories

1930-2010

The era before Brown v. Board of Education

David Hunter oral history interview 1, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://goldmine.uncc.edu/islandora/object/uncc%3A81)

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