Calvin L. Brown oral history interview, 2004 April 27
Description
Calvin Brown shares his memories of living in Charlotte, North Carolina during a time when segregation was being challenged by civil rights groups. He moved to Charlotte in 1961 after completing law school, and discusses representing clients, particularly churches, who had their properties taken by the City of Charlotte during urban renewal. Mr. Brown describes the uphill battle faced by black attorneys arguing for clients in segregated courtrooms, where often the defendant was black and the police officer was white. He also describes the active Charlotte branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), including organizational leadership, and how they prioritized fighting against discrimination, voter rights, and advocating for integration in the early to mid-1960s.
