Civil Rights Activism on Campus

The collection consists of oral history interviews with former students and faculty who played an important role during the Civil Rights period at UNC Charlotte, including Ben Chavis and T.J. Reddy. Interviews conducted by library staff Lois Stickel and Bridgette Sanders as part of a larger research project.

Ronald R. Caldwell oral history interview, 2005 May 31
Benjamin Chavis Jr. oral history interview, 2005 February 7
Humphrey Cummings oral history interview, 2004 December 14
Charlotte attorney Humphrey Cummings shares his memories of his time as an African American student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) during the late 1960s and early 1970s. As one out of a class of around thirty black students, he describes the climate on campus at the time. Mr. Cummings describes race relations on campus, the Black Student Union, and their work in advocating for an African American Studies program. He also talks about politically active African American students who went on to become influential leaders, most notably Benjamin Chavis and T.J. Reddy. He discusses his perception of campus administration on issues of race, characterizing much of the administration as being slow and cautious when reacting to demands of black student groups or when handling racial conflict. Mr. Cummings describes Vice Chancellor Bonnie Cone as being different from the rest of the administration in that she was more personable and was interested in resolving the concerns of individual students. In addition to discussing student activism, Mr. Cummings describes the changes he has seen in Charlotte through the time of interview during the forty years he has lived in the city.
James Cuthbertson Jr. oral history interview, 2004 July 28
Dorothy B. Dae oral history interview, 2004 October 11
Dorothy Dae recounts her experiences as one of a small group of African American students that attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte during the late 1960s to the early 1970s. She discusses the struggle the students had with the Student Government Association over the chartering of the Black Student Union. Mrs. Dae explains that the students developed an organized strategy to raise their visibility and representation on campus by working within the existing system. Other topics discussed includes her experience as one of the first two black cheerleaders at UNC Charlotte, race relations between white and black students, and what it was like to live on such a new and growing campus.
John Lafferty oral history interview, 2004 October 11
T.J. Reddy oral history interview, 2004 June 28
Artist and civil rights activist T.J. Reddy discusses his higher educational experiences in Charlotte and his involvement in civil rights activism during the 1960s-1970s. He describes being dissatisfied with attending Johnson C. Smith, then transferring to UNC Charlotte in 1969 to continue his education, where he was more engaged by both the curriculum and the climate of activism among the small African American student population at the time. He recalls, along with students including Ben Chavis, establishing the Black Student Union at UNC Charlotte, which issued ten demands for change to university administration and raised their black flag on the campus flagpole. Other topics include Bonnie Cone's support of the new Black Student Union, music and spoken word performances, and the creation of an African American cultural center in Charlotte.