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African American Album 2 - Events Timeline

1971 - Fire at Law Office of Julius Chambers

February 4, 1971 - The law office of Julius Chambers is set on fire.

  • This is the third arson suffered by the Chambers family in six months. 
  • Photos show  Firemen still at the scene the following morning and Chambers’ law office.
Date of Event:
January 1, 1971

1970 - Supreme Court Hears the Swann Case

October 1970 - The Supreme Court hears the Swann case.

  • The Charlotte -Mecklenburg School Board has appealed the Swann case, the court decision that has forced them to integrate. 
  • In his first appearance in the Supreme Court, Charlotte attorney Julius Chambers argues for the plaintiffs. He has been working on the Swann case since 1965. 
  • Photo shows Julius Chambers in his office.
Date of Event:
October, 1970

1970 - Charlotte Mecklenburg School System is Integrated

September 9, 1970 - Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system is integrated.

Date of Event:
September 9, 1970

1970 - Black and White Police Officers

September 1970 - First pairing of a black and a white police officer as partners.

  • Black policemen had received full status in 1949.
  • In 1970 black policemen are paired with white partners for the first time.
Date of Event:
September, 1970

1970 - Second Ward High School is Demolished

July 1970 - Second Ward High School, the first high school for black children in the county, is demolished as part of urban renewal.

Date of Event:
July, 1970

1970 - New Friendship Baptist Church is Dedicated

July 5, 1970 - Rev. Colemon Kerry, Jr., leads the dedication of the new Friendship Baptist Church on Beatties Ford Road.

Date of Event:
July 5, 1970

1970 - House of Prayer on McDowell Street

June 20, 1970 - The House of Prayer on McDowell St. is torn down as part of urban renewal in Second Ward.

Date of Event:
June 20, 1970

1970 - Kerry Defeated in School Board Election

Rev. Colemon Kerry, Jr., pastor of Friendship Baptist Church, is defeated in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board election by anti-busing opponents. He was the first and only black member to serve on the board, having been appointed in the late 1960s to fill a vacancy.

Date of Event:
May 2, 1970

1970 - New Year's Dinner with Anita Stroud

January 1, 1970 - New Year's Dinner with Anita Stroud. Anita Stroud continues her work serving New Year’s Eve dinner to "her children."

Date of Event:
January 1, 1970

1970s - National Events

This decade ushers in the conclusion of the emotionally-charged school desegregation plan in Charlotte. Watch Judge McMillan discuss the impact desegregation has had on the Charlotte community and how the Chambers family was affected by the Swann case.

Date of Event: