Charlotte Happenings

FEB 2017

Charlotte Happenings is your monthly guide to events and things to do in and around Charlotte, NC.

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BUSINESS Thaddeus Lincoln Tate was the embodiment of the "New Negro"—a referent for a generation of black urbanites who exhibited a combination of racial pride, high achievement, a savvy and cosmopolitan worldview, and unfettered confidence in his ability to "uplift the race" at the turn of the 20th century. A prominent barber and civic leader, Tate had a significant hand in shaping the quality of life for black Charlotteans even as legalized racial segregation began to limit their collective political and economic mobility. Between the 1890s and 1940s, Tate co-founded a number of businesses and institutions, including the Brevard Street Library, Grace A.M.E. Zion Church and a YMCA branch. In 1907, Tate collaborated with other black leaders to establish the Afro- American Mutual Insurance company, which operated until 1927. Tate's desire to see black businesses thrive led him to build the Mecklenburg Investment Company (MIC) building, a three-story complex of black-owned and operated businesses. The building housed a pharmacy, doctor's office, meeting hall and other office spaces. The MIC building was conveniently located in Brooklyn, a vibrant black neighborhood that emerged as the urban hub of Charlotte's African- American business district in the early-to- mid-20th century. Tate's contributions to the Charlotte community at large, and the black community in particular, are undeniable. In 2015, as part of the Trail of History project—a privately funded initiative to preserve the history of key figures who have contributed to Mecklenburg County's development—a statue of Tate was erected near Little Sugar Creek Greenway. CIVIL RIGHTS For more than 100 years, the Alexander family has been a staple within Charlotte's funeral home business. However, brothers Fred and Kelly Alexander are best known for their civil rights activism and as pioneers within local politics. In 1940, Kelly Alexander re-established the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in North Carolina and fortified the state campaign against legal segregation and discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s. After 45 years of service as a regional and national leader within the NAACP, Kelly Alexander retired in 1984. Like Kelly, Fred Alexander rose to prominence at the height of the civil SHOULDERS THE ON WHICH WE STAND THADDEUS TATE FAMILY PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBINSON-SPANGLER CAROLINA ROOM-CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY 50 FEBRUARY 2017

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