Abstract:
Part 10 of the Story of Charlotte series, \"Fights for Independence,\" covers 1940s through early 1960s Charlotte. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entrance into World War II took many Mecklenburg County men overseas, but women--both white and black--could work in local factories for equal pay. Following the war, racial tensions heightened and the Civil Rights Movement emerged as local leaders like Harry Golden and Reginald Hawkins advocated for integration in recreational areas, restaurants, and schools.