Busing

Although the U.S. Supreme Court had outlawed school segregation in 1954, it was not until 1969-70 that full school integration occurred in North Carolina. Scott presided over a troubled period marked by violence, distrust, and a strong parent backlash. Charlotte v. Mecklenburg also became the landmark school busing case.

Civil Rights

Examines the ways that growing up in a supportive, ambitious community spurred Charlotte's young African Americans to question and then challenge inequality.Highlights key moments in Charlotte's civil rights history, including the furor sparked by Dorothy Counts' efforts to become the first black student at Harding High School in 1957, the sit-ins of 1960, the successful efforts to desegregate restaurants in 1963, and the bombs that exploded at the homes of four civil rights activist families in 1965. Follows Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the landmark desegregation case filed by civil rights attorney Julius Chambers. In 1969, Chambers convinced federal judge James McMillan to issue a sweeping order that required Charlotte-Mecklenburg to fully desegregate every school in the countywide system, setting the stage for the nation's most comprehensive school busing plan.

Prime Time, Good Times

This chapter explores how the CBS family sitcom Good Times turned into an important site of contestation and struggle over questions of “blackness,” the black family, “authenticity,” and black-versus-white control in the immediate aftermath of the civil rights movement. Good Times “answered” the vehement criticisms about Julia. Whereas Julia gave viewers a simulacral “Super Negro” to inspire blacks and comfort whites, Good Times presented a more “realistic” image of the challenges, struggles, and poverty that many blacks actually encountered in their daily lives. In addition, the CBS comedy pointedly addressed hot-button issues such as school busing, teen pregnancy, and street gangs. This chapter assesses the cultural legacy of Good Times's racial imagery and asks whether the show was a victory for African Americans in the struggle for “positive images.” It concludes with a discussion of the sitcom's significance for post–civil rights race politics and argues that it was ultimately both a success and a failure.