Did you know that you can continue to stay connected to the Library while staying home? How would you like to participate in a virtual storytime with your family or receive resume help all from the comfort of your couch? Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library every week for a wide range of virtual programming for children, teens and adults. See a complete listing of this upcoming programming for the week of 10/26/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 10/26

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Nonprofit Services – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Parent Lunch & Learn: Finding Time to Read as a Parent– 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Mindful Mondays - Guided Relaxation and Meditation – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Stronger Together: Support for your Job Search – 4 p.m.  (Adult programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Let's Talk About Books: What Have you Read Lately?  – 5:30  p.m.  (Adult programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Tuesday 10/27        

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Wednesday 10/28

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Active Reading Family Workshop- Part 2 – 10 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register 

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Teens Live on Instagram: Pumpkin Spiced Cider – 5 p.m.  (Teen programming)   learn more

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

History's Mysteries: Weird Carolinas - Local Tales of the Unexplained – 6 p.m.  (Adult programming)   register

Thursday 10/29

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)    register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Caregiver Class: Active Reading Training for Caregivers of 2-5 Year Olds – 4 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Resources to Pay for College with CFNC – 6 p.m.  (Teen programming)  register

Friday 10/30

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m.  (Children's programming)  learn more

Nonprofit  Services: Coffee & Conversation – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Mindful Friday- Meditation for Wellness – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Acing the Interview Process: What to do before, during, and after the interview – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Hear Me Now - Letter Writing for Change – 3 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3:30 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Saturday 10/31

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m.  (Children's programming)  learn more

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Introduction

In October 2020, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees reviewed and approved 10 legacy audit changes throughout the Library system, including the re-naming of the Morrison Regional Library to SouthPark Regional Library. The Morrison Branch was originally named in honor of former Governor Morrison after land for the Library was generously donated by his descendants in 1989. This blog presents the historical context behind the decision to rename the branch location.

This article is presented by the staff in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room located in Main Library. For more historical and genealogical information, visit them here.

Historical Background

In the 1890s, a cross-racial alliance changed the political landscape of North Carolina before being stamped out. Black Republicans teamed up with progressive farmers of the People’s Party to win State and Local elections. This partnership was unofficial in that both parties kept separate organizations. The term “Fusionist” was applied to the partnership by the rival Democratic Party. The Democratic Party of the time represented largely landed or other wealthy, white interests. Throughout the reconstruction era, the Democratic Party used the Ku Klux Klan as an “unofficial but effective tool of political terrorism […] often preventing Republicans of both races from voting.”[1]

Nevertheless, the Fusionist partnership was extremely successful during the elections of 1894 and 1896. They enacted reforms from 1895-1898:

The Republican-Populist General Assembly of 1895 liberalized access to the ballot (especially for blacks), decentralized local government, increased taxes for education, and reduced the legal rate of interest on certain contracts to 6 percent per year. The legislature also sent a Populist, Marion Butler, and a Republican, Jeter Pritchard, to the U.S. Senate.[2]

Cameron Morrison and the Election of 1898

Cameron Morrison saw himself as a loyal servant of the State of North Carolina. In a Heriot Clarkson biography of Morrison, the author reports that he and his white contemporaries built themselves a mythos in which they were the saviors of a state under conditions that were “desperately bad." [3]^,[4] Clarkson explained, “There were forty negroes in office in [Richmond] county, thirteen justices of the peace, a negro on the county board of education, and two on each township school board…”[5] That African-Americans were even serving in these roles was problematic enough for Morrison and his fellow white supremacists.

Morrison joined the Democratic Party in 1891 and quickly began a campaign of racial intimidation. During 1894, he “challenged over 200 negroes for illegal registration and prevented them from voting.”[6] Thus began Morrison’s career of voter suppression of Black North Carolinians on behalf of the Democratic Party.

In 1898, North Carolina Democrats were determined to take back control of the General Assembly and the Governor’s office from the Fusionists. The most obvious way to cleave apart the two groups that made up the Fusionists was to highlight racial differences and emphasize the supposed danger of Black voting and civic participation. Under the leadership of Furnifold Simmons of Jones County, prominent Democratic speakers were sent out across the state promoting white supremacy, the need to protect white women from Black men, and disenfranchisement of Black men.[7] Cameron Morrison was the primary representative for this group in his native Richmond county. According to Clarkson, “In this [Red Shirt] campaign, young Morrison’s speeches were […] so convincing and appealing that hundreds of Republicans joined the Democratic Party and put on white supremacy buttons.”

The Red Shirt campaign, of which Morrison was an enthusiastic participant, terrorized and intimidated white and Black Fusionist voters alike.[8] On October 24, 1898, some of the Democratic Party’s most prominent white men, including Robert Glenn, Thomas Jarvis, Cameron Morrison, Alfred Waddell and Charles Aycock, packed the Thalian Hall opera house in Wilmington. All speakers stressed that white supremacy was the only issue of importance for white men. The Democrats were aided by newspaper editor Josephus Daniels of the Raleigh-based News and Observer who ran stories about attacks on white women, vitriolic editorials, and sensational cartoons against Black citizens. (It is worth noting that both the News and Observer and the Charlotte Observer have since apologized for their roles in the Red Shirt campaign).[9]^,[10]

On November 10, 1898, Alfred Waddell led a violent campaign in Wilmington, N.C., which was the stronghold of the Fusionists. Blacks were not only prevented from voting in the 1898 election, they were attacked by the Red Shirts and other large mobs. Up to 60 Black citizens were murdered.[11] Black businesses were burned, and many Black families fled for their lives. Nearly 150 armed white men stormed the vote-counting station and replaced the legitimate ballot box with fraudulent ballots in favor of the Democratic Party.[12]

This incident became known as the Wilmington Massacre and remains the only successful coup d’état in American history.[13] Democrats took back state control and the General Assembly enacted the state’s first Jim Crow Laws which denied Black men the right to vote and enforced segregation of the races. This policy continued until the voting rights act of 1965, and its effects echo to this day.

Following 1898

The coup being successful, the Democrats began to celebrate their victory. Again, from Clarkson:

A few mornings after the election, the Raleigh News and Observer declared that “The spirit early manifested in Richmond County that the ‘whites would rule the land or die’ spread to adjoining counties, [and] finally permeated the whole east[…].

Cameron Morrison aroused that spirit in Richmond County and was one of the unquestioned leaders of the [Red Shirt] movement. […]

Senator [Furnifold] Simmons said that, “The first real hope in the [Red Shirt] campaign in the State had been inspired in him by the spirit of Richmond County under the splendid leadership of Cameron Morrison, and that when the history of the movement for white supremacy came to be written no man would be given greater credit for the victory than Cameron Morrison.”[14]

It is clear from this 1927 biography that Morrison was not a pawn of larger players nor was he simply “a man of his times” – an explanation used to deemphasize the complicity of those that advocate white supremacy. Morrison was an enthusiastic architect of white supremacy in North Carolina, largely to advance his own political career.

Gubernatorial Campaign of 1920 and Administration

In 1920, Cameron Morrison ran for Governor in North Carolina on the same white supremacist platform of his predecessor. During this campaign, he was challenged on his participation in the Red Shirt campaign and voiced no remorse for his participation, but instead “again expressed pride in having been one of those who wore the red shirt in the days referred to.”[15] Similarly, he made opposition to women’s suffrage a key part of his campaign by highlighting that it would allow Black women to vote as well.[16]

Despite his history and the tone and tenor of his campaign, his administration enacted several significant reforms and advancements for the state:

While best known today as the state's “Good Roads Governor," Cameron Morrison took equal pride in his contributions to enhance educational and charitable institutions. Under pressure from both the governor and citizens' groups, the 1921 General Assembly committed North Carolina to an ambitious six-year, $20 million expansion program at the overcrowded state institutions of higher learning and at the dozen or so state-operated insane asylums, reformatories, sanatoriums, and schools for the deaf and blind. Moreover, in 1921 the operating budgets for these facilities, as well as for the State Board of Health, were significantly increased […]

In 1921 he summoned a conference of prominent black and white citizens, out of which evolved the North Carolina Commission on Interracial Co-operation. More significantly, he took a vigorous stand against lynching. Due largely to Morrison's policy of dispatching troops to a locality at the slightest hint of impending violence, no lynchings occurred in North Carolina during the last three and one-half years of his term. "I want to let the world know,” he declared in 1922, “that lynchings have ended in North Carolina.”[17]^,[18]

Cameron Morrison in Our Modern Context

Most of the men involved in the 1898 campaign went on to have successful political careers and served their state and their nation in high positions of responsibility. Charles B. Aycock would serve as governor, Furnifold Simmons would serve as a U.S. Senator, Claude Kitchins would become a U.S. Congressman, and Josephus Daniels would continue to serve as Editor of the Raleigh News & Observer before being named Ambassador to Mexico.

These men did not serve all the people of the state or the country, only those they considered “worthy.” In recent years, Aycock’s name has been removed from campuses in the UNC system as well as from North Carolina high schools that bear his name. Josephus Daniels’ statue was recently dismantled on behalf of the family and the Josephus Daniels Charitable Foundation. Another was also removed from the campus of NC State. On July 10, 2020, a special commission at UNC Chapel Hill began examining names of its buildings and removed names that honored three contemporaries of Morrison: Charles B. Aycock, Julian Carr and Josephus Daniels.

Cameron Morrison made his home in Charlotte beginning in 1901 and returned there after his term as Governor. He and his descendants have been deeply engaged in building a stronger Charlotte Mecklenburg community for over a century. Nevertheless, as the conversation on history evolves, Cameron Morrison’s accomplishments as Governor do not replace the harm he directly and indirectly caused the many Black citizens of North Carolina. The Library Board of Trustees determined that Morrison’s documented support of white supremacy in North Carolina is associated with one of the darkest chapters in the history of our state.  As an inclusive and welcoming space for the entire community, systemic racism and inequity have no place in public libraries or Charlotte Mecklenburg Library other than as recorded history to remind us how we got to this moment in time.

For More Information See

Cecelski, David S. and Timothy B. Tyson. “Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy”. University of North Carolina Press, 1998. https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/762904106.

Note: One physical copy is held in NCR. One eBook copy.

Hanchett, Thomas W. “Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte, 1875-1975”. University of North Carolina Press, 2020. https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2706936106.

Note: Copies held at South Boulevard, Main, Morrison, Plaza-Midwood, and University City. One eBook copy.

Tyson, Timothy B. “The Ghosts of 1898: Wilmington’s Race Riot and the Rise of White Supremacy”. [Raleigh] News and Observer and Charlotte Observer, 2006. https://media2.newsobserver.com/content/media/2010/5/3/ghostsof1898.pdf.

Umfleet, LeRae. “1898 Wilmington Race Riot Report”. 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission. Research Branch, Office of Archives and History, N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources, 2006. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p249901coll22/id/5335.

Sources:

[1] James L. Hunt, “Fusion of Republicans and Populists,” in Encyclopedia of North Carolina, ed. William S. Powell (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2006), https://www.ncpedia.org/fusion-republicans-and-populists.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Heriot Clarkson, “A Biographical Sketch of Cameron Morrison,” in Public Papers and Letters of Cameron Morrison: Governor of North Carolina 1921-1925, ed. William H. Richardson and D.L. Corbitt (Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Company, 1927), pp. ii-xxxi.

[4] Robert Heriot Clarkson was manager of Cameron Morrison’s 1920 campaign for Governor and close friend. He served as vice-mayor of Charlotte from 1887-89 and 1891-93. In 1896, he helped organize a Charlotte white supremacy club. Morrison nominated him to the NC Supreme Court in 1923, a position he would continue to hold until 1942. He is well-placed to know Morrison’s beliefs and we will therefore accept him at his own words.

[5] Ibid, p. xxi.

[6] Ibid.

[7] LeRae Umfleet, “The Wilmington Massacre - 1898,” NCPedia, 2010, https://www.ncpedia.org/history/cw-1900/wilmington-massacre-1898, p. 77.

[8] James L. Hunt, “Red Shirts,” in Encyclopedia of North Carolina, ed. William S. Powell (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2006), https://www.ncpedia.org/red-shirts.

[9] “Blot on NC History,” Charlotte Observer, November 16, 2006, p. A10.

[10] Joe Strupp, “Why North Carolina Papers Apologized for Role In 1898 Race Riots,” Editor & Publisher, 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20200301110147/http://www.editorandpublishe….

[11] LeRae Umfleet, “The Wilmington Massacre - 1898,” NCPedia, 2010, https://www.ncpedia.org/history/cw-1900/wilmington-massacre-1898.

[12] David Zucchino, Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy (New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2020), pp. 167-168.

[13] Andrew Morgan Benton, “The Press and the Sword: Journalism, Racial Violence, and Political Control in Postbellum North Carolina”. NC State University Libraries, 2016. https://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/handle/1840.16/11061.

[14] Clarkson, p. xxii.

[15] “Mountain People Endorse Morrison's Red Shirt Record.,” The Union Herald, October 14, 1920, p. 4.

[16] Douglas Carl Abrams, “Cameron Morrison (1869-1953),” 2016, https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/cameron-morrison-1869-195….

[17] Nathaniel F. Magruder, “Morrison, Cameron,” NCPedia, 1991, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/morrison-cameron.

[18] The author registers his grave doubt that lynchings in the State of North Carolina ended in 1922. Nevertheless, this “achievement” is considered notable by Morrison himself and is therefore worth highlighting as part of the mythos that Morrison created around himself.

University City Regional Library is the only Library branch designated as a voting precinct. To verify that this is your assigned voting location please visit the Board of Elections site here.

Do you have questions about the 2020 General Election? This year, with the coronavirus pandemic, knowing how to vote is just as important as what is on the ballot. WFAE has answers to some of the biggest questions you might have about the Nov. 3 election. 

Where Do I Vote?

Where you vote depends on what precinct you live in – and there are around 200 precincts in Mecklenburg County.

To find your Mecklenburg County precinct and polling place, put your first and last name here. It is a good idea to double-check this page as locations can change. 

For the other counties in North Carolina, search for your polling place here or find a convenient early voting site here. 

You must vote in your assigned precinct and each polling place will have a list of all registered voters in the area.

What Do I Need To Vote?

In North Carolina, you do not need your photo ID. In 2019, a federal court stopped the ID requirement for the state.

If you are voting in person, you can bring your cellphone into the booth with you, but there are rules.

You cannot take any photos inside the booth, including ballots, other voters, or even of yourself. Once you are outside the booth, you are free to take selfies.

You also cannot use your cellphone to text, call, email, or communicate in any way with anybody while voting. If you need assistance voting, let somebody working at the polls know.

Cellphones are allowed to look up information on candidates and issues. You are also allowed to bring other voter information to the polls.

Unless you are dropping off an early ballot, you do not need a ballot or any other materials to vote.

How Will Voting Be Different This Year?

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, more people are expected to vote by mail or early in person. As many as 30-40% of voters in North Carolina are estimated to vote absentee, and another 50% are expected to vote early in 2020.

Those who vote in person will be provided with single-use pens to sign in and cotton swabs to use touchscreen voting machines to reduce physical contact with equipment and the possible spread of the virus.

Absentee Voting

Absentee voting has two methods voters can cast ballots other than the traditional method. These methods are absentee by mail and absentee one-stop. 

Absentee by Mail

Registered voters in Mecklenburg County can request an absentee ballot from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. Voters have to ask for the form before Oct. 27 by completing the absentee ballot request form. An application and ballot will be mailed to the voter after the request form is received. Ballots began to be mailed on Sept. 4. 

Here's how to send a request form:

• Email the request form to [email protected]
• The application form can be faxed at 704-319-9722
• The document can be mailed to PO Box 31788 Charlotte, NC 28231
• The document can be dropped off at 741 Kenilworth Ave. Suite 202 Charlotte, NC 28204.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, in June, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a law that will allow voters to request absentee ballots online. Additionally, it changed the number of required witnesses from two to one. 

If you are in the military, the immediate family of an active-duty military member, or a U.S. citizen overseas, visit FVAP.gov to register and request your ballots.

How To Fill Out Your Absentee Ballot

If you've never voted absentee-by-mail before, it's a good idea to read directions carefully and check out the State Board of Elections guide to ensure that you fill out your ballot correctly and your vote is counted.

Most importantly, you must remember to sign your absentee ballot envelope. Sign the outside of the ballot return envelope and have your witness complete and sign the witness certification.

How To Return Your Absentee Ballot

You can return your absentee ballot in several ways:

• By mail to your county board of elections. It must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, and received by 5 p.m. Nov. 6.
• By commercial courier service (FedEx, UPS or DHL).
• Dropped off in-person at your county board of elections by 5 p.m. Nov. 3. (Mecklenburg County's Board of Election is located at 741 Kenilworth Ave., Suite 202, Charlotte, NC 28204.)
• Dropped off in person at any early-voting site during voting hours.

The U.S. Postal Service has suggested that voters returning ballots by mail send them no later than Oct. 30. Some election experts have recommended sending it back even earlier -- no later than Oct. 25.

You can track your absentee-by-mail ballot to ensure that it has been received at a new State Board of Elections website here.

Election officials have repeatedly reminded voters that voting twice is a felony, and voters who submit absentee-by-mail ballots should not show up to vote in person on Election Day.

Early Voting

Voters can choose to vote in person if they’re worried about post office delays or crowds on Election Day. Registered voters can use one-stop early voting, which begins Oct. 15 at 8 a.m. and ends Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. Specific dates, times and locations vary by site. Find an early voting site by using the drop-down menu to select your county here. A map should appear with several locations.

One-Stop Early Voting

At one-stop early voting sites during the two-week early voting period, eligible voters can register to vote and vote on the same day. One-stop early voting sites can be found here.

Same-day registrants must provide proof of where they live and their eligibility to vote. Proof of residence can be provided with any of the following documents showing your current name and address:

• A North Carolina driver's license.
• Other photo ID issued by a government agency, provided the card includes the current name and address.
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing the voter's name and address.
• A current college/university photo ID card paired with proof of campus habitation.

Within two days of registration, the county board of elections will verify the registrant's driver's license or Social Security number, update the voter registration database, search for possible duplicate registrations and begin to verify the registrant's address by mail. 

What's Different About Early Voting Sites This Year?

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, larger sites will be used for early voting for allow for social distancing. This year, early voting sites in Mecklenburg County include Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center and Bojangles Coliseum. A full list, with times each site is open, can be found here.

How Do You Vote If You're Sick Or Disabled After The Request Deadline For An Absentee Ballot?

If a voter is sick or disabled, they can apply in person or have a close relative or verifiable legal guardian apply in person at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections office. A ballot will then be delivered to the voter. 

This option is only available for sick or disabled voters after 8 a.m. on the Wednesday prior to each election (Oct. 28) but not later than 5 p.m. on the Monday before each election (Nov. 2).

Effective July 1, voters who are blind, disabled or who cannot read or write may receive assistance in completing the request form. Any member of a multi-partisan assistance team can help any voter in completing a state absentee ballot request form. Team members can also deliver a completed request form to the county board of elections and serve as a witness for casting the ballot.

If someone other than a close relative or legal guardian is assisting a voter, that person's name and address must be listed on the state absentee ballot request form. 

Contact the public information manager, Kristin Mavromatis, at 704-336-2133 or email her at [email protected]. 

What If I Am Denied The Right To Vote?

As long as you are 18 years old on Election Day, registered to vote 25 days prior to that date, have lived in the county you’re voting in for 30 days and are not serving time for a felony (including probation and/or parole), you have the right to vote.

Again, North Carolina residents do not need a photo ID to vote, but there are other laws residents should be aware of on Election Day.

You must be registered to vote on Election Day, but you do not have to be affiliated with any political party to vote.

You do not have to pay any money to vote. You also cannot be intimidated to not vote or vote a certain way or to disclose who or what you voted for.

Being able to access the polls is also your right as a voter. If you are unable to access the ballot box, curbside service must be provided.

If you have any problems voting, contact the North Carolina State Board of Elections at 919-814-0700 or at 866-522-4723. You can also email the board at [email protected].

If there are issues with casting your vote, you have the right to fill out a provisional ballot on Election Day.

What Is A Provisional Ballot?

A provisional ballot is a ballot that will be counted later after your information and voter registration is confirmed.

If there are issues confirming your voter registration and your name is on the list at your precinct's polling place, you have the right to a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot allows you to cast a vote for the same ballot everyone else is voting on. But because your information must be confirmed, it will not be included in the initial results.

But your vote still counts: If a race is too close to call and provisional ballots could impact who wins, a winner will not be called.

In 2016, about 60,000 provisional votes were cast and about one-third of them were later counted. A provisional ballot does not guarantee your vote will later be counted. However, you have the right to check on the status of your ballot, which you can do here.

This blog was written by WFAE as a series of voter education and awareness. To see the original article, click here.

Recently a spotlight has been placed on the glaring disparities faced by the Black community, and these disparities have only been furthered by the disproportionate impact of this year’s global pandemic on people of color. It begs an answer to the question: What can you as an ally do to help combat these inequities? One of the best and most direct ways to help the Black community is to support local Black-owned businesses. 

Black businesses have needed support well before the COVID-19 pandemic. While the number of firms has grown nationwide over the years, only nine percent of all United States businesses are Black owned. While white-owned businesses take in about 88 percent of American gross receipts, while Black businesses claim only 1.3 percent of total U.S. sales despite the Black community making up 13 percent of the population. During the pandemic, Black businesses have been much less likely to receive assistance from loan programs created by the CARES Act such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). They have also been impacted more directly since the retail and service industries (many of which were forced to close) make up a considerably greater portion of Black-owned businesses.

Here in Mecklenburg County, rapid urban renewal and gentrification have threatened to leave struggling minority businesses behind. To counter this, organizations like Black Businesses of Charlotte (BBOC) have made it their mission to support Black businesses and connect them to customers and valuable resources. In October, the BBOC hosts its 4th Annual Black Restaurant Week featuring special offers at various Black-owned restaurants from October 19-31, 2020. The organization will also host Black Food Truck Friday on October 30, 2020.  Black Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to go out, stimulate the economy and support your favorite local Black-owned restaurant. 

In reality, one week (or in this case, two) will not stop an economic crisis or save all of Charlotte’s Black businesses. Still, it is a step in the right direction. With social justice and equity initiatives on the rise, Black-owned businesses are seeing an unprecedented rush of support from customers of all races who want to see a more equitable future for their city. To make a permanent change, commitment to patronizing businesses like these must occur on a regular basis. It’s important to do one’s part to create a future where everyone can thrive.

For programming and events information on the Black Lives Matter program at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, click here.   

This blog was written by Darius Smalls of ImaginOn Library.

Bringing home a new baby is a time filled with a of myriad emotions: joy, excitement, anxiety, fear. Taking classes, reading books and listening to advice-both unsolicited and solicited-can never fully prepare a new parent for every possible situation that may arise. And there is nothing, no book, no person, or no oracle that can prepare a parent of a Black son for how it feels the first time you hear the news about a Black man falling victim to the ills of our society because he “fit the description,” was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” or simply because he was perceived as a threat. 

On February 23, 2020, I remember clutching my then three-and-a-half-month-old son in my arms upon hearing about the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. I had seen and read about so many others around the country and even in our city, but this time it hit differently. This time, as the mother, I wept for the future of my Black son. Three months later, on May 25, 2020, I would weep again for George Floyd, the 47-year-old Black man who called out for his mama, his dead mama, as he lay dying in a Minneapolis street. 

As a children’s librarian, I have always valued diversity in children’s books and children’s library programming. I believe children’s books can serve as both windows and mirrors. They can provide a glimpse into situations that may be new and different for some while reflecting others’ lived experiences. Picture books can be valuable tools that help start difficult conversations, and they can affirm and uplift. 

As a mother, who happens to be a children's librarian, I take early literacy seriously. Even though my son is only 10 months old, we make time each week for Active Reading. We regularly read books that reflect who he is and who he will become. By asking questions, building vocabulary and making connections, I am not only setting a strong foundation for literacy development, I am also validating the qualities that make him special and unique, despite what the outside world may think. I don’t stop there though; then, I read books where the children characters are not like him: they have different abilities and their families do not look like ours. Then I validate their special and unique qualities, too. 

We still have a few years before my son is ready for the talk, and I do not mean the birds and the bees. I’m talking about the talk that many Black parents give their children, especially their sons, about what to do if the police pull them over. The talk in which we will discuss why he is not allowed to wear hoodies in public and why it is never ok to play with toy guns. The talk in which we plan and execute how to return home safely each day. But until then, we will keep reading the stories that celebrate him and Black boys like him. And I will encourage others to do the same so that as he and other Black boys become men, society will remember that they, too, are someone’s sons.

This blog was written by Alesha Lackey, a children's librarian at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library.

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn  more about the program and corresponding events here.

I recall my first inaugural experience in 2009. My entire family (parents, sister, cousins, aunts, and uncles) traveled to Washington, DC to attend special events and witness President Barack Obama take the Oath of Office with First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters, Malia and Sasha. As a mom, it was important to have my sons experience this historic moment and see a President who looked like them. As a family, we also knew the importance of sharing in this special time together particularly for our youngest generation who were filled with awe and excitement.

Fast forward to Inauguration Day 2021. We reminisced and re-lived how we felt then and rejoiced again as we watched Madam Vice President Kamala Harris take her Oath of Office surrounded by her beautiful family. Although we were unable to gather in person, this occasion was enormous in nature with history being reshaped once again.

Just like my sons got to see their reflection in President Obama, now girls can see their reflection in Vice President Harris proving that the narrative can change. What a sight to behold! What a fervent expression of how every child can feel and see unlimited possibilities.

Historically, Black, brown, and indigenous people have often been relegated and made to feel that moments like this are reserved for just a few. Not so, I declare! These moments are for ALL.

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This blog post was written by Helen Hope Kimbrough. Helen is a reading evangelist, literacy advocate, and racial equity champion. She serves as the Second Vice Chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.

Sometimes it’s just nice to sit back and listen to someone read you a story. That’s just what Library on Call plans to do.

Library on Call is an outreach service of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where customers can call a dedicated number to hear pre-recorded, frequently updated messages tailored for our senior audience.

Selections include short stories, poems, chapters from famous and popular books, jokes and more. At least one option will be offered in Spanish. Selections range in time from one to 30 minutes long. They can be heard any time, day or night, seven days a week.

To hear a story for yourself or play one for someone else, just dial (980) 331-7700. You'll hear an automated menu. Make your selection, sit back, and enjoy.

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn  more about the program and corresponding events here.

I recently snapped a photo of myself and three other Black male co-workers as we were the only staff in the facility at the time. It was a moment of pride — and perhaps reckoning — for me to realize that in the 20+ years that I’ve worked in libraries, this was the only time I could recall working alongside all Black male colleagues. Truthfully, it was my first time working alongside all male colleagues, but the fact that we were all Black men was glaring. It took me back to a conversation I had a few years ago, when a young Black male asked me where I worked. When I told him where and what I did (I referred to myself as a librarian), his response was incredulous. He shared with me that he didn’t know of any librarians that looked “like him.” It was a sad acknowledgment, but not necessarily a surprising one.

From L-R, Kyle Hearns, Reggie Villegas, Kenya Sloan, LaJuan Pringle

Librarianship is one of the many career fields where Black representation lags. As Black Americans make up roughly 13% of the country’s population, 9% of librarians are Black according to the American Library Association, and out of credentialed librarians nationwide, Black male representation among this group is less than 1%. This issue has become well-known throughout the profession. The lack of Black males in librarianship has been well documented in numerous discussions and academic studies throughout the years. Some of the reasons cited for lack of Black males in the profession include:  

• Black males may not see librarianship as a viable option when they are young. It’s during these years that many of us start to think about what we want to do or who we want to be in life. As I look back on my own story, my first job in high school was a library page. If it hadn’t been for my library work in high school, I’m certain I would have never entertained the thought of becoming a librarian as an adult.
• Librarianship is a female dominated profession. Over 80% of librarians are women. There’s the belief that because women represent the overwhelming majority of librarians, it’s viewed as “woman’s” job. However, once you get past these stereotypes, librarianship is a great profession for anyone regardless of gender.

The lack of representation of Black males continues to be an issue for the library profession, but on the day we took the picture above, for me, it was a vision of what library staff could look like. In this vision, libraries would employ staff that reflect and, in many cases, look like the communities they serve. If I ever again see the young man I mentioned earlier, I’d like to invite him to West Boulevard for a visit. It would be great for him to see library employees who look like him.

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This blog post was written by LaJuan Pringle, branch leader at West Boulevard Library.

The 2021 Community Read program is designed to get our community, “On the same page” by promoting a community of readers, learners and creating a platform for discussion. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Wells Fargo, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation and Publix Super Markets Charities, the Library is able to give away a limited number of books at our branch locations. Beginning February 15, 2021 customers can request a free copy of one of the four Community Read titles to keep.

Book pick up will continue while supplies last. Call your local branch location to reserve your pick and schedule a pick up time. Each of the four Community Read titles are available for checkout in our collection as well with a Library card.

Everyone in the community can participate in Community Read: read a book, share perspectives, attend a program, engage on social media and build a stronger community together.

Visit the Community Read page for additional information, to register for programs and take the pledge today.

CMS students can take the pledge here.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has hired nationally recognized library leader Marcellus “MT” Turner as its next Chief Executive Officer and Chief Librarian after an extensive national search, effective April 1, 2021. Turner comes to the Library with more than 30 years of library experience, most recently serving as the Executive Director and Chief Librarian at The Seattle Public Library (SPL) in Seattle, Wash.  

“Marcellus Turner is an exceptional leader whose experience and visionary approach make him the ideal person to lead the development and direction of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library,” said Joe Helweg, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees Chair and head of the search committee. “A respected voice in the national conversation about the future of libraries, MT will be a strategic local leader for our region with his thought leadership on how urban libraries can become more socially conscious and more impactful in helping to solve the challenges facing our communities today.” 

Turner’s three decades of experience includes 10 years at SPL, where he led and managed a system of 27 libraries, including the world-renowned and iconic Central Library, a staff of 679 and more than 500 volunteers. He brings comprehensive experience at every level of system, program and community engagement management of public libraries. Turner is also a highly regarded speaker and guest lecturer, sharing his views and vision on the future of libraries at local, state, national and international library conferences and universities. Turner earned his master’s degree in library science from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women.  

“I am excited about joining Charlotte Mecklenburg Library at such an important time in its growth and role as a community resource,” Turner said. “There is a tremendous opportunity to better understand and serve the evolving needs of Charlotte Mecklenburg, and I am committed to ensuring the Library supports, enhances and empowers the changing ways our residents live, learn and engage.” 

In addition to leading the Library’s essential mission, Turner will assume responsibilities for several important initiatives at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: activating the Blueprint 2025 Vision Plan; advancing the Library’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion; and, supporting the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s continued fundraising while working with County leadership, architects and builders, to realize the completion of the new $100 million, 115,000-square-foot Main Library. The new Main Library is poised to become a major destination in Uptown Charlotte, designed to be an architecturally distinctive, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced knowledge center, welcoming everyone in the community to access the resources of a 21st century library.   

Turner will officially become Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s CEO and Chief Librarian on April 1, 2021 following the retirement of Lee Keesler, who has led the library since 2012 and served as the 117-year-old public library system’s first CEO. Coleman, Lew, Canny, Bowen led the national search, along with a diverse search committee made up of members of the Board of Trustees, Library Foundation Board and County Leaders.  

“The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of Marcellus Turner, and we are thrilled to have him join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library,” Helweg said. “MT’s accomplished career in governing library systems and his vision for the future of libraries ensures Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will continue to be an engaged, dynamic and invaluable resource for our entire community.”