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.

During the 20^th and 21^st centuries, widespread mass protests have become an essential element of displaying civic engagement in America. Topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, animal cruelty and gun control have elicited millions of people to protest. However, on May 25, 2020, the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin led to the largest protest in the history of the United States. Over 20 million people nationwide gathered to protest police brutality and racial injustice against Black Americans. While many protests related to other subjects have taken place without many limitations, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been subject to extreme censorship by both police and the media.

Even though most BLM protests were peaceful, calls for militarized police were requested on a national level and states went under lockdown in response. Consequently, the usage of pepper spray, tear gas and rubber ammunition further instigated violence. According to the Texas Tribune, during days of protests, police officers used pepper spray and arrested protestors, critically injuring one person and sending others to the hospital. An additional person had been trampled by an officer on horseback. These actions directly contradict the right to peaceful protest indicated by the First Amendment. Under this law, police forces are only allowed to contain individuals if they have witnessed them commit a crime, possess a warrant, or have probable cause. The intense scrutiny under the BLM movement has made it difficult for people to protest peacefully and the police officers that have been deployed on a national level has left protestors unable to use their voices for change.

Nevertheless, censorship comes in more forms than just government control. Last year, Ardrey Kell High School painted the rock in front of the school with symbols of the BLM movement, honoring the victims of police brutality and encouraging students to act. Yet just a week following this gesture, the rock was vandalized and replaced with hate speech. The BLM movement has constantly faced bigotry and the fact that people were so quick to stop others from speaking out illustrates the massive amount of censorship behind Black and POC voices.

This is not the first time the movement has been censored in a school environment. On May 13, 2021, an entire year after George Floyd's death, an Oklahoma School District banned students from wearing a BLM shirt, stating that “politics will not be allowed at school.” According to the National Coalition Against Censorship, students were required to turn their BLM shirt inside out and were prohibited from entering class until they changed their clothes. The school prohibited students from expressing political beliefs, violating the law established in Tinker v. Des Moines which stated that “students’ political speech is protected by the First Amendment”. At another high school in Florida, a yearbook was censored for containing views about BLM and was cited as being “too politically one-sided.” However, this comment seems as though it was only used to silence the editors, as what was posted in the yearbook only detailed the history of the movement and why it was started.

Fortunately, people have been standing up to fight against the censorship and have strengthened the movement in the process. When the rock at Ardrey Kell was vandalized, students organized a repainting session, inviting the entire school to collaborate on making an artistic representation of the BLM movement. Students who oversaw writing the yearbook at the Florida high school distributed a letter maintaining the political integrity of their article and reaching a middle ground to get their book published. In a broader aspect, journalists and protestors have been able to shed light on their experiences protesting and social media apps have been essential for revealing the truth as it is. As the protests continue and people begin to pay more attention to the movement, it is essential to fight back against censorship and show the world what the BLM movement truly represents — fighting racism, police brutality and serving justice to its victims.

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This blog was written by Medha Kowndinya, she is 16-year-old rising high school Junior.

Desplácese hacia abajo para ver la versión en español

Another summer has flown by. School supply shopping has begun, vacations are winding down and another Summer Break program is about to end.  

Remember that Saturday, August 14 is the last day that you can enter reading time or activities in your log. Participants will have until Saturday, August 21 to pick up their incentives – while supplies last.

• Wendy’s Jr. Frosty Coupon (earned at sign-up)
• Completion prizes are: 
  
  • Babies/children: a book
  • Teens: choice of a book or doodle notebook
  • Adults: a Library tote bag

You can continue to track your reading through Beanstack at any time. Be sure to check back later to register for more fun Library challenges in Beanstack. 

Thank you for participating in the Summer Break challenge. We hope you’ve had fun reading and learning all summer long. We’ll see you again next summer!

Upcoming Programs

Even though Summer Break is almost over, online programs are available all year. Here are a few exciting programs coming up:

Cornelius Branch Family Storytime

Wednesday, August 25 at 10 a.m.

Your whole family can enjoy stories, songs and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child.

PSAT Virtual Free Practice Test: College & Career Connections

Tuesday, August 17 – all day

Don’t procrastinate! Take action NOW to ensure you improve your PSAT score. Join a classroom of your peers and take a full-length practice PSAT. 

International Authors Book Club for 20 to 30 Somethings

Saturday, August 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Join us for literary discussion and cultural banter, based on books we read from around the globe. 

Myers Park Branch - Read to Seed Gardening Series

Monday, August 23 at noon

This month, the Myers Park Library Garden Club in conjunction with Matthews Library is hosting Dr. Larry Mellichamp, author of The Southeast Native Plant Primer, presenting Gardening in Charlotte Year-round.

Comments? Questions?  

Are you having problems with the Summer Break website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to call your local library for assistance or email [email protected].  

The 2021 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.  Additional support comes from Wendy’s and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation with Spanish translations sponsored by Norsan Media.

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This blog was written by Angela Arnold, Summer Break team co-lead for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Otro verano se va volando. La compra de suministros para la escuela ha comenzado, las vacaciones están por finalizar y otro programa de vacaciones de verano está por terminar.  

Recuerda que el sábado, 14 de agosto es el último día que puedes registrar tu tiempo de lectura o actividades. Los participantes tendrán hasta el sábado, 21 de agosto para elegir sus incentivos, sujetos a disponibilidad.

• Cupón para un helado Jr. Frosty de Wendy’s (se obtiene al inscribirse)
• Los premios por completar el programa son los siguientes: 
  
  • Bebés/Niños: un libro
  • Adolescentes: elección de un libro o un anotador
  • Adultos: una bolsa de la biblioteca

Puedes continuar registrando tu tiempo de lectura mediante Beanstack en cualquier momento. Asegúrate de volver a ingresar más tarde para registrarte en más retos divertidos de la biblioteca en Beanstack. 

Gracias por participar en el reto del programa de vacaciones de verano. Esperamos que te hayas divertido leyendo y aprendiendo durante todo el verano. ¡Nos vemos pronto el próximo verano!

Próximos programas

Aunque el programa de vacaciones de verano ya casi termina, hay programas en línea disponibles durante todo el año. Estos son algunos de los próximos programas emocionantes:

Narración de cuentos para la familia de la sucursal Cornelius

Miércoles, 25 de agosto a las 10:00 a. m.

Toda tu familia podrá disfrutar de cuentos, canciones y actividades de movimiento que fomentan el desarrollo de habilidades de alfabetización temprana y que ayudan a promover la pasión de tu hijo por los libros y la lectura.

Prueba de práctica gratis virtual del PSAT: Conexiones universitarias y profesionales

Martes, 17 de agosto: todo el día

¡No lo postergues! Actúa AHORA para asegurarte de mejorar tu puntuación del examen PSAT. Acompáñanos en una clase con personas de tu misma edad y haz una prueba de práctica completa del PSAT. 

Club de lectura de autores internacionales para personas de 20 a 30 y pico años

Sábado, 28 de agosto a las 10:30 a.m.

Acompáñanos en un debate literario y una charla cultural, basados en libros que leemos de todo el mundo. 

Sucursal Myers Park: Lee sobre los distintos tipos de siembra de semillas

Lunes, 23 de agosto al mediodía

Este mes, el club de jardinería de la biblioteca Myers Park junto con la biblioteca Matthews serán anfitriones del Dr. Larry Mellichamp, autor de The Southeast Native Plant Primer (Manual básico sobre plantas nativas del sudeste), quien expondrá sobre jardinería en Charlotte durante todo el año.

¿Tienes comentarios o preguntas?  

¿Tienes problemas con el sitio web del programa de vacaciones de verano o con tu cuenta? ¿Tienes preguntas sobre el programa? No dudes en llamar a tu biblioteca local para pedir ayuda o envía un correo electrónico a [email protected].  

El programa de vacaciones de verano 2021 llega a ti gracias a la biblioteca Charlotte Mecklenburg.  Contamos con el respaldo adicional de Wendy’s y de la fundación de la biblioteca Charlotte Mecklenburg, con traducciones al español patrocinadas por Norsan Media.

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Este blog lo escribió Ángela Arnold, colíder del equipo del programa de vacaciones de verano de la biblioteca Charlotte Mecklenburg.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library encourages reading and learning all year long. The summer months, when students take a break from school, are critical to expanded learning. In fact, summer time poses the most academic risk because students without access to summer learning opportunities can fall behind their peers, creating an achievement gap that is hard to close.

To keep kids on track with important matters such as literacy and physical activity, the Library offers Summer Break, its annual summer learning program that encourages children to read, learn and explore.

This year, the program runs June 1 – August 10 and pre-registration begins Monday, May 20 here.

The Library offers early registration to give students a head-start at signing up before school is out. Participants can create a free online account to track reading time, learning and leisure activities from June 1 to August 10. Summer Break encourages participants of all ages – children, teens and adults – to read 20 minutes per day and engage in additional learning activities such as writing, creating, playing, exploring and giving. As participants track their activities online, they collect virtual badges and incentives.

Summer Break participants complete the program after reading 20 hours OR by reading at least 10 hours and completing 10 learning activities. Participants who complete the program, have a valid library card number listed on their account and log activities or reading time online for 10 out of 10 weeks, will also be eligible to receive one Carowinds ticket. These tickets will be valid at Carowinds through the end of the 2019 season. Tickets can be claimed starting on Saturday, August 10 and are available while supplies last.

Looking to make the most of summer? Visit the official Summer Break website, summerbreak.cmlibrary.org, to discover reading lists and plenty of enriching ideas and activities. The Library also offers thousands of free programs during the summer to engage the community in a wide variety of fun and educational experiences; special kickoff events are listed below. Come to any of these kickoff events, sign up for Summer Break and get a $5 voucher toward library fines and a coupon for a free Jr. Frosty from Wendy's.

Parents of young children (and parents too!) won’t want to miss the interactive summer exhibit hosted through September at ImaginOn: TheJoe & Joan Martin Center - The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD! The exhibit opens May 25 - September 8, 2019 at ImaginOn. 

The 2019 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in partnership with Carowinds. Additional support comes from Wendy’s and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.

Summer Break Kickoff Events Kickoff

Cick here for all Summer Break Kickoff events

Library Branch Channel Leader and Interim Director of Libraries, Dana Eure, made a guest appearance on WCNC's Charlotte Today on Thursday, May 9, 2019 and shared six titles on celebrating parenthood. Click here to search the titles.

The Cactus

by Sarah Haywood 

For Susan Green, messy emotions don't fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic and an 'interpersonal arrangement' that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is realized. She is losing control. When she learns that her mother's will inexplicably favors her indolent brother, Edward, Susan's already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan's due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places. 

One Day You'll Thank Me

Lessons From An Unexpected Fatherhood

by David McGlynn 

Fatherhood caught David McGlynn by surprise. His sons arrived in quick succession - the first when the author was a dirt-poor student and the second not long after he'd moved his family across the country to start a new job in bucolic Wisconsin. As a result, McGlynn found himself colliding with fatherhood, at once scared to death and utterly thrilled. Just like many new fathers, he hopes he's doing the right thing - but he's never quite sure. One Day You'll Thank Me translates the small, often hilarious moments common among parents of young children, especially dads, into "life lessons" about fatherhood. Comprised of interconnected chapters, many of which have appeared in such prominent publications as The New York Times, Men's Health, Parents, Real Simple and O, The Oprah Magazine, the stories invoke a sense of humor and honesty that expand our understanding of what it means to be an American dad. 

Everything Is Mama

by Jimmy Fallon

Everything is...MAMA! Jimmy Fallon, one of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's Tonight Show host, was on a mission with his first children's book to have every baby's first word be DADA. And it worked! A lot of babies' first words were DADA. However, everything after that was MAMA. So, take a lighthearted look at the world from your baby's point of view as different animals try to teach their children that there are other words in addition to MAMA for familiar objects and activities. 

I've Loved You Since Forever

by Hoda Kotb 

I've Loved You Since Forever is a celebratory and poetic testament to the timeless love felt between parent and child. This beautiful picture book is inspired by Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb's heart-warming adoption of her baby girl, Haley Joy. With Kotb's lyrical text and stunning pictures by Suzie Mason, young ones and parents will want to snuggle up and read the pages of this book together, over and over again. In the universe, there was you and there was me, waiting for the day our stars would meet P

Papasaurus

by Stephan Lomp

Babysaurus loves to play hide-and-seek in the jungle with his Papasaurus, but one day Papasaurus hides and Baby cannot find him -- so he asks the other dinosaurs, Stego, Anky, Velo and others, for help finding his father.

Moxie

A Novel

by Jennifer Mathieu

Punk rock zines inspire a feminist revolution at a small-town Texan high school in the new novel from Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice. MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK! Vivian Carter's mom was a Riot Grrrl in the 1990s, but now she and Viv live a pretty quiet life in a small Texas town. When Viv witnesses a series of sexist incidents at her high school, she takes a page from her mom's past and makes a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. Viv is just blowing off steam, but before she knows it, she's started a revolution. This novel offers everything fans love about Mathieu's writing -- a relatable protagonist with a distinct voice, a conflict relevant to current events and, ultimately, a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

(Already read Part I? Jump ahead to Part II.)

Part I: Background History

“Meck Dec Day” is an annual celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in observance of the alleged first declaration of independence against British rule. North Carolina’s flag even references the document's creation date, May 20, 1775. It has long been debated whether the document is authentic or if it is a misinterpretation of the Mecklenburg Resolves.

For the believers, it was created by approximately 25 leading Mecklenburg citizens who had gathered at the Courthouse on May 19, 1775 to discuss the troublesome relationship between England and the American Colonies. Each local militia company sent two representatives to the courthouse. Relations between the colonies and the mother country had reached crisis in Boston, Massachusetts, following the 1774 passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament.

During the meeting in Mecklenburg County, the delegates received official news that the Battle of Lexington was fought in Massachusetts just one month earlier. Outraged by this turn of events, the delegates unanimously passed the following resolutions at about 2:00 a.m. on May 20:

1. Resolved, That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way, form, or manner, countenanced the uncharted and dangerous invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this County, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man.

2. Resolved, That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, and abjure all political connection, contract, or association, with that Nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.

3. Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing Association, under the control of no power other than that of our God and the General Government of the Congress; to the maintenance of which independence, we solemnly pledge to each other, our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.

4. Resolved, That as we now acknowledge the existence and control of no law or legal officer, civil or military, within this County, we do hereby ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each and every of our former laws - where, nevertheless, the Crown of Great Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.

5. Resolved, That it is also further decreed, that all, each and every military officer in this County, is hereby reinstated to his former command and authority, he acting conformably to these regulations, and that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a Justice of the Peace, in the character of a 'Committee-man,' to issue process, hear and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted laws, and to preserve peace, and union, and harmony, in said County, and to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and organized government be established in this province.

6. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, to be laid before that body. The signers were reported to include:

The document in question was written by John McKnitt Alexander, clerk of the meeting. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The unfortunate part is that there was no contemporary publication of the document.

In 1938, the Signers Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marked the graves of the signers to honor them.

A few days after the adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration, Captain James Jack of Charlotte was sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Jack carried a copy of the resolves and a letter asking North Carolina's congressmen to have the Mecklenburg proceedings approved by Congress. The North Carolina congressional delegation --  Richard Caswell, William Hooper and Joseph Hewes -- told Jack that, although they supported what was done, it was premature to discuss a declaration of independence in Congress.

Interestingly enough, Jack’s ride was documented in Moravian texts, which recounted the dates he traveled through Salem. The document has not yet been found among the papers of Caswell, Hooper or Hewes.

The original document was burned in 1800 when the home of Alexander, named Alexandriana, burned down. There is no verifiable evidence to confirm the original document's existence and no reference to it has been found in extant newspapers from 1775.

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was first published on April 30, 1819 in an article written by Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander in the Raleigh Register and North Carolina Gazette, of Raleigh, North Carolina. “It is not probably known to many of our readers,” wrote the editor of the Raleigh Register in an introduction to the article, "that the citizens of Mecklenburg County, in this State made a Declaration of Independence more than a year before Congress made theirs."

The early government of North Carolina, convinced that the Mecklenburg Declaration was genuine, maintained that North Carolinians were the first Americans to declare independence from Great Britain. As a result, both the seal and the flag of North Carolina bear the date of the declaration.

Enjoying reading about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence? Stay posted for the next installment of this four-part series on Monday, May 15, 2019.

(Already read Part II? Jump ahead to Part III.)

NOTE: This post is part two in a four-part series that explores the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Click here to read part one.

Eleven days after the adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration, another document emerged called the Mecklenburg Resolves. The Mecklenburg Resolves, created by the Mecklenburg County Committee of Safety on or after May 20, 1775, was adopted by that same committee on May 31, 1775.

This document adopted a set of radical resolutions that fell short of an actual declaration of independence. The Resolves proclaimed that "all Laws...derived from the Authority of the King or Parliament, are annulled and vacated," and that the Provincial government "under the Great Continental Congress is invested with all legislative and executive Powers...and that no other Legislative or Executive does or can exist, at this Time, in any of these Colonies." The Resolves further suspended the actions of the royal military and civil officials, called for the other colonies to govern themselves through provincial congresses and arrest royal officials who continued their political duties in North Carolina. Following the Mecklenburg Resolves, similar lists were published by other North Carolina counties.

Newspapers published in 1775 document the Resolves. The text of the Resolves was lost after the American Revolution and not rediscovered until 1838.

Enjoying reading about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence? Stay posted for installment three of this four-part series which leads up to Meck Dec Day on May 20. Expect the next installment in this series on Friday, May 17.