The year is 2008.

Just 50 years ago, many in our country thought of equality as a personal preference, rather than a right. Just 50 years ago. The Charlotte area is no exception. This area went through a transformation like every other city in the country, with many “firsts” and “lasts” of great importance.

The first black Baptist church organized by slaves.

One of Charlotte’s last plantations to have slaves.

The city’s first high school for black students.

The first all-white high school that a young black girl bravely dared to enter.

Many of the landmarks are gone. Some of them have been replaced by parking lots, or shiny new buildings. But the memories remain.

I learned a lot about Charlotte’s black history by digging through old pictures and articles. What I found was sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring. In the end, sometimes learning about our past, puts our present in perspective.

The year is 2008.