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Get to Know the Myers Park Community with WelcomeCLT
May 30, 2023
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This blog written by Lonna Vines, branch manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
The Myers Park Branch is located at the Providence/Queens intersection in the historic Myers Park neighborhood. The central location and wide, tree lined streets make it a popular choice for many community events with everything from culturally diverse festivals, a large selection of locally owned restaurants and of course, the library itself. The Myers Park branch houses Spanish materials for kids, teens and adults. In the neighborhood is the Asian Herald Library. This private library is the largest Asian library in the U.S. and is considered a hidden treasure of Charlotte that doubles as an Asian Cultural Center.
Just a few steps from the library is Queens University, a beautiful private university well known for its innovative education that focuses on a unique combination of transformative experiences in and out of the classroom. If you are looking for festivals in this area, there are two Charlotte staples located nearby. First is the Yiasou Greek Festival which happens annually in September at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. This festival is one of Charlotte's largest culture events and features cultural exhibits, authentic Greek cuisine and entertainment.
Another large scale event is the 24 Hours of Booty which is an annual bike ride around the iconic Booty Loop. The event started in 2002 with one man riding a bike for 24 hours and participants of the event can commit to walking or biking as little or as much as they like. All benefits of the event go towards the 24 Foundation that has raised more than $26 million to date to support their mission for cancer navigation and survivorship.
Nearby are many local favorite restaurants and shopping areas including Deejai Thai and Fenwick’s Restaurant within a mile of the library. Branching out a couple of miles is the Park Road Shopping Center, which includes Park Road Books. We are also very lucky to have the Mint Museum on Randolph Road which was the original branch of the United States Mint. Finally, Wing Haven features enclosed-brick gardens and a bird sanctuary with quaint, ambling pathways and landscaped greens. It is easily one of the most beautiful places in the city of Charlotte. Looking for some entertainment? Check out Theatre Charlotte, Charlotte’s home for local theater! It is volunteer-driven community theater staging revivals of musicals and plays.
New to Charlotte? Explore other neighborhoods through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog and WelcomeCLT, a digital space created for newcomers to Charlotte.
Resources:
Myers Park Branch Library – 1361 Queens Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-416-5800
Asian Herald Library – 1339 Baxter St. Charlotte, NC 28204 | 704-334-3450
Booty Loop – 2201 Wellesley Ave. Charlotte, NC 28274 | 704-365-4417
Deejai Thai Restaurant – 613 Providence Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-333-7884
Fenwicks Restaurant – 511 Providence Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-333-2750
Mint Museum Randolph – 2730 Randolph Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-337-2000
Park Road Books – 4139 Park Rd. Charlotte, NC 28209 | 704-525-9239
Theater Charlotte – 501 Queens Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-376-3777
Wing Haven – 248 Ridgewood Ave. Charlotte, NC 28209 | 704-331-0664
Queens University of Charlotte – 1900 Selwyn Ave. Charlotte, NC 28274 | 704-337-2200
Yiasou Greek Festival – 600 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203 | 704-334-4771
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Rededication of Elizabeth S. Randolph Community Room
February 1, 2018
On Sunday, February 18, at Beatties Ford Regional Library, more than 125 people turned out for the rededication of the Elizabeth S. Randolph Community Room. Congresswoman Alma Adams, State Senator Joyce Waddell, City Councilman Justin Harlow and School Board Members Thelma Byers Bailey were present, along with many civic leaders including Thereasea Elder. Library Trustee Rob Harrington represented the Library Board.
After a welcome from Branch Manager Alecia Williams and Director of Libraries David Singleton, Reverend Ricky Woods of First Baptist Church West delivered the invocation. Two local teens who use the Library sang “I Rise Up.”
In her remarks, Congresswoman Adams reflected on the role of African American women and some of the struggles that Randolph faced during her lifetime.
Sheila Bumgarner of the Library's Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room provided background on An African American Album, the landmark photographic history edited by Randolph, which the Library published in 1992. Framed photographs from the book were displayed throughout the room.
Doris Williams, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Alpha Lambda Omega Chapter, provided remarks on Ms. Randolph’s role in the sorority and in the greater community, celebrating many of the firsts that Randolph accomplished.
In the afternoon's biggest surprise, a local woman who is over 100 years old stood up and shared her memories of Randolph. They were born just a few months apart in 1917.
City Councilman Justin Harlow read a proclamation from the City of Charlotte celebrating Randolph.
Finally, Congresswoman Adams and Rob Harrington unveiled a new Community Room sign honoring Randolph, to great applause.
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Fun and Prizes this Summer with Summer Break
June 12, 2023
Summer Break starts June 1st and ends July 31st. Register for the challenge online by visiting cmlibrary.beanstack.org or downloading the app, Beanstack Tracker. Your account allows you to track reading time and learning activities to collect virtual badges. Even tracking Queen Charlotte can be logged into Beanstack as an activity. There is fun and incentives for everyone this summer!
For our youngest community members there is an updated Bingo challenge for Wee Readers (age 0-4). Track reading and activities using the app or a bingo card picked up at any branch! Wee Readers who complete the challenge by completing the entire bingo board get to choose a book.
This year there are some fantastic prizes for participating and completing Summer Break thanks to our sponsors: Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. Just for registering participants receive a Wendy’s Frosty Jr. Coupon and a Charlotte Football Club sticker!
New this year are mid-level prizes! When a participant earns 600 points, they’re eligible for a Charlotte Football Club Sports Flyer (ages 5-17) or a magnetic bookmark (ages 18+).
Completing the challenge (earning 1200 points), children and teen participants can choose between a book or water bottle. Adults can choose between a water bottle, drawstring bag, or a notebook with a pen. All prizes are available while supplies last.
Saving the best for last! There are two bonus prizes for participants and readers ages 5 to 17! A drawing for a 4-pack of tickets to a Charlotte Football Club game, with one 4-pack per branch! The second bonus prize is for the top 20 readers of Summer Break, they will be given the opportunity to tour the Charlotte Football Club stadium.
Sign up today and start logging your reading and activities to join in on the fun and help us reach our community reading goal of 10 million minutes!
Exciting Programs
Though our Summer Break 2023 program can be completed entirely online, our libraries are hosting some wonderful programs this summer. Check out these upcoming programs.
Comments? Questions?
Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2023 website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to call your local branch or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback.
The 2023 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.
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Commemoration of Emancipation by African Americans in North Carolina, 1865-1920
June 16, 2023
Before there was Juneteenth, there was Emancipation Day: January 1st, 1863, the day the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. The only public celebrations on the first Emancipation Day took place in Northern cities, where persons in flight from slavery gathered to watch for midnight on New Year’s Eve, 1862. With the coming of January 1st, the terms of the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect, and escaped slaves would be delivered from the threat of arrest and transportation to a slave state. The Proclamation stripped slave-owners in rebel states, at least, of the right to reclaim fugitives as stolen property.
On the second anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation – January 1, 1865 – the Civil War was still being fought and Abraham Lincoln was alive and well in the White House. Black people in North Carolina knew better than to celebrate a Proclamation by the Commander in Chief of the opposing side, but New Bern, NC, offered different circumstances. Federal forces occupied the town and they – the Union soldiers – organized and oversaw a celebration of the anniversary that included local freedmen.
The first peacetime celebration of emancipation in North Carolina that was led by the freedmen themselves took place in Wilmington in January of 1866.
The previous month had seen two momentous changes regarding slavery and the law. On December 5th, 1865, the thirteenth amendment had been ratified by enough states to be added to the Constitution of the United States. It made the abolition of slavery permanent throughout the nation. Three weeks later, the voters of North Carolina added an amendment to the state constitution abolishing slavery in the state. These actions closed the door to the possibility of undoing the Emancipation Proclamation, either at the federal or the state level.
On Emancipation Day, 1866, freedmen and freedwomen got their first chance to express their relief at the end of the war and their hope for building new lives after enslavement.
“We understand that a grand celebration by the colored population is to take place on the first of January,” said an editorial in the Wilmington Herald. Indeed, it was. When Emancipation Day came, the Black community of Wilmington turned out, and people from the surrounding rural areas came in to join them.
The rejoicing crowd staged a procession through the streets. They were led by a band and carried banners to show what they believed in: “The Emancipation Proclamation: This We Celebrate,” “Abraham Lincoln, Our Martyred President,” “and “Equal Justice.” This last one expressed the marchers’ demand for recognition of themselves as full citizens of the United States. The 14th Amendment would promise just that, and Congress enacted it later that year.
The Wilmington celebration was built on the model that was pioneered in New Bern and adopted by Black communities in other North Carolina cities: a parade led by a band, an excited crowd of all ages, and speeches. These elements of the celebration would appear every year in towns throughout the state. Enthusiasm for the celebration of Emancipation Day did not wane until the 1920s. By then, according to A History of African Americans in North Carolina by Jeffrey Crow, “younger Blacks began to question the continued commemoration of Emancipation Day.
In Texas, however, the local holiday of “Juneteenth” persisted. It kept alive the idea of a day to celebrate emancipation and became a national holiday in 2021.
- Written by Tom Cole, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room
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Lots to do at your local branch this Summer!
June 21, 2023
There are a few reasons to visit library locations this summer. One main reason is the branch displays. All year long librarians create amazing displays to pique your interest and summer is no different. Except for the added “oomph” of excitement.
Need a summer activity to record into Beanstack? Head over to your favorite location and see what books are being featured. Better yet, take a tour of all the branches to see their summer displays.
Take pictures and share them with others on your Library Tour. Just don’t forget to check out a book, read, and record your minutes on Beanstack.
Let’s reach 10 Million Minutes! To find out more about Summer Break or to log your reading and activities go to cmlibrary.beanstack.org.
Exciting Programs
Though our Summer Break 2023 program can be completed entirely online, our libraries are hosting some wonderful programs this summer. Check out the Summer Break tag on our online calendar! All upcoming programs can be viewed here.
During the summer, many branches host presenters like Parks and Recreation, Mad Science, Frontline Puppeteers, and many more! Check with your local branch or click here to see what presenters are coming to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library this summer!
Comments? Questions?
Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2023 website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to call your local branch or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback.
The 2023 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.
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