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I'm 16 years old, and I'm a senior at Myers Park High School. I was born in Gujarat, India. I live in Charlotte now, and I love it.  There are so many friendly people here and its nice. The book we are about to discuss seems to be very interesting and I think I'm going to like it.

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I am 18 year old and a senior at Myers Park High School in Charlotte. Charlotte is a wonderful, inviting city and even at difficult times our community can come together and provide positive change. I do believe that racism will come to an end but its going to take place once injustice has been put an end to. More young are being affected by police brutality because our generation is active in the community and will take a stand towards injustice. I can help by filling roles in society that involve staying active but remaining peaceful.

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I am a 17 year old senior at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, NC. I play soccer and I swim. I was born and raised in Charlotte. I love my city. I love being able to walk around uptown or go to a Carolina Panthers home game(when they aren't doing so bad.) I work at the YMCA and I love my job! I really like my school but, I kind of wish that it wasn't as big as it is. These events that have taken place in Charlotte have honestly broken my heart. I love my city and it has so many amazing things to be a part of.

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hi. i,m 16, i'm a junior at Myers park high school in Charlotte North Carolina. I was born in Gastonia , NC. to be honest racism is how you make it here. the reason there is racism is because of the reaction and not what was necessarily said. Its kind of like a child. when one kid call another kid a name the kid will do one of 2 things.1.fight which is what usually happens.2.sit and don't say anything don't take everything people say and don't let it fuel you. if they don't like your race, so what, that's their problem. don't give them any reason to mess with you. give a reaction and see if they dont keep on doing it. If they no its bothering you then they'll keep doing it

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┬┴┬┴┤･ω･)ﾉ├┬┴┬┴

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I am Jaidon Izard from Charlotte,NC.I'm seventeen years old in the 12th grade. My hobbies are listening to music(Rap and R&B), playing basketball, and hanging with friends. I think the wiki is pretty accurate about my city. Over the years I've heard that Charlotte is a growing city and fast. I think it's true also the city is getting more and more popular. Not many cities can say they have a stadium for a football team, a arena for for a basketball team and a NASCAR stadium. The city did have protest after the Keith Scott police shooting. But it was reasonable to protest for police brutality against colored people. I personally don't think racism will ever completely end. It seems that over more and more years it seems to decrease a little more. But there will always be ignorant people in this world that will teach their kids to be the same way. And we still have come this far to where police officers are still shooting and killing innocent colored people. Young colored people are targeted more because they feel that we are a threat. Apparently we just look like trouble and we are so stereotyped that we do bad things and are treated differently then whites are when it comes to the police. To help it I could have a #BlackLivesMatter club at school where we peacefully protest against racial discrimination.

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Introducing the Great and Humble Sidra Dorofi!

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Introducing the Great and Humble Sidra Dorofi!

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Well to start off this is me. I am 16, a junior at Myers Park and spend way to much time watching cartoons and reading(please somebody get my reference title). I spend a lot of my time indoors,  but I at least attempt at keeping up with current events.
My city isn't perfect. No city is. The thing that makes us human, our imperfections and flaws, that translates as well into a city. That doesn't mean that I wasn't appalled at what transcribed here recently. In a city that was battling at least semi peacefully about bathrooms and was the pinnacle of social movements and forward thinking in a conservative state how have we let this happen. Innocent blood has been spilled, and there is no way to take those actions back.
But at the same time that doesn't mean we have to be resigned and unable to move forward. In the time of sorrow and hatred is when we need to step forward towards acceptance and peace the most.
Personally, I don't think there is ever hope of a fully equal and not racist world. I recognize that racism is taught, that it is the hatred inbreed into us from not only our parents and elders but our peers, our sisters and brothers, was not an aspect of human nature. But at this point it is to late to start anew. That at this point there is no hope for a pure mind that can not see any of the discrimination of the past.
But I do think people will get this world as close to that as we can. That if people can peacefully fight for what they know is right that maybe there is hope for our future as a society of diverse peoples. But maybe, hopefully, we can get to the point where diversity isn't needed because everyone is equal and the same mentally even if they aren't physically.

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I am 14 years old freshman at Emmetsburg High School. I was born and raised in Emmetsburg. I have 2 brothers. I'm involved in swim team show choir. We are known as the E-hawks. We only offer Spanish in the school. Emmetsburg is an Irish. St.Pats is a really big holiday.

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My name is Alijandra Wilks-Singh.

I’m 16 years old, Senior at Myers park high school in Charlotte, nc.

I was born Huntington, West virginia but I have lived mostly in Charlotte, nc. I think the article is not fully accurate. Yes, we do probably have similar issues going on in other areas but I believe charlotte is different. I have always thought of Charlotte as a safe place and I do still think it is. But with what has happened recently in September precautions have had to be made. And with everything that has happened downtown people are worried about themselves and others. It has affected us all in different ways. I don’t think racism will ever end because not everyone gets along and has different beliefs, that’s how it’s always been. I think younger people of color are affected more by police brutality because of the unknown. Most police women and men do not relate to the younger generation and don’t understand all of our trends and therefore don’t understand the younger generation in general.

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I am a 15 year old sophmore at Myers Park High School. I was born in California and raised in a couple of different cities. I've lived in big cities a (Los Angeles, CA and San Jose, CA) and a smaller city (Boxborogh, MA) and it has helped me recognize diversity. I'm not sure weather I would consider Charlotte a big or small city yet. I havent lived here for that long (just over a year) but I think that the wikipedia article was a generally accurate description of the city. I think that racism will ever completely end, but i do think that it will lessen in the future. I think the reason more young POC are affected by police brutality because of the stigma projected by the generation before us that's been passed down. I think that riots were not the best thing to happen to the city but it showed people that there really is a problem. I find it sad that the peaceful protests didn't get anywhere so anger was brewed up by suppression and the bottle finally broke leading to riots. (I'm sure there are other reasons and circumstances to the riots but this is just one of my thoughts). I think a good way to help is to make sure your're a supporting figure even if you don't want to actively protest.

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I am a 16 year old senior at Myers Park High school. I was born and raised in Togo (W. Africa) and moved to Charlotte 5 years ago. Growing up in Africa, racism wasn’t an issue and it sill isn’t. The article “Our city, Charlotte, NC” is a depiction of what Charlotte was a few weeks ago but it definitely does not represent the Charlotte I live in. Charlotte is a great city to live in and it has some really great communities. I don’t think racism will end any time soon as long as we continue to focus on the issue instead of allowing it to die (racism exists because we allow it to). More young people of color are affected by police brutality because the officers take advantage of their power and they misuse it in these situations. In order to stop racism, I think we should stop talking about it, we should not generalize people, and we should educated others about the issue.

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I am a 18 year old senior at myers park high school. I was born and raised in Florence, Italy. I moved to Charlotte last year. Since I moved here I haven't noticed any racism in the school, but lately there have been many protest in the city of charlotte and I hope that they will stop, and I hope that our generation will be one to end racism.

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I'm a 14 year old at that lives in Emmetsburg Iowa. I'm a freshmen at Emmetsburg High School. Emmetsburg is a friendly town to live in. I moved from Pocahontas Iowa to Emmetsburg Iowa. I'm not involved in any sports this year but I love to play basketball and volleyball.

What do you guys do for fun?

What is your school like in North Carolina?

Hope to here from you guys soon. :)

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I am a 17 year old senior at Myers Park High School. I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. I believe that racism will never end until society as a whole recognizes it, and works together to eradicate it. The recent events in Charlotte really hit close to home. I had heard about police brutality in other cities but I never knew the corruption had come to my own city. To help solve the issue of police brutality the corrupt police need to be punished. If society sees that police can kill innocent people of color without repercussions, POC lives will be farther devalued. This leads to more police brutality for young POC. It is a loop that will not be stopped until society makes an effort to stop it.

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Hello! My name is Milan Novakovic. I am 17 and living in Charlotte NC. I am from Belgrade, Serbia. My favorite color is blue. The article in some ways shows how our city really i, but sad actions like shootings don't happen often in Charlotte. I think that in our city, when people work together better, we will be able to find a common ground between people of different races. It is important to be understanding of one another and help out in the community. Charlotte resident said "'Charlotte is a beautiful place,' {telling the} The Huffington Post. 'Right now we're just at a civil unrest. But, you know what, our mayor and our governor ― they will get it back to where it used to be.'" This is how most people in Charlotte felt after the shooting a few weeks ago. This also shows that it is simple necessary for us as a community to come together and work with one another.

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HI I'm Sarah and I was born and raised in Charlotte. I think the first article is an accurate depiction because we are in a state of distress at the moment but i hope that our city can move on from this and get better. There does need to be change in our city with our relationships with the CMPD and i think we can get to that place with more work and we as students can help by raising awareness to the situation and talking about in classes and groups can really help. I hope our city can recover and become even better than it was before.

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I am a 17 year old, Mexican american, from Lancaster, SC. With what I have read it seems that Charlotte is in a state of distress and that we might have to go through some difficulties to help with this tragedy, and that is a close depiction of Charlotte at the moment. I really think that racism will never end because this a subconscious action that we do and will be a difficult task to get rid of. That most young people in general might have this dislike towards authority and in this century of course there is going to be more rebellions I guess because especially, young people are more expressive. Right now I don't know what I could do but I am open to suggestions for the cause.

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I am a 17 year old senior at Myers Park High School and was born and raised in Charlotte North Carolina, I was raised to be proud of my city but in the past few weeks I have felt a lot of internal conflict about how to feel with everything going on here,  I hope this book will help provide clarity for me . I am the girl in the pink and my best friend!!! Is Hannah in the purple :) I love cats but I can play sports because I have had a boot on my foot since late July :(

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I am Damon Youmans, I live in Charlotte NC. I was born in Philadelphia, PA. Charlotte is not usually how it is right now but times are hard for some as of now. This is nothing compared to Philadelphia. I'm a young black male. Racism will never end until all of this generation and the one after dies off.  I wish you all the best. I play soccer, I'm committed to play division 1 at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, in NC school is a joke. Up north school was much harder.
If you have a playstation 4, add me @dameisgod
I play FIFA, 2K, Black Ops anything.
Add me on snapchat:
@dame.dame

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I'm a 17 year old senior at Myers Park. I was born in Dunwoody, GA, moved to Charleston, SC, and I moved to Charlotte when I was four. Throughout the time I've been here, I haven't seen much violence or corruption. I hear about it, but I don't personally witness it. However, I did have to deal with the recent protests in uptown. At our school, my friends and I feared that things may get violent. Even our principal encouraged protests. I've always seen people get along here, but now everything seems different.

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I am Jana' (jah-nay) McCauley and I am a 15 year old sophomore at Myers Park High School.
I feel that Charlotte is a wonderful city with many opportunities to be great and work hard. There are many places to visit and have fun in my city and it is easy for families to thrive.
I don't really think that racism will ever end but I do feel that it becoming less predominant and seen as a bad thing from the majority of people everywhere.
I think that more young people of color are affected by police brutality because of the path that history has taken. The actions of our ancestors have cause some to fear people of color even though in the past, people of color may have been forced to take those actions. I think that there is still some fear in the hearts of those who do not know better and that some people instill fear by doing things that make people think of us as less than.

In order to help. I can stay positive and try to help spread knowledge about what is happening and what could happen if everybody works together to change the events taking place.

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Based on social media, and ideals taught to as starting at a young age, the color of our skin is a factor in our future career and life. Because of the increased connections made by media, teenagers are more affected by police brutality because racism can be spread faster and anonymously. I believe that by promoting an open-minded and judgement-free atmosphere, racism can at least be seen as an outdated idea with more objections.

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I am a 16 year old senior at Myers Park, and I have lived in Charlotte for ten years. I was born in New York and moved here in 2006. Even after the events that occured recently involving protests and police brutality, I still feel safe, and almost everyone here is authentic and kind. Based on recent events and where they stem from in history, racism is a problem that will most likely never be fully eradicated.

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i am 16 years old at Myers Park.i was born to Gastonia and am living in charlotte. no

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Hello, its me.

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I'm a 16 year old junior at Myers Park High School, I have lived in Charlotte, Atlanta, GA, and Winston-Salem, NC. Charlotte feels very welcoming and almost everyone I encounter daily is very genuine and authentic. Racism is a problem in our community however the issue lies in our subconscious and how we were raised also what we have been exposed to. The events in Charlotte definitely have affected all teenagers who live here and will change our outlook on prejudice.

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If you can hear my thoughts, do share how.

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Hi, im Max Deppe (the E isn't silent :P ), and im a 15 year old Sophomore at Myer's Park High School! I live here in Charlotte, with dog, Vinny, and my Grandmother. I absolutely love anything computer, and Im studying to become a Computer Engineer. Here in Charlotte,  its pretty chill! Except for the riots. The riots have affected our school, especially when a group of students tried to set up a protest during lunch!  Kids in Charlotte play sports for fun, but I play games with my friends online. School in North Carolina is fun, and something I wouldn't pass up! (Except for french schools, where they pay you to go to school...)

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I'm a 15 year old that lives in Emmetsburg Iowa. I am a sophomore at Emmetsburg High School.
I am involved in music. Emmetsburg is a friendly town to live in.

*What do you guys to for fun?

*What is shcool like in North Carolina

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I'm a 15 year old Sophomore at Emmetsburg High School. I have lived in Cylinder IA my entire life. I am involved in music and volleyball. Emmetsburg is also big in celebratiing holidays. In Emmetsburg there is not a lot of diversity. In Emmetsburg we are all equal. The cops here are nice, want's to help others, and make people feel safe.

*What things are you interested in?

*Do you guys play a lot of sports?

*What is school like in North Carolina ?

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I am a 16 year old junior I lived in emmestburg my whole life  and I am involved in FFA

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I am 17 years old Junior at Emmetsburg High School I was born and raised in Chicago, IL .Growing up in Chicago was different from Emmetsburg because in Chicago it was different buildings, jobs not much open land. In Chicago their was alot more people and trouble and  wasn't much police diversity but it was some.
* Is their alot of gang violence in?

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I am a 16 year old Junior at Emmetsburg High School. We are known as the Ehawks. I was born and raised in Emmetsburg. I am involved in FFA and work at Subway. We don't have a lot of diversity in Emmetsburg. Emmettsburg is the sister city of Dublin. St.Pats is a big holiday for Emmetsburg. I don't think there will be an end to racism. I don't see police brutality in my town due to Emmetsburg being a small town and less diversity. In Emmetsburg we do not deal with Diversity as you do in North Carolina.
* What is it like in North Carolina? Due to what is happening there now.
*Does this affect your school?

*What do kids your age do in North Carolina that is fun?

*What is school like in North Carolina?

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I am a 17 year old senior at Myers Park. I was born and raised in Charlotte and like to think that I am familiar with my city and am very prideful of it. Even in times like what we've seen a few weeks ago after Keith Scott's death, I still believe that my community is a great one- one willing to risk their lives over a single injustice. Personally, I don't think racism will ever fully be over, the way we are headed currently. Children are taught at a young age that skin color is the deciding factor of your future by the media and our community today, even in 2016. The fact that many people still face blatant discrimination every day makes it clear that not much progress is being made. The solution will not be a simple one, though, as our entire history has been based upon race, but it doesn't mean our future has to be the same. If we are able to teach our children and our children's children and so on, that the color of someones skin does not define them, I think we could diminish racism. It would mean undoing our history altogether and teaching a new way of treating each other. As for the reason that I think young people of color are more likely to be victims of police brutality, I believe it's because they are affected the most by racism. They are just experiencing what it's like to be an adult person of color in a world that discriminates against them in particular. They are more likely to fight it as well, having grown up with technology and inspiration to do what they want in life, and have the energy to fight for their right to do so.

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I'm currently going to Myers Park in Charlotte. I've been living here for a little over a year. Before that I lived in Shanghai for 2 years and Baton Rouge, Louisiana for 13. I personally don't racism will ever be gone completely. It may decline as easier communication develops through online sites but there will always be racism in our lives. I feel that youth persons of color are subjected to more police brutality because they, more often than others, have been standing up for equal rights. In addition the stereotypes surrounding them lead to more police interactions and cycle them back into more issues.

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Use this padlet to introduce yourself (feel free to include a photo, video, etc).
Read the articles listed above and consider answering the following:
who are you?
Is the wikipedia article an accurate depiction of your city?
will racism ever end?
why are more young people of color affected by police brutality?
what can you do to help?

This is a judgement free zone; however it is expected that students will respect all opinions - you have the right to disagree, but do so with evidence, support and kind words. We are about to tackle a very sensitive issue - we want to hear your thoughts.

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Wikipedia Source...
Accurate?

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Charlotte ( SHAHR-luht) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the U.S., the seventh-most populous city in the South, and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida. The city is the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Charlotte metropolitan area, whose 2020 population of 2,660,329 ranked 22nd in the U.S. Metrolina is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2020 census-estimated population of 2,846,550.

Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of Bank of America, Truist Financial, and the East Coast headquarters of Wells Fargo, which along with other financial institutions has made it the second-largest banking center in the United States.

Charlotte's notable attractions include three professional sports teams, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, and Charlotte FC of MLS. The city is also home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Ballet, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Billy Graham Library, Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte Museum of History, Carowinds amusement park, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate. It is located several miles east of the Catawba River and southeast of Lake Norman, the largest human-made lake in North Carolina. Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller human-made lakes located near the city.

The city of Charlotte was developed first by a wave of migration of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, or Ulster-Scot settlers from Northern Ireland, who dominated the culture of the Southern Piedmont Region. They made up the principal founding population in the backcountry. German immigrants also settled in the area before the American Revolutionary War, but in much smaller numbers. They still contributed greatly to the early foundations of the region.

Mecklenburg County was initially part of Bath County (1696 to 1729) of the New Hanover Precinct, which became New Hanover County in 1729. The western portion of New Hanover split into Bladen County in 1734, and its western portion split into Anson County in 1750. Mecklenburg County was formed from Anson County in 1762. Further apportionment was made in 1792, after the American Revolutionary War, with Cabarrus County formed from Mecklenburg.

In 1842, Union County formed from Mecklenburg's southeastern portion and a western portion of Anson County. These areas were all part of one of the original six judicial/military districts of North Carolina known as the Salisbury District.

The area that is now Charlotte was first settled by European colonists around 1755 when Thomas Spratt and his family settled near what is now the Elizabeth neighborhood. Thomas Polk (great-uncle of President James K. Polk), who later married Thomas Spratt's daughter, built his house by the intersection of two Native American trading paths between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. One path ran north-south and was part of the Great Wagon Road; the second path ran east-west along what is now Trade Street.

Nicknamed the "Queen City", like its county a few years earlier, Charlotte was named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had become the queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland in 1761, seven years before the town's incorporation. A second nickname derives from the American Revolutionary War, when British commander General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis occupied the city but was driven out by hostile residents. He wrote that Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion", leading to the nickname "The Hornet's Nest".

Within decades of Polk's settling, the area grew to become the Town of Charlotte, incorporated in 1768. Though chartered as Charlotte, the name appears as a form of "Charlottesburgh" on many maps until around 1800. A form of "Charlottetown" also appears on maps of British origin depicting General Cornwallis' route of invasion. The crossroads in Piedmont became the heart of Uptown Charlotte. In 1770, surveyors marked the streets in a grid pattern for future development. The east-west trading path became Trade Street, and the Great Wagon Road became Tryon Street, in honor of William Tryon, a royal governor of colonial North Carolina. The intersection of Trade and Tryon -commonly known today as "Trade & Tryon", or simply "The Square"-is more properly called "Independence Square".

Local leaders came together in 1775 and signed the Mecklenburg Resolves, more popularly known as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. While not a true declaration of independence from British rule, it is among the first such declarations that eventually led to the American Revolution. May 20, the traditional date of the signing of the declaration, is celebrated annually in Charlotte as "MecDec", with musket and cannon fire by reenactors in Independence Square. North Carolina's state flag and state seal also bear the date.

Charlotte is traditionally considered the home of Southern Presbyterianism, but in the 19th century, numerous churches, including Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic formed, eventually giving Charlotte the nickname, " The City of Churches".

In 1799, in nearby Cabarrus County, 12-year-old Conrad Reed found a 17- pound rock, which his family used as a doorstop. Three years later, a jeweler determined it was nearly solid gold, paying the family a paltry $3.50. The first documented gold find in the United States of any consequence set off the nation's first gold rush. Many veins of gold were found in the area throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to the 1837 founding of the Charlotte Mint. North Carolina was the chief producer of gold in the United States, until the Sierra Nevada find in 1848, although the volume mined in the Charlotte area was dwarfed by subsequent rushes.

Some groups still pan for gold occasionally in local streams and creeks. The Reed Gold Mine operated until 1912. The Charlotte Mint was active until 1861, when Confederate forces seized it at the outbreak of the Civil War. The mint was not reopened at the war's end, but the building, albeit in a different location, now houses the Mint Museum of Art.

The city's first boom came after the Civil War, as Charlotte became a cotton processing center and railroad hub. By the 1880s, Charlotte sat astride the Southern Railway mainline from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. Farmers from miles around would bring cotton to the railroad platform in Uptown. Local promotors began building textile factories, starting with the 1881 Charlotte Cotton Mill that still stands at Graham and 5th streets.

The population grew again during World War I, when the U.S. government established Camp Greene, north of present-day Wilkinson Boulevard. The camp supported 40,000 soldiers, with many troops and suppliers staying after the war, launching urbanization that eventually overtook older cities along the Piedmont Crescent. In the 1920 census, Charlotte fell to being the state's second largest city, Winston-Salem with 48,395 people, had two thousand more people than Charlotte. Charlotte would pass Winston-Salem in population by the 1930 census, and has remained North Carolina's largest city since.

The city's modern-day banking industry achieved prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, largely under the leadership of financier Hugh McColl. McColl transformed North Carolina National Bank (NCNB) into a formidable national bank that through aggressive acquisitions eventually merged with BankAmerica to become Bank of America. First Union, later Wachovia in 2001, experienced similar growth before it was acquired by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo in 2008. Measured by control of assets, Charlotte became the second largest banking headquarters in the United States after New York City.

In December 2002, Charlotte and much of central North Carolina were hit by an ice storm that resulted in more than 1.3 million people losing power. During an abnormally cold December, many were without power for weeks. Many of the city's Bradford pear trees split apart under the weight of the ice.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 308.6 square miles (799 km ²), of which 306.6 square miles (794 km ²) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km ²) is water. Charlotte is the twenty-sixth-most expansive city in the United States and lies at an elevation of 751 feet (229 m). Charlotte constitutes most of Mecklenburg County in the Carolina Piedmont. Uptown Charlotte sits atop a long rise between two creeks, Sugar Creek and Irwin Creek, and was built on the gunnies of the St. Catherine's and Rudisill gold mines. Charlotte is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Concord, 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Rock Hill, South Carolina, 83 miles (134 km) southwest of Greensboro, 135 miles (217 km) west of Fayetteville, and 165 miles (266 km) southwest of Raleigh, the state capitol.

Charlotte has 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown. Biddleville, the primary historic center of Charlotte's African American community, is west of Uptown, starting at the Johnson C. Smith University campus and extending to the airport. East of The Plaza and north of Central Avenue, Plaza-Midwood is known for its international population, including Eastern Europeans, Greeks, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanics. North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian American communities. NoDa (North Davidson), north of Uptown, is an emerging center for arts and entertainment. Myers Park, Dilworth, and Eastover are home to some of Charlotte's most affluent, oldest and largest houses, on tree-lined boulevards, with Freedom Park nearby.

The SouthPark area offers shopping, dining, and multifamily housing. Far South Boulevard is home to a large Hispanic community. Many students, researchers, and affiliated professionals live near UNC Charlotte in the northeast area known as University City.

The large area known as Southeast Charlotte is home to many golf communities, luxury developments, churches, the Jewish community center, and private schools. As undeveloped land within Mecklenburg has become scarce, many of these communities have expanded into Weddington and Waxhaw in Union County. Ballantyne, in the south of Charlotte, and nearly every area on the I‑485 perimeter, has experienced rapid growth over the past ten years. The Steele Creek neighborhood which is primarily in Mecklenburg county is located within minutes near Uptown Charlotte.

Since the 1980s in particular, Uptown Charlotte has undergone massive construction of buildings, housing Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Hearst Corporation, and Duke Energy, several hotels, and multiple condominium developments.

Fountain of First Ward Park, located in the First Ward neighborhood of Uptown Charlotte.[118]

The 120‑acre Park Road Park is a prominent landmark near the SouthPark area. Park Road Park features eight basketball courts, two horseshoe pits, six baseball fields, five picnic shelters, volleyball courts, playgrounds, trails, tennis courts, and an eleven-acre lake. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parks & Recreation Department operates 36 tennis facilities and the 12 lighted tennis courts at the park. In September 2013, the 5.4 acre Romare Bearden Park opened to the public.

The urban section of Little Sugar Creek Greenway was completed in 2012. Inspired in part by the San Antonio River Walk, and integral to Charlotte's extensive urban park system, it is "a huge milestone" according to Gwen Cook, greenway planner for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. However, the Little Sugar Creek Greenway bears no relation to the San Antonio River Walk. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway is prone to flooding during thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain. Creation of Little Sugar Creek Greenway cost $43 million and was controversial because it required the forced acquisition of several established local businesses.

The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County began purchasing flood-prone homes in the 1990s. Voluntary buyouts of 700 households have created around 200 acres of open land that can flood safely, thereby saving an estimated $28 million in flood damage and emergency rescues.

Like much of the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa), with four distinct seasons; the city itself is part of USDA hardiness zone 8a, transitioning to 7b in the suburbs in all directions except the south. The following narrative reflects 1991-2020 climate data. Winters are short and fairly mild, with a normal January daily mean temperature of 42.1 °F (5.6 °C). On occasion the temperature can fall below 20 °F (−6.7 °C) but Charlotte also enjoys multiple warm winter days in excess of 65 °F (18.3 °C). On average, there are 59 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and only 1.5 days that fail to rise above freezing. Precipitation is evenly distributed through the year; only August stands out as a slightly wetter month, averaging 4.35 inches of rainfall. Summers are hot and humid, with a normal July daily mean temperature of 80.1 °F (26.7 °C). Hot and humid days can arrive as early as May and last through the end of September. There is an average of 44 days per year with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C). Official record temperatures range from 104 °F (40 °C) recorded six times, most recently from June 29 to July 1, 2012, down to −5 °F (−21 °C) recorded on January 21, 1985, the most recent of three occasions. The record cold daily maximum is 14 °F (−10 °C) on February 12 and 13, 1899, and the record warm daily minimum is 82 °F (28 °C) on August 13, 1881. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 5 through March 30, allowing a growing season of 220 days.

Charlotte is directly in the path of subtropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it heads up the eastern seaboard, thus the city receives ample precipitation throughout the year but also many clear, sunny days; precipitation is generally less frequent in autumn than in spring. On average, Charlotte receives 43.60 inches (1,110 mm) of precipitation annually, evenly distributed throughout the year. Annual precipitation has historically ranged from 26.23 in (666 mm) in 2001 to 68.44 in (1,738 mm) in 1884. There is an average of 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of snow, mainly in January and February and rarely December or March, with more frequent ice storms and sleet mixed in with rain; seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from trace amounts in 2011-12 to 22.6 in (57 cm) in 1959-60. Snow and ice storms can have a major impact on the area, as they often pull tree limbs down onto power lines and make driving hazardous. Snow has been recorded a small number of times in April, most recently, April 2, 2019.

As of 2020, the Charlotte metropolitan area as a whole is noted for having one of the worst weather radar gaps among any major U.S. East Coast city, with little to no coverage in a roughly quadrilateral area spanning Concord, Salisbury and much of Statesville. As the nearest NWS-owned NEXRAD is located in Greer, South Carolina, more than 80 mi (130 km) to the west-southwest of Charlotte, this deficit is particularly problematic during severe thunderstorm or tornado episodes. The current lowest angle of the radar, based in Greer, is quite far above the surface over Charlotte, so the velocities measurement for detecting rotations cannot be below mid-level in potential tornado-forming storms and thus cannot indicate whether said rotation extends closer to the ground (below 5,000 ft (1,500 m)).

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 874,579 people, 342,448 households, and 195,614 families residing in the city. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates showed 885,708 residents living within Charlotte's city limits and 1,093,901 in Mecklenburg County. The combined statistical area, or trade area, of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC had a population of 2,728,933. Figures from the more comprehensive 2010 census show Charlotte's population density to be 2,457 per square mile (949/km ²). There were 319,918 housing units at an average density of 1,074.6 per square mile (414.9/km ²).

In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Charlotte's population as 30.2% Black and 68.9% White. In 2020, 39.72% of the population was non-Hispanic white, 32.5% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 7.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.15% other or mixed, and 16.32% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. This reflected the national demographic shift as Hispanic or Latinos and Asians increased in population.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,670, and the median income for a family was $59,452. Males had a median income of $38,767 versus $29,218 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,825. The percentage of the population living at or below the poverty line was 10.6%, with 7.8% of families living at or below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Charlotte has been historically Protestant and remains predominantly Protestant today. It is the birthplace of Billy Graham, and is also the historic seat of Southern Presbyterianism. The changing demographics of the city's increasing population have brought scores of new denominations and faiths. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Wycliffe Bible Translators' JAARS Center, SIM Missions Organization, and The Christian Research Institute make their homes in the Charlotte general area. In total, Charlotte proper has over 700 places of worship.

The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is headquartered in Charlotte, and both Reformed Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary have campuses there; more recently, the religious studies academic departments of Charlotte's local colleges and universities have also grown considerably.

The largest Protestant church in Charlotte, by attendance, is Elevation Church, a Southern Baptist church founded by lead pastor Steven Furtick. The church has over 15,000 congregants at nine Charlotte locations.

Charlotte's Cathedral of Saint Patrick is the seat of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, the head of which is Rev. Peter Joseph Jugis. St. Matthew Parish, located in the Ballantyne neighborhood, is the largest Catholic parish with over 30,000 parishioners. Charlotte is home to ~28,000 Catholics.

The Greek Orthodox Church's cathedral for North Carolina, Holy Trinity Cathedral, is located in Charlotte.

Charlotte has the largest Jewish population in the Carolinas. Shalom Park in south Charlotte is the hub of the Jewish community, featuring two synagogues, Temple Israel and Temple Beth El, as well as a community center, the Charlotte Jewish Day School for grades K-5, and the headquarters of the Charlotte Jewish News.

Most African Americans in Charlotte are Baptists affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, the largest predominantly African American denomination in the United States. African American Methodists are largely affiliated with either the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, headquartered in Charlotte, or the African Methodist Episcopal Church. African American Pentecostals are represented by several organizations such as the United House of Prayer for All People, Church of God in Christ, and the United Holy Church of America.

As of 2013, 51.91% of people in Charlotte practice religion on a regular basis, making it the second most religious city in North Carolina after Winston-Salem. The largest religion in Charlotte is Christianity, with Baptists (13.26%) having the largest number of adherents. The second largest Christian group are the Roman Catholics (9.43%), followed by Methodists (8.02%) and Presbyterians (5.25%). Other Christian affiliates include Pentecostals (2.50%), Lutherans (1.30%), Episcopalians (1.20%), Latter-Day Saints (0.84%), and other Christian (8.87%) churches, including the Eastern Orthodox and non-denominational congregations. Judaism (0.57%) is the second largest religion after Christianity, followed by Eastern religions (0.34%) and Islam (0.32%).

Charlotte is the second-largest banking center in the United States, after New York City. The nation's second largest financial institution by total assets, Bank of America, calls the city home. It is also home to the nation's sixth largest financial institution, Truist, formed from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust in 2019. The city was also the former corporate home of Wachovia until its 2008 acquisition by Wells Fargo; Wells Fargo integrated legacy Wachovia, with the two banks fully merged at the end of 2011, which included transitioning all of the Wachovia branches in the Carolinas to Wells Fargo branches by October 2011. Since then, Charlotte has become the regional headquarters for East Coast operations of Wells Fargo, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Charlotte also serves as the headquarters for Wells Fargo's capital markets activities. Bank of America's headquarters, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are located primarily in the Uptown central business district.

Charlotte also has become a large employment center for major banks not headquartered in Charlotte. In May 2021 Ally Financial moved into their newly built Ally Charlotte Center which houses all 2,100 Charlotte-based employees and contractors across 725,000 square feet (67,400 m ²) of the building. U.S. Bank leases 81,424 square feet (7,564.5 m ²) in Truist Center to house 850 employees MUFG Union Bank, which is being acquired by U.S. Bank, leases 26,710 square feet (2,481 m ²) in Regions 615 to house 400 employees. USAA occupies 90,000 square feet (8,400 m ²) in The Square which is located in South End to house 500 employees. In September 2022, TD Bank announced its plan to expand its retail in Charlotte with 15 new branches. Charlotte has also all drawn international attention from banks, in August 2022 UK based The Bank of London announced it will be leasing 40,000 square feet (3,716 m ²) in 101 Independence Center to house the 350 jobs they're creating in Charlotte by 2026.

Charlotte also operates major offices for other large companies Microsoft and Centene Corporation also operate their East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. In November 2018, Honeywell moved its corporate headquarters to Charlotte. In June 2019, Lowe's announced it will be building its Lowe's Global Technology Center worth $153 million, which is set to be complete in 2021 and will be headquartered in South End neighborhood in Charlotte. In 2019, Dole Food Company relocated its headquarters to Charlotte from California, and expanded its presence in Charlotte with its merger with Ireland-based Total Produce in February 2021. On May 25, 2021, it was announced that Charlotte would become the East Coast headquarters of Credit Karma. Cedar Fair's corporate office is located in southwest Charlotte. On September 20, 2022, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced it will be relocating its headquarters from nearby Greensboro to Charlotte in 2023. On July 12, 2023 railcar company TTX announced it will move it's corporate headquarters to Charlotte.

As of 2019, Charlotte has seven Fortune 500 companies in its metropolitan area. Listed in order of their rank, they are: Bank of America, Honeywell, Nucor, Lowe's, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive and Brighthouse Financial. The Charlotte area includes a diverse range of businesses, including foodstuffs such as Harris Teeter, Snyder's-Lance, Carolina Foods Inc., Bojangles', Food Lion, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill, Compass Group USA, Krispy Kreme, Inc., and Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc. (Charlotte being the nation's second largest Coca-Cola bottler); packaging company Sealed Air, financial services company Dixon Hughes Goodman, online leading marketplace Lending Tree, chemical company Albemarle Corporation, Lawn and garden equipment maker WORX, door and window maker JELD-WEN, motor and transportation companies such as RSC Brands, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC., Meineke Car Care Centers, retail companies Belk, Cato Corporation and Rack Room Shoes, along with a wide array of other businesses.

Charlotte is the major center of the U.S. motorsports industry, housing the US's only Formula One team, Haas F1, multiple teams and offices of NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. Approximately 75% of the NASCAR industry's race teams, employees and drivers are based nearby. The large presence of the racing technology industry and the newly built NHRA dragstrip, zMAX Dragway at Concord, are influencing other top professional drag racers to move their shops to Charlotte as well.

The Charlotte Region has a major base of energy-oriented organizations and has become known as "Charlotte USA - The New Energy Capital". In the region there are more than 240 companies directly tied to the energy sector, collectively employing more than 26,400. Since 2007 more than 4,000 energy sector jobs have been announced. Major energy players in Charlotte include AREVA, Duke Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, Fluor, Metso Power, Piedmont Natural Gas, Albemarle Corp, Siemens Energy, Shaw Group, Toshiba, URS Corp., and Westinghouse. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a reputation in energy education and research, and its Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) trains energy engineers and conducts research. Over the last couple of years, Charlotte has become a hub in the Information technology industry.

The area is an increasingly growing trucking and freight transportation hub for the East Coast. There are a couple of reasons for this growth. First, Charlotte's close proximity to major Interstates 40, 85, 77 or 95. Second, geographically it is also positioned within a 650-mile drive to 53% of the US population. A number of Charlotte-based logistics companies have experienced a lot of recent growth. There are few notable expansions in the last 10 years that have help to create Charlotte as a logistics hub. In December 2015 FedEx announced plans to build a number of warehouse buildings in a Concord, North Carolina business park to located 800 jobs there. In August 2016 Red Classic, Coke Consolidated transportation subsidiary, announced they would be hiring for an additional 300 jobs between August 2016 and the end of 2017. The company as of August 2022 has 357 local employees. In October 2022 XPO Logistics has spun off RXO into a separate company that is a truckload brokerage. The new company has 750 local employees and $4.7 billion in annual revenue Also in October 2022 Armstrong Transport Group formerly located in the University area after relocating to South End would be adding 100 jobs to its current local headcount of 125. Others logistics companies that have are large Charlotte presence are Maersk North America with 800 employees, Zenith Global Logisitics with 720 employees, Cargo Transporters with 650 employees, Southeastern Freight Lines Inc. with 517 employees, Distribution Technology with 400 employees, and Transportation Insight LLC with 375 local employees.

Charlotte has seen a major construction boom in recent years. Zillow identified the city as the "hottest housing market" in 2023. Numerous residential units continue to be built uptown, including over 20 skyscrapers under construction, recently completed, or in the planning stage. Many new restaurants, bars and clubs now operate in the Uptown area. Several projects are transforming the Midtown Charlotte/ Elizabeth area. Population increases has also brought about gentrification in the city, particularly in predominantly African-American neighborhoods such as Biddleville and Cherry.

In 2013, named Charlotte among its list of Best Places for Business and Careers. Charlotte was listed as the 20th largest city in the US, and the 60th fastest growing city in the US between 2000 and 2008.

The Charlotte region is home to many annual festivals and special events. The Carolina Renaissance Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays each October and November. Located near the intersection of NC 73 and Poplar Tent Road, the Carolina Renaissance Festival is one of the largest renaissance themed events in the country. It features 11 stages of outdoor variety entertainment, a 22-acre village marketplace, an interactive circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament, and a feast, all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure.

Breakaway Music Festival is a music festival which takes place at the NC Music Factory and consists of hip hop and electronic music artists and DJs.

Charlotte Turkey Trot is an annual 5k & 8k running marathon hosted every Thanksgiving, it is also the largest running event in the state of North Carolina.

Charlotte is "... the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a zoo". The Charlotte Zoo initiative is a proposal to allocate 250 acres (101 ha) of natural North Carolina land to be dedicated to the zoological foundation, which was incorporated in 2008. On August 18, 2012, Channel 14 News says that the initiative is "... still a few years away" and the plot of land is "... just seven miles from the center of uptown". According to the news channel, "... the zoo will cost roughly $300 million, and will be completely privately-funded." The Charlotte Observer references two other zoos, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and the North Carolina Zoological Park as two "great zoos" that are accessible from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, both roughly more than 70 miles away.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library serves the Charlotte area with a large collection (more than 1.5 million) of books, CDs and DVDs at 15 locations in the city of Charlotte, with branches in the surrounding towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. All locations provide free access to Internet-enabled computers and WiFi, and a library card from one location is accepted at all 20 locations.

Although the library's roots go back to the Charlotte Literary and Library Association, founded on January 16, 1891, the state-chartered Carnegie Library, which opened on the current North Tryon site of the Main Library, was the first non-subscription library opened to members of the public in the city of Charlotte. The philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $25,000 for a library building, on the condition that the city of Charlotte donate a site and $2,500 per year for books and salaries, and that the state grant a charter for the library. All conditions were met, and the Charlotte Carnegie Library opened in an imposing classical building on July 2, 1903.

The 1903 state charter also required that a library be opened for the disenfranchised African-American population of Charlotte. This was completed in 1905 with the opening of the Brevard Street Library for Negroes, an independent library in Brooklyn, a historically black area of Charlotte, on the corner of Brevard and East Second Streets (now Martin Luther King Boulevard). The Brevard Street Library was the first library for African Americans in the state of North Carolina, and some sources say in the southeast. The library was closed in 1961 when the Brooklyn neighborhood in Second Ward was redeveloped, but its role as a cultural center for African-Americans in Charlotte is continued by the Beatties Ford and West Boulevard branches of the library system, as well as by Charlotte's African-American Cultural Center.

Charlotte is home to three major professional sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League ( NFL), the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association ( NBA), and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer ( MLS). The Panthers have been located in Charlotte since the team's creation in 1995, and the current Hornets franchise has been located in Charlotte since its creation in 1988 (with the exception of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons). The Panthers and Charlotte FC play their home games in Bank of America Stadium, while the Hornets play in the Spectrum Center. The Panthers have won six division titles from (1996, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015) and two NFC championships in 2003 and 2015. Carolina has reached the Super Bowl twice but has been unsuccessful in both losing to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 in 2016. The original Hornets NBA franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team, but it relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2002 after animosity grew between the team's fans and principal owner George Shinn. The NBA quickly granted Charlotte an expansion franchise following the departure of the Hornets and the new franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, began to play in 2004. The team retook the Hornets name when the New Orleans-based team renamed itself the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013. The name change became official on May 20, 2014. On the same day, the franchise reclaimed the history and records of the original 1988-2002 Hornets. MLS awarded its expansion team to Charlotte in 2019, which began play as Charlotte FC in 2022.

Charlotte is represented in professional ice hockey by the Charlotte Checkers and in professional baseball at the Triple-A level by the Charlotte Knights. Since 1999, the Knights has been the Triple-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

The Charlotte Independence are a minor professional soccer club who play in USL League One the third tier of US professional soccer. The Independence play their home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium

The city is also the home of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) headquarters. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 43 states. The Big South Conference is also headquartered in Charlotte. Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference has 11 member institutions with over 19 different sports and completes in the NCAA's Division I. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) also has it's headquarters in Charlotte. Founded in 1954, the ACC has 15 member institutions 4 of whom are located in the state of North Carolina with over 28 different sports and competes in NCAA's Division I.

Over the years, Charlotte has hosted many international, collegiate, and professional sporting events. In professional basketball, the city hosted the NBA All-Star Game twice in 1991 at the old Charlotte Coliseum and most recently in 2019 at Spectrum Center. In collegiate sports, Charlotte hosts the ACC Championship Game and Duke's Mayo Bowl. The city has also been the host many ACC men's basketball tournaments most recently in 2019. In 2021, Charlotte hosted the ACC baseball tournament. In 2017, Charlotte hosted the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club and is set to host again by 2025. Charlotte will also host the 2022 Presidents Cup. In 1994, Charlotte hosted the Final Four.

Since 1931, Jim Crockett Promotions has been a full-fledged professional wrestling performer, based in the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia states, and has been called Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, WWE has big matches, and many pay-per-view event. Many professional wrestlers living.

Currently, the city is home to two universities that participate in NCAA Division I Athletics: the Charlotte 49ers of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as well as the Queens Royals of Queens University of Charlotte, who announced their transition from NCAA Division II to Division I on May 7, 2022. Charlotte has participated in 11 NCAA men's basketball tournaments, 14 NCAA men's soccer tournaments, and the football team participated in their first bowl game in 2019 just six years after starting their program.

Johnson C. Smith University participates at the NCAA Division II level. Johnson and Wales University participate in the USCAA.

Charlotte has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every two years, with no term limits. The mayor is ex officio chair of the City Council, and only votes in case of a tie. Unlike other mayors in council-manager systems, Charlotte's mayor has the power to veto ordinances passed by the council; the council can override a mayoral veto by a vote of seven of its ten members. The Council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer.

Patrick Cannon, a Democrat, was sworn in as mayor on December 2, 2013. On March 26, 2014, Cannon was arrested on public corruption charges. Later the same day, he resigned as mayor. Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes served as Acting Mayor until April 7, when the City Council selected State Senator Dan Clodfelter, also a Democrat, to serve the remainder of Cannon's term. Former Mecklenburg County Commission chairwoman Jennifer Roberts defeated Clodfelter in the 2015 Democratic primary and went on to win the general election, becoming the first Democratic woman to be elected to the post. She was ousted in the 2017 Democratic primary by Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles, who later defeated Republican City Councilman Kenny Smith in the general election to become Mayor of Charlotte.

Historically, voters have been friendly to moderates of both parties. However, in recent years, Charlotte has swung heavily to the Democrats. Republican strength is concentrated in the southeastern portion of the city, while Democratic strength is concentrated in the south-central, eastern, and northern areas. The city had a Republican mayor from 1987 to 2009.

Charlotte is split between two congressional districts on the federal level. The northern half of the city is in the 12th district, represented by Democrat Alma Adams. The southern half is in the 14th district, represented by Democrat Jeff Jackson.

Charlotte was selected in 2011 to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which was held at the Spectrum Center. It began September 4, 2012, and ended on September 6, 2012. In 2018, Charlotte was chosen to host the Republican National Convention in August 2020.

The city's public school system, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is the second largest in North Carolina and 17th largest in the nation. In 2009, it won the NAEP Awards, the Nation's Report Card for urban school systems with top honors among 18 city systems for fourth grade math, second place among eighth graders. An estimated 144,000 students are taught in 164 separate elementary, middle, and high schools. Charlotte is also home to many private and independent schools, including British School of Charlotte, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Islamic Academy, Charlotte Latin School, Grace Academy, Providence Day School, Hickory Grove Christian School, Northside Christian Academy, Southlake Christian Academy, and United Faith Christian Academy.

The Student Union Quad of UNC Charlotte's main campus

Charlotte is home to a number of universities and colleges such as Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University, Queens University of Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Several notable colleges are located in the metropolitan suburbs. Located in nearby Davidson, North Carolina is Davidson College. Additional colleges in the area include Belmont Abbey College in the suburb of Belmont, North Carolina, Gaston College with its main campus in the suburb of Dallas, North Carolina and Wingate University in the suburb of Wingate, North Carolina. Also nearby are Winthrop University, Clinton Junior College, York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina in the westernmost part of the Charlotte area.

UNC Charlotte is the city's largest university. It is located in University City, the northeastern portion of Charlotte, which is also home to University Research Park, a 3,200 acres (13 km ²) research and corporate park. With more than 30,000 students, UNC Charlotte is the second largest university in the state system.

Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in the Carolinas, with more than 70,000 students each year and 6 campuses throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. CPCC is part of the statewide North Carolina Community College System.

Pfeiffer University has a satellite campus in Charlotte. Wake Forest University, with its main campus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, also operates a satellite campus of its Babcock Graduate School of Management in the Uptown area. On March 24, 2021, it was announced Wake Forest School of Medicine would expand a 20-acre campus in Charlotte by 2024. The Connecticut School of Broadcasting, DeVry University, and ECPI University all have branches in Charlotte. The Universal Technical Institute has the NASCAR Technical Institute in nearby Mooresville, serving the Charlotte area. Montreat College (Charlotte) maintains a School of Professional and Adult Studies in the city. Additionally, Union Presbyterian Seminary has a non-residential campus offering the Master of Arts in Christian Education, and the Master of Divinity in Charlotte near the Beverley Woods area.

The North Carolina Research Campus, a 350-acre biotechnology hub located northeast of Charlotte in the city of Kannapolis, is a public-private venture including eight universities, one community college, the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and corporate entities that collaborate to advance the fields of human health, nutrition and agriculture. Partnering educational organizations include UNC Charlotte and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, from the Charlotte region, as well as Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A&T State University, Shaw University, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University. The research campus is part of a larger effort by leaders in the Charlotte area to attract energy, health, and other knowledge-based industries that contribute to North Carolina's strength in biotechnology.

Charlotte has one major daily newspaper, The Charlotte Observer. It boasts the largest circulation in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Charlotte is the 24th largest radio market in the nation, according to Nielsen Audio. While major groups like iHeartMedia and Urban One have stations serving Charlotte, several smaller groups also own and operate stations in the area. The local National Public Radio news affiliate is WFAE News, which sponsors a number of podcasts and radio shows.

According to Nielsen Media Research, Charlotte is the 22nd largest television market in the nation (as of the 2016-2017 season) and the largest in the state of North Carolina. Major television stations located in Charlotte include CBS affiliate WBTV 3 (the oldest television station in the Carolinas), ABC affiliate WSOC-TV 9, NBC affiliate WCNC-TV 36, CW affiliate WCCB 18, and PBS member station WTVI 42. One cable sports network is headquartered in Charlotte: the ESPN-controlled SEC Network. Raycom Sports is also headquartered in Charlotte.

Other stations serving the Charlotte market include Fox affiliate WJZY 46 in Belmont, UNC-TV/ PBS member station WUNG-TV 58 in Concord, independent station WAXN-TV 64 (a sister to WSOC-TV) in Kannapolis, and two stations in Rock Hill, South Carolina: MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYT-TV 55 (a sister to WJZY) and PBS member station WNSC-TV 30. Additionally, INSP is headquartered in nearby Indian Land, South Carolina.

In addition to dispatching MEDIC's EMS calls, the agency also dispatches all county fire calls outside of the city of Charlotte.

Hospitals in Charlotte include Atrium Health Mercy, Atrium Health Pineville, Atrium Health University City, Carolinas ContinueCare Pineville, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center / Levine Children's, Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital, Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital, and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority is the public hospital authority of Mecklenburg County.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) is a combined jurisdiction agency. The CMPD has law enforcement jurisdiction in both the city of Charlotte and the few unincorporated areas left in Mecklenburg County. The other small towns maintain their own law enforcement agencies for their own jurisdictions. The department consists of approximately 1,700 sworn law enforcement officers, 550 civilian personnel, and more than 400 volunteers.

According to the Congressional Quarterly Press; '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America,' Charlotte, North Carolina ranks as the 62nd most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants. However, the entire Charlotte-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked as 27th most dangerous out of 338 metro areas.

Charlotte has a municipal waste system consisting of trash pickup, water distribution, and waste treatment. There are five waste water treatment plants operated by Charlotte Water (previously Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department). Charlotte has a biosolids program. Some Chester residents spoke out against the program on February 26, 2013. Charlotte's sludge is handled, transported, and spread on farm fields in Chester by a company called Synagro, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Carlyle Group Charlotte's sludge is of the "CLASS B" variety, which means it still contains detectable levels of pathogens.

The city of Charlotte has a lower than average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 7.4 percent of Charlotte households lacked a car, and decreased to 6 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Charlotte averaged 1.65 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is the agency responsible for operating mass transit in the Charlotte metropolitan area, carrying over 16 million riders annually. Established in 1999 and administered as a department of the city of Charlotte, CATS operates light rail transit, streetcar, express buses, local buses, and special bus services serving Charlotte and the surrounding area in addition to other programs such as vanpool.

CATS' rail arm, LYNX Rapid Transit Services, comprises two lines as of fall 2020. The Blue Line is an 18.9‑mile line north-south light rail line running through South End, Center City, NoDa, and University City. The CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar, Phase 1 of which opened in 2015, is under Phase 2 construction as of fall 2020. When completed, the Gold Line will link the Beatties Ford neighborhood through Uptown and then south and east to the Elizabeth neighborhood. The LYNX Silver Line, a light rail line in the pre-project development phase as of fall 2020, will link the southeastern suburbs of Matthews, Stallings, and Indian Trail with Uptown Charlotte and the future Charlotte Gateway Station before extending west to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and across the Catawba River to Belmont in Gaston County.

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Charlotte the 49th most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.

Charlotte's beltway, designated I-485 and simply called "485" by local residents, was under construction for over 20 years, but funding problems slowed its progress. The final segment was finished in mid-2015. I-485 has a total circumference of approximately 67 mi (108 km). Within the city, the I-277 loop freeway encircles Charlotte's uptown (usually referred to by its two separate sections, the John Belk Freeway and the Brookshire Freeway) while Charlotte Route 4 links major roads in a loop between I-277 and I-485. Independence Freeway, which carries U.S. 74 and links downtown with the Matthews area, is undergoing an expansion and widening in the eastern part of the city.

In 2011, Charlotte Douglas International Airport was the sixth-busiest airport in both the U.S. and the world overall as measured by traffic (aircraft movements). The airport handled just over 50 million travellers in 2019, as well as many domestic and international carriers including Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Volaris. It is a major hub for American Airlines, having historically been a hub for its predecessors US Airways and Piedmont Airlines. Nonstop flights are available to many destinations across the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and South America. The 145th Airlift Wing of North Carolina Air National Guard is also located east of the airport.

Charlotte is served daily by three Amtrak routes with ten daily trips from a station on North Tryon Street, just outside downtown.

The connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville, and Greensboro to the north, and Greenville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Meridian and New Orleans to the south. It arrives overnight once in each direction.

The Carolinian connects Charlotte with New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Richmond; Raleigh; Durham; and Greensboro. Charlotte is the southern terminus, with the northbound train leaving just before the morning rush and the southbound train arriving in the evening.

The , a regional companion of the Carolinian, connects Charlotte with Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh with three daily round trips. Charlotte is the southern terminus.

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Charlotte ( SHAHR-luht ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the U.S., the seventh-most populous city in the South, and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida.

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Wikipedia source? Accurate?

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Emmetsburg is a city in Palo Alto County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,904 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Palo Alto County. Emmetsburg is located around the southern bay of Five Island Lake.

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Who is Charlotte, NC?

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. ―The banking capital of the South is a bustling metropolitan area, with a solid economy and a thriving black middle class.

Fostoria Pierson, who has lived in the city for eight years, describes Charlotte as "one of the lands of opportunity in the south" and a great place to raise children, with an abundance of charter schools. It's one of the few southern cities that has professional basketball and football teams, along with NASCAR.

"Charlotte is a beautiful place," she told The Huffington Post. "Right now we're just at a civil unrest. But, you know what, our mayor and our governor ― they will get it back to where it used to be."

Pierson was referring to the perceived resilience of the city following the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. His death sparked six consecutive nights of protests, including a stint outside of the Bank of America stadium. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) mobilized the state National Guard, putting troops in charge of helping protect buildings and bridges and highways, and also provided state troopers to help with traffic control in the city.

But the protests have highlighted a wide gap between perceptions of the Queen City that many in Charlotte have and the reality facing many of its residents. Despite the city's anti-racism programs, Charlotte, often referred to as " The New South," isn't as progressive as some of its residents like to think. It has many of the same issues facing other American cities.

A trip down Beatties Ford Road in the city's Westside will take you through a vastly different world than that of Uptown, the city's business district. Glitzy hotels and a variety of eateries are replaced by Chinese carry outs, check cashing places and mini marts. Instead of AT&T stores, you're more likely to see Metro PCS and Boost Mobile stores. Fried chicken and rib shacks speckle the landscape along with abandoned buildings and murals.

Residents who live in these areas also have to deal with the byproducts of poverty ― higher crime rates, poor housing options, underfunded schools, inadequate transportation and harsher policing.

But the predominantly white force still doesn't have the greatest relationship with the community.

"I'll be honest. We try to have a relationship but the police will not allow it," said Dino Davis, a 19-year-old from the city's westside. "So they not gon' allow it? We don't give two fucks."

Most people who are not from Charlotte may not have a firm grasp of CMPD's expansiveness, Bass said.

The department has about 1,840 officers . CMPD regularly compares itself to cities with a similar population, size and mix of urban and rural areas ― like Columbus, Ohio, San Francisco, San Jose, Calif., Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla. and Austin, Texas.

CMPD has 2.27 officers per 1,000 residents and, of the cities it compares itself to, only Columbus, Ohio, has more officers per capita (2.34 per 1,000 residents), according to an analysis The Charlotte Observer conducted . And San Francisco, California, which has a larger population, only has less with 1.89 officers per 1,000 residents.

"Charlotte, being one of the largest cities, being a banking city, has always had a prominent police force," Bass said. "Throughout the years, relationships between the community and the police have been tense at times."

Bass pointed to the death of Jonathan Ferrell as a prime example of that tension. The former college football player was shot and killed by CMPD officer Randall Kerrick in Sept. 2013 as he sought help following a car accident. Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter and his trial was declared a mistrial in August 2015 . Protests soon followed and now, with the death of Scott, a new tension has arisen between CMPD and the community.

"Folks look at their cities ― like Charlotte did before this incident and probably will over the next couple years ― and say 'We are Charlotte, we are different than these other cities,'" Bass said. "In reality, you are very much so the same."

BEFORE YOU GO

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Charlotte Likes To Believe It's Different From Other Cities. But It Has The Same Problems.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. ―The banking capital of the South is a bustling metropolitan area, with a solid economy and a thriving black middle class. Fostoria Pierson, who has lived in the city for eight years, describes Charlotte as "one of the lands of opportunity in the south" and a great place to raise children, with an abundance of charter schools.

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Take a look at this article/video to give you some background of the novel.