Charlotte, North Carolina native Connie Patton recounts growing up in the the Brooklyn neighborhood of Charlotte, also known as Second Ward. He shares his memories of playing football and baseball with other children, churches, businesses, and joining the ROTC at Second Ward High School. Mr. Patton describes joining the Navy after high school, becoming a petty officer, and not being able to rise further in rank because of racial discrimination and limited roles for African Americans at the time. He also touches on how urban renewal in Charlotte during the 1960s and 1970s affected the Brooklyn community and points out that there was high-quality housing in Brooklyn as well as rundown shotgun houses.
