Charlotte’s Original Black/African-American Heritage Tour™ – and the 4th oldest in the United States !
Legal Note: Queen City Tours® & Travel is the sole legal proprietor of the QCT Charlotte Black/African-American Heritage Tour™ . Booking this named tour — or a similarly named tour — with another entity is unauthorized, and you may be party to legal actions.
Experience authentic Charlotte Black history — not a copy. ???
Now available year-round and ideal for small groups of 13 or less! �� Book our daily Charlotte Black/African-American Heritage Tour today.
Hear from a local: Read what a Charlotte native learned on our tour.
January 4, 2008
I was introduced to Black history early in life while attending grade school in Miami, FL. ���� I had the fortune of attending an all-Black elementary school — Lillie C. Evans Elementary School � located near historic
It was at this school that I became a student of Black/Afro/African-American history. We were encouraged and required to learn the history of our people and to be proud of being Black/Afro/African-American. I was introduced to icons such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ralph Bunche, George Washington Carver, Mahalia Jackson, and other legends of Black history. One highlight came when I learned that a very important musician would be on PBS one evening. Like many families, we did not have many channels, but we could get the Public Broadcasting Service, and that’s when I first met a cat named Louis Armstrong, a.k.a. �Satchmo.� ?? A few years later, I worked my way up to First Trumpet in my high school band.
Another unforgettable moment came when Muhammad Ali � The Greatest ?? � visited my school, encouraged us to stay in school, and personally guaranteed a victory in his next bout. He lived in Miami � just around the corner from my late Aunt Dot � and trained on Miami Beach at the legendary 5th Street Gym. I chose a different path and ran track and field; I could out-run and out-jump most average human beings.
After high school, I did what many “po’” Black/Afro/African-American boys did who did not want to end up in jail, homeless, on drugs, or six feet under — I joined Uncle Sam’s Army. Later I learned that the real Uncle Sam was the first clown in America! ?? The Army diverted my attention from Black/Afro/African-American history as I focused on staying alive.
After leaving Uncle Sam — full-time — finishing technical college, landing a great job in Charlotte, and getting fed up with the corporate grind, I revisited my early years as a student of Black/Afro/African-American history. The spark returned during an exhibit at the old Charlotte Museum of History in the early 1990s called �Balance of Power.� The exhibit detailed part of Charlotte’s Black/Afro/African-American history through artifacts and photos — and it was astonishing. Before then, I had no idea that people who looked like me had such deep roots in Charlotte.
I asked my then business associate to jot down some notes, and my journey began with a trip to the Mecklenburg County Library. �� That library is still one of the coolest places I have visited — right up there with Disney World. I became engulfed in the events, people, and places that existed long before us. After approximately 130 hours of research, I had enough information to create Charlotte’s first Black/Afro/African-American Heritage Tour™ . Since then, I’ve completed college courses in World History, American Literature, North Carolina History, and African-American Studies on my way to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Entrepreneurial Management.
My tours take you on a journey beginning in the 17th Century, when this state was first chartered, and winding through four centuries of pain, struggle, strife, and progress. These tours are �propaganda free� � not influenced by politics, religion, or corporate interests � and they reveal the real story of Charlotte’s Black heritage. [web:32][web:40]
By Juan “Jay” Whipple
Founder / Director
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Books By Popular Demand
Learn more detailed information on the intriguing history of the Queen City!
Charlotte From A Tour Guide's Perspective!
This book reads and unfolds just as our tours have been conducted thousands of times since 1993 in Uptown/Downtown/Center City Charlotte. The two early suburbs of Dilworth and Myers Park are covered in the book More Charlotte From A Tour Guide's Perspective to the right.
More Charlotte From A Tour Guide's Perspective!
Ride along on a tour of the Queen City as we discover and uncover the good, bad, and surprising nuggets of Charlotte's history as it relates to North Carolina, the United States, and England. This edition covers the Dilworth/South End oldest and Myers Park old money suburbs developed in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
Black Charlotte From A Tour Guide's Perspective!
An unforgettable tour/journey into Charlotte's rich Black heritage to include the good, the bad, and surprising nuggets of Queen City History dating back to the 18th Century until 2018. This book unfolds in the same fashion as the QCT Charlotte Black/African-American Heritage Tour created in 1992.
Queen Charlotte to Meghan Markle!
Before Meghan Markle's recent disclosure of racism in the Royal Family of England during her sit down with media mogul Oprah Winfrey, there once lived a Queen who experienced some of the same indifference long before this age of Regular and Cable TV and Social Media!
EVOLUTION by Harvey H. Boyd!
Discover the powerful untold story behind the Mecklenburg County Seal, created by Harvey H. Boyd. This book honors the historic May 20th, 1775 date and the push for freedom over a year before the Philadelphia, PA, efforts.
No Room for COWARDS T-shirts!
Wear the Revolution! Discover bold tees honoring freedom fighters like Vesey, Grimké, Truth, Brown, Franklin Paine, and many more.
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