By Staff

The idea of a Women's History and Heritage Tour™ came to our Director Juan a.k.a. "Jay" Whipple back in 2002 -- ten years after he developed his first area tour of Black Charlotte called the Charlotte Black Heritage Tour™.

He commissioned one of his female guides to begin the research; however, the project was never completed due to an unforeseen stoppage. The idea of the woman's history and heritage tour was shelved until 2009 when Mr. Whipple decided to dust off and complete the project himself.

"The timing is a lot better for this type of tour because women have made a much larger impact on the Queen City since 2002" says Whipple. "Back then there were just a hand full of women contributors to highlight, today, you have a much larger pool of notable women to highlight which allows for at least a three hour tour."

Charlotte's first Women History and Heritage Tour™ highlights the contributions of notable area women from the past and present such as Doris Duke (Duke Energy) who was born on November 22, 1912 in New York City. She was the only child of James and Nanaline Duke of Durham, NC. At the early age of 12, she became the richest woman/little girl in the world after inheriting her father’s fortune worth reportedly $300 million dollars. In order to become the sole heir of her father’s estate she had to sue her own mother whom some blamed for his death in 1925. She reportedly never had any real childhood friends and hence was known as the poor little rich girl.

Dr. Selma Burke(Sculptress) was born on December 31, 1900, inMooresville, NC, to Mary L. Elizabeth Jackson Cofield Burke, a homemaker/educator and Neal Burke, a Methodist minister. She studied at the Slater Industrial and State Normal School (now Winston-Salem State University) in Winston-Salem, NC, and worked as a Registered Nurse in the 1920's and 1930's in Philadelphia and New York while receiving several art fellowships. She returned to this area and completed her Doctorate in Arts and Letters from Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC.

Representative Sue Myrick (R-NC 9) was born August 1, 1941, in Tiffin, Ohio. She attended Heidelberg College in Tifton from 1959 to 1960. In 1995, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Heidelberg College. Before moving to Charlotte, NC, she was an on-air television personality in Harrisburg, Virginia. Representative Myrick began her public life as executive secretary to the Mayor of Alliance, Ohio.

Representative Beverly Earle (D-NC 101) was born on December 30, 1943 in Greensboro, NC; home of the first sit in movement. She is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in Social Service and has received many civic awards for her care of the elderly, children, and the sick. She has lived in Charlotte, NC, for over thirty years and is the owner of Earle and Associates – founded in 1991. From 1985 to 1991 she owned and operated Beverly’s Frozen Desserts.

Also featured are Liz Hair (Former County Commission Chair), Ella Scarborough (Civil Rights Patriot), Ms. Cynthia Marshall (AT&T, North Carolina), and many more notable woment.

The first tour took place on Saturday March 27, 2010, at 1:30 PM, and included a stop at the Duke Mansion in the Myers Park community. The tour lasted three hours and was enjoyed by all in attendance.

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