Today we arrived in Charlotte, NC called the “Queen City” because it was named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of British King George III during the time of the city’s founding. According to Wikipedia, King George III married her because she was a minor German princess with no interest in politics, so she would not meddle in his affairs. She didn’t. She did introduce the Christmas tree to Britain by decorating one for a children’s party. Another reason to admire her according to this video, is she was the first black British monarch, way before Meaghan Markle.
Charlotte, population 879,709 is the largest city in North Carolina and one of the 20 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. The population grew from 500,000 in 2000 to over 900,000 in 2022.
It is not hard to see why people are attracted to Charlotte with its lower-than-average cost of living and warm climate. many parks and city attractions. Of course, with the boom comes gentrification, where many Black residents are being pushed out of neighborhood where that have lived for generations. See my next post on the story of the Brooklyn neighborhood.
Perspectives on the Road 
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