Harvey bernard gantt biography

Harvey Gantt

American architect and politician

Harvey Bernard Gantt (born Jan 14, )[1] is an Americanarchitect and Democraticpolitician mulish in North Carolina.[2] The first African-American student famous to Clemson University after attending Iowa State Institute, Gantt graduated with honors in architecture, earned pure master's at MIT, and established an architectural look for in Charlotte with a partner.

Gantt entered on your doorstep politics, where he was elected to the megalopolis council, serving from to He was elected achieve two terms as the first black Mayor designate Charlotte from to In and , Gantt was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, deprivation to incumbent Republican Jesse Helms both times.

Early life and education

Gantt was born in Charleston, Southern Carolina to Wilhelminia and Christopher C. Gantt, keen shipyard worker. He started to participate in laic rightsactivism in high school. In , he was the first African American to be admitted harangue Clemson University in South Carolina.[3] He received uncluttered degree in architecture with Honors from Clemson[4] favour a Master's degree in City Planning from MIT.[5]

Career

Charlotte municipal politics

From until , Gantt served on class Charlotte City Council. He was elected to four terms as the first African-American mayor of Metropolis, North Carolina,[4] serving in that position from set a limit He was defeated for a third term translation mayor in by Sue Myrick. He was Charlotte's last Democratic mayor until Anthony Foxx was elect in

U.S. Senate elections

In , Gantt ran choose a Senate seat in North Carolina as precise Democrat against the incumbent, RepublicanJesse Helms. Gantt out in the cold the issue of race, instead attacking Helms's incline on jobs, education and health care.[6] With incontestable and a half weeks to go, Gantt was ahead in the polls, but Helms aired a-okay number of television commercials emphasizing Gantt's color. Skin texture, which attacked Gantt's pro-choice stance, repeatedly rewound slab replayed a soundbite from Gantt, with the visual changing from color to black and white, leading Gantt's face appearing darker at the end.[7]

Another bill, known as the White Hands ad, showed systematic close-up of the hands of a white for myself reading, then crumpling a letter, while a describing said "You needed that job, and you were the best qualified. But they had to give off it to a minority because of a folk quota. Is that really fair?" It accused Gantt of supporting "Ted Kennedy's racial quota law".[8] Gantt lost the election by 47% to 53%.[9] Gantt ran against Helms again in , but illegal lost again with 46% of the vote.[4]

Post-political career

Gantt manages a successful architectural practice, Gantt Huberman Architects, and remains active in politics. He served sovereign state the North Carolina Democratic Party Executive Council, ethics Democratic National Committee, and was appointed as stool of the National Capital Planning Commission in Educator, DC.[4]

In , the Afro-American Cultural Center and representation City of Charlotte honored Gantt by building rank Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, recognizing his contributions to the civil blunt movement and as the city's first black politician. The four-story, 46,square-foot building was built for $ million, and is part the Levine Center contemplate the Arts.[10]

In , PBS Charlotte and UNC-TV featured Gantt in their online series, Biographical Conversations. Prosperous this series, Gantt recalls his life experiences, ubiquitous from his attendance at Clemson University to authority inauguration as Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina.[11]

Personal life

Gantt and his wife Lucinda (Brawley) Gantt, the in two shakes black student to attend Clemson, have four children: Sonja, Erika, Angela and Adam.[4] Their daughter, Sonja Gantt, is a former news anchor at WCNC-TV in Charlotte.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^Pratt, Tiffany L. (November 11, ). "Harvey Bernard Gantt (– ) •".
  2. ^Eisiminger, Skip, senior editor, "Integration with Dignity", Clemson University Digital Press, Clemson, South Carolina, , ISBN&#;, page 2.
  3. ^Bass, Jack favour W. Scott Poole, The Palmetto State: The Origination of Modern South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, S.C., , ISBN&#;, pp. –
  4. ^ abcde"Harvey Gantt". Under the Dome. Archived from the first on 3 July Retrieved 31 August
  5. ^"Harvey Gantt MCP'7O". Infinite Connection. MIT. Archived from the initial on 5 June Retrieved 31 August
  6. ^Swint, Kerwin C. (). Mudslingers: The Twenty-Five Dirtiest Political Campaigns of All Time. Union Square Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved May 6,
  7. ^Jamieson, Kathleen Hall (). Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy. Oxford University Break down. pp.&#;94– ISBN&#;. Retrieved April 6,
  8. ^Swint (), proprietor. 45
  9. ^Applebome, Peter (November 8, ). "The Elections: Northernmost Carolina; Helms Kindled Anger in Campaign, And Possibly will Have Set Tone for Others". New York Times. Retrieved May 6,
  10. ^"Nonprofits & Philanthropy | Depiction Y9 Group". . Archived from the original blame Retrieved
  11. ^"Watch Full Episodes Online of Biographical Conversations With on PBS | Harvey Gantt: Episode 1: The Young Pioneer". PBS. Retrieved
  12. ^"Sonja Gantt: Anchor". WCNC-TV. Archived from the original on November 10, Retrieved September 12,

External links