Gantt says yes to Afro-Am, history
RICHARD MASCHAL
The knock on the door came a week ago and caught Harvey Gantt by surprise.
Would he, a man of historic firsts, be part of history again? Would he allow the Afro-American Cultural Center to be named for him?
Initially reluctant, the 64-year-old former Charlotte mayor thought about it and talked with family and community leaders who believe this was a way to honor him and raise $5 million in endowment for the center.
After putting the proposal in a historical context, he agreed.
"When I think about it from a long-term perspective, people asking a generation from now who is this Harvey Gantt fellow, there might be a bit of history they'd be interested in and I would be proud of that."
The Arts & Science Council will announce today the $5 million drive, part of an $83 million cultural endowment campaign already under way. The Gantt portion is seen as a way to attract gifts from those who want to honor Gantt and appeal to national donors familiar with his life and accomplishments.
By court order in 1963, Gantt was the first black student at Clemson University. In Charlotte he served on the City Council, was the first black mayor and ran for U.S. Senate twice.
"This is a wonderful tribute to Harvey, who has been a great leader and pioneer in Charlotte for many years," said Wachovia Chief Executive Ken Thompson, a campaign leader. "Harvey has many friends in this community who I hope will be eager to support this endowment as a way to honor him."
Foundation for the Carolinas in Charlotte kicked off the $5 million drive with a $1 million contribution. The naming, foundation President Michael Marsicano said, fit the group's goal of increasing understanding between people.
The exact name has not been chosen and will be selected after study by the Afro-American Cultural Center board. The center will be the first civic institution uptown named for an African American.
"It's an opportunity," said Marsicano, "to honor an African American hero and a hero to everybody."
The $18.6 million building under construction in uptown is part of a $126.9 million cultural complex spearheaded by Wachovia. It includes a new Mint Museum, Bechtler modern art museum and theater.
The $83 million endowment will help pay for the groups' day-to-day operations. About $55 million has been raised in a campaign that runs through 2009, when the new facilities open.
A principal with Gantt Huberman Architects, Gantt gained national attention in the '90s with two unsuccessful Senate campaigns against Jesse Helms.
Marsicano said he was struck by how many people at a recent meeting in Phoenix he attended with Gantt knew the former mayor.
"Long term," Marsicano said, "the Afro-American Center will benefit from having a nationally prominent name that catapults them programmatically to donors outside of Charlotte."
Deon Bradley, president of the Afro-Am, said the idea of renaming the center was under discussion when he came to Charlotte a year ago because it would have a new home.
"Harvey was always at the top of the list," he said.
But when Marsicano and Earl Leake, a vice president at Lance Inc. and chairman of the Afro-Am board, went to Gantt's office last week they found him wary. In 2005, Marsicano had asked Gantt to co-chair a citizens' task force on the schools.
This time, before they even spoke, Gantt told them: "The answer is `no,' `no' and `no.' "
Generally, Gantt said, he does not favor naming buildings for people who are still alive. He also thought others were more deserving. He mentioned Dr. Bertha Maxwell and Dr. Mary Harper who founded the Afro-Am in 1974 out of the Black Studies program at UNC Charlotte.
He had not sought the honor, had not heard about it, and was, he said, "flabbergasted."
But he has long been involved with the Afro-Am, served on its board and raised money for it. And he was impressed with the foundation's $1 million gift. "I didn't want to appear ungracious," said Gantt.
What convinced him was the possibility a renamed center "would spark discussion and dialogue," by educating visitors about the contributions of African Americans to Charlotte.
"It got bigger," he said, "than my personal feelings."
Harvey Gantt
PERSONAL: Born Jan. 14, 1943, in Charleston. Married to Cindy Gantt; children: Sonja, Erika, Angela and Adam.
EDUCATION: Iowa State University, 1960-62. First black student at Clemson University, bachelor's degree in architecture, 1963-65. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, master's degree in city planning, 1968-70.
Awards: Citizen of the Year, Charlotte NAACP, 1975. Echo Foundation annual Echo Award Against Indifference, 2003. Lifetime Achievement Award from Leadership Charlotte, 2006.
