For five years, author Philip Gerard explored our history in Our State’s Decades Series. Discover the moments in time that transformed North Carolina.
1980s | 1970s | 1960s | 1950s | 1940s | About the Author
1980s
The Decade of Local Heroes
The Decade of Local HeroesAfter a period of radical change, North Carolinians enter the 1980s with renewed energy and optimism. The time is right for men and women of passion and talent to step up and make their mark on our state.
A Judge of Fine Character
A Judge of Fine CharacterFrom his childhood on a farm in Richmond County to his barrier-breaking achievements on the North Carolina Supreme Court, Henry Frye builds his life and career on a foundation of hard work and integrity.
Michael Jordan Changes the Game
Michael Jordan Changes the GameBefore he was the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan was an athletic kid from Wilmington. In 1981, he heads to Chapel Hill to hone the skills and competitive spirit that launch him to superstardom.
Pioneers of the Piedmont
Pioneers of the PiedmontWhen two scientists from Research Triangle Park win a Nobel Prize, their victory represents the fulfillment of the park’s original mission: to make world-class science part of North Carolina’s DNA.
Dream Weavers
Dream WeaversImmigrants from Asia and around the world find refuge from war, freedom from persecution, and fresh opportunities. In return, they weave new strands of art and culture into the tapestry of our state.
The Bird Man
The Bird ManIn Wilmington, a biology professor makes it his mission to understand and protect the waterbirds that nest along the North Carolina coast — and inspires his students to do the same.
The Challenger Seven
The Challenger SevenIn 1986, the nation mourns the heroes aboard the space shuttle Challenger, including two astronauts with deep ties to North Carolina.
City of Stars
City of StarsA major film production finds its principal location in southeastern North Carolina, setting the stage for Wilmington’s new role as “Hollywood East.”
A Reunion for the Ages
A Reunion for the AgesA quest to discover her roots inspired a Tyrrell County native to organize a homecoming for the descendants of the men and women once enslaved at Somerset Place Plantation.
The City That Almost Wasn’t
The City That Almost Wasn’tBy the early 1980s, downtown Asheville is struggling. But when a plan to jump-start the area threatens to alter its character, locals spring into action, taking steps toward a bright future.
A Man of Grand Designs
A Man of Grand DesignsHarvey Gantt arrives in Charlotte as a leader with vision, helping shape the city’s future as an architect and, following his election in 1983, as its first black mayor.
White Christmas on the Coast
White Christmas on the CoastA dramatic decade brings communities together around one more momentous event: a record-breaking storm that covers southeastern North Carolina in a blanket of snow — just in time for the holidays.
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1970s
The Decade of Disruption
The Decade of DisruptionAcross the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.
A Leader for Peace
A Leader for PeaceAs the Vietnam War roils campuses across the country, students at NC State University seek peace, unity, and answers to difficult questions.
The Wilmington 10
The Wilmington 10Following an incident at a local high school, long-simmering racial tensions boil over in Wilmington, culminating in the wrongful conviction of 10 activists.
Room to Roam
Room to RoamIn Asheboro, the rolling piedmont starts to look like a slice of Africa as a new state-supported zoo aims to teach the value of conservation — and give its animals space to be themselves.
A Political Sea Change
A Political Sea ChangeThe election of two young politicians to state’s top offices — including the first republican governor in generations — signals new ideas on the horizon.
Managing Our Treasured Coast
Managing Our Treasured CoastAs developers discover North Carolina’s beautiful shorelines and beachfront communities, lawmakers make a plan to protect their splendor for generations to come.
Lifting Native Voices
Lifting Native VoicesA new commission of Indian affairs ensures representation for North Carolina’s indigenous population. In politics, journalism, the arts, and more, the state’s original residents make strides and speak out.
Cradle of Music
Cradle of MusicAt Cat’s Cradle, a new music venue in the college town of Chapel Hill, a lively arts scene flourishes, drawing national acts and nurturing the careers of countless local musicians.
Fatal Distraction
Fatal DistractionOn September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 goes down near Charlotte, the crash — one of the worst in state history — initiates lasting changes to the rules surrounding takeoffs and landings.
The Modern Pioneers
The Modern PioneersFor environmentalists and “Back to the Land” homesteaders seeking a new way of life, a magazine published in Hendersonville guides that way.
A Seat on the Bench
A Seat on the BenchFrom her roots in Reidsville, Susie Sharp blazes a trail to the North Carolina Supreme Court, becoming the first female chief justice in state history.
The Heart of Soul City
The Heart of Soul CityIn Warren County, civil rights leader Floyd McKissick lays the foundation for a community built on equality — and although it fails to materialize, his core values live on.
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1960s
A Dynamic Decade
A Dynamic DecadeMomentum has been building, and by the early 1960s, the payoff is clear: Now in the national spotlight, North Carolina enters an era of action and activism.
The Great Blizzard of 1960
The Great Blizzard of 1960The decade blows in with a series of winter storms that threaten to incapacitate the High Country. But residents are resilient — and the rest of the state mobilizes to help.
The Full-Court Press
The Full-Court PressIn 1969, North Carolina bounds onto the national court: Fans across the Piedmont rally to support the state’s first pro basketball team, the Carolina Cougars.
Silence Speaks Volumes
Silence Speaks VolumesAs the nation mourns the loss of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., college students in Durham take action on campus.
Close Call over Wayne County
Close Call over Wayne CountyOn a quiet night in 1961, a plane from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base accidentally releases two thermonuclear bombs near Goldsboro. Only later do North Carolinians learn how close they came to the brink of disaster.
Keeping Cape Lookout
Keeping Cape LookoutBy 1965, the diamond-patterned lighthouse has helped keep seafarers safe for more than a century. Now, a new kind of coastal protection takes shape for the pristine stretch of the Outer Banks.
The State of Literature
The State of LiteratureIn the 1960s, a renewed focus on culture and education brings a burst of energy to the state’s literary scene: Writers sing North Carolina’s praises in poetry and prose.
Fast Cars & Outlaw Heroes
Fast Cars & Outlaw HeroesThanks to the grit of its drivers and the thrill of its events, the sport started by moonshiners shifts into high gear. Born on the dirt tracks of the North Carolina Piedmont, stock car racing becomes a national pastime.
The Class Acts
The Class ActsIn the 1960s, with the expansion of the Consolidated University of North Carolina and the state’s community college system, more North Carolinians than ever head to college classrooms.
The Music of Unity
The Music of UnityAlthough slow to desegregate, one college shifts racial sentiments on campus not with court orders or violence — but through the power of music.
In the Spirit of Service
In the Spirit of ServiceThe Cherokee Boys Club transforms the lives of its members — and the community — with help from its manager. Although not a Cherokee by blood, his devotion earns him honorary status in the tribe.
Crossing Into the Future
Crossing Into the FutureOn the cusp of a new decade, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is completed in Wilmington. The modern bridge is an icon of the fast-growing city, a connection to the rest of the state, and a promise of big things to come.
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1950s
The Decade in Motion
The Decade in MotionBy 1950, The war that defined the previous decade is just a painful memory. The boys have long since come home, and people are moving fast and optimistically toward a bright future.
A Shared Rhythm
A Shared RhythmThe sound of change is in the air along the North Carolina Coast: The lively music coming out of a black resort community called Seabreeze attracts white audiences eager for something new.
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-InAfter the war, North Carolinians hit the road on gasoline that’s newly cheap and plentiful. Sleek cars in a kaleidoscope of colors carry families to drive-in theaters and restaurants, where they watch and dine under the stars.
Piedmont Takes Flight
Piedmont Takes FlightAs commercial aviation captures the public’s imagination, conditions are just right for a North Carolina airline — born and bred in Winston-Salem — to take off.
Elegy For an Iron Horse
Elegy For an Iron HorseAmid the rise of autos and airplanes, a Wilmington-based railroad company struggles to hold on, supported by passionate advocates until the last passenger train leaves the station.
Justice in Black & White
Justice in Black & WhiteAs the racism of the Jim Crow era comes to a head, the push for equality gains momentum. In North Carolina and across the South, the seeds of the civil rights movement take root.
UNC On the Air
UNC On the AirThe state’s first educational TV station delivers wisdom over the airwaves, from the classroom to viewers’ living rooms.
Long Live the Lumbee
Long Live the LumbeeThe Native Americans of Robeson County are strong and proud, but their history is marked by the struggle to overcome bias. In the 1950s, a watershed moment brings national attention to the Lumbee Tribe.
A Man & His Mountain
A Man & His MountainOne of our state’s most magnificent treasures was in danger of being overdeveloped. Instead, with a photographer’s passion for natural beauty, Grandfather Mountain’s new owner opens it to all.
The Shape of Things to Come
The Shape of Things to ComeThree universities, dozens of movers and shakers, one singular vision: Research Triangle Park charts a new course for North Carolina, proving that a simple idea can become a grand reality.
The Art of the Impossible
The Art of the ImpossibleNorth Carolina’s investment in a public art collection opens minds, enriches the lives of citizens, and creates a home for the state’s cultural aspirations.
The Squire of Haw River
The Squire of Haw RiverHow a dairy farmer from Alamance County ascended the political ladder to become governor, then senator — never forgetting his rural roots along the way.
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1940s
The Decade of Transformation
The Decade of TransformationNorth Carolina began the 1940s as a mainly rural, isolated state hit hard by the Great Depression. But by the end of the decade, it was a different kind of state: one we recognize as our home.
The Liberty Armada
The Liberty ArmadaWhen America went to war in 1941, the Navy turned to Wilmington to provide ships. The city’s response helped secure victory for the Allies and left a lasting mark on the North Carolina coast.
The Soundtrack of the Decade
The Soundtrack of the DecadeIn the 1940s, traditional mountain music gives rise to bluegrass, jazz spreads nationwide, and three North Carolina natives make their mark on American music.
The Home of the Airborne
The Home of the AirborneAfter the Great War, the army planned to mothball a Sandhills airfield. But when the United States is pulled into another conflict, the base is reborn with a new purpose and a new name: Fort Bragg.
The Deluge of 1940
The Deluge of 1940Mountain communities bear the brunt of the decade’s most deadly Atlantic storm — forever changing our western landscape.
Land of Blue Smoke
Land of Blue SmokeWith the creation of the Qualla Boundary comes conflict — between two men determined to lead the Eastern band of Cherokee and within the tribe itself.
Field of Dreams
Field of DreamsAt a rural crossroads in Halifax County, black farmers chart a new destiny for their families through the Tillery resettlement program.
The Miracle of Hickory
The Miracle of HickoryWhen polio strikes children in the Piedmont, doctors, nurses, and volunteers rise to the occasion to build an emergency quarantine hospital.
A Mighty Storm
A Mighty StormA late summer hurricane slams the Outer Banks, leaving a path of destruction like nothing North Carolina’s coast has ever seen before.
Workers Unite
Workers UniteA group of black women in Winston-Salem takes a stand to demand better wages and safer working conditions. The movement they start grows into a short-lived, but effective, labor union.
Learning, the Black Mountain Way
Learning, the Black Mountain WayAn experiment with innovative teachers and a nontraditional curriculum yields a controversial educational experience.
A Man For His Time
A Man For His TimeNorth Carolina’s wartime governor takes office with a desire to help the state he loves.
The Devil Dogs Find a Home
The Devil Dogs Find a HomeAs war tensions ratchet up, the Marine Corps needs a training ground on the East Coast, and the military finds what it’s looking for near Jacksonville.
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Philip Gerard
Philip Gerard
