▁Mississippi , ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁anti - black ▁cities . ▁African ▁American ▁diss ent ▁towards ▁rac ism ▁was ▁however ▁very ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁Charlotte , ▁as ▁the ▁land mark ▁case ▁Brown ▁v . ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁arose ▁from ▁a ▁school ▁district ▁around ▁Charlotte , ▁and ▁Regin ald ▁Haw kins ▁spe ar head ed ▁protest s ▁against ▁seg reg ation ▁in ▁the ▁cities ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁institutions . ▁When ▁residents ▁in ▁Charlotte ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁file d ▁the ▁court ▁case ▁Sw ann ▁v . ▁Charlotte - Me ck len burg ▁Board ▁of ▁Education , ▁the ▁car ▁of ▁civil ▁rights ▁leader ▁" Jul ius ▁Ch amb ers ▁was ▁blow n ▁to ▁bits " ▁and ▁a ▁year ▁later , ▁" b omb s ▁expl oded ▁at ▁the ▁homes ▁of ▁four ▁more ▁civil ▁rights ▁leaders ". ▁ ▁Bi ographical ▁background ▁▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁Charlotte ▁who ▁had ▁experienced ▁much ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁his ▁lifetime ▁was ▁T . J . ▁Red dy , ▁who ▁was ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁at ▁Charlotte . ▁T . J . ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁poet ▁and ▁play w right ▁who ▁used ▁his ▁tal ents ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁purs ue ▁his ▁goal ▁of ▁being ▁an ▁urban ▁activ ist . ▁He ▁was ▁with ▁his ▁girl friend ▁V icky ▁Min ar , ▁when ▁he ▁" h app ened ▁upon ▁a ▁particularly ▁hum ili ating ▁experience ▁of ▁ra cial ▁in just ice " ▁at ▁the ▁Laz y ▁B ▁St ables .