According to the 1950 Census, Charlotte was one of the most residentially segregated cities in the US. Residential segregation in the city was by race and class. The census also revealed that the average White person completed 12 years of schooling compared to only six grades completed by Black persons in the city. The high ranking of Charlotte as one of the most racially and economically segregated cities played a large part in the challenge with equitable education with neighborhood schools that would arise decades later.

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The Brown v. Board of Education court case ruled that it was unconstitutional to segregate public schools. Led by attorney, Thurgood Marshall (pictured in the middle), the case proved that “separate-but-equal” education was not equal at all. Although the national ruling took place in 1954, it would be 15 years later before the city of Charlotte devised a plan to integrate schools. Initial efforts to integrate schools in the late 1950s involved placing one or a couple of White students in all-Black schools and the same with Black students in all-White schools which led to violence in many cases.

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In January 1960, city and county schools in Charlotte combined into one district. While there were still 88 segregated schools at the time (57 all-White and 31 all-Black schools), integration was now more possible because it eliminated the chances of White flight from schools. On April 23, 1969,​ Judge McMillan demanded the Charlotte School Board end segregated schools. He appoints Dr. John Finger to create a plan which later resulted in several Black schools closing down. One of those schools was Second Ward High School. It was closed due to the urban renewal initiative to build new businesses and a highway uptown. 

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