Oral history interview with Charles M. Lowe, March 20, 1975

Longtime Charlotte politician Charles Lowe discusses the county-city consolidation issue in Charlotte, NC. Lowe seems to have embraced the spirit of his recent retirement, attributing the failure of consolidation in Charlotte to a trend of voter apathy that is sure to reverse itself eventually. Lowe concedes that the politics of race and class played a role in defeating consolidation, but seems to believe more in impersonal patterns, alliances that dissolve and reform, and periods of change followed by periods of settling. Lowe's focus on the big picture means that he rarely speaks in specifics about the political battle over consolidation in Charlotte. For this reason, this interview will be most useful for researchers who already have a grasp of the issue.