Greensboro, North Carolina
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Greensboro is a city located in Guilford County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 223,891 making it the third most populous city in North Carolina. It is located at the intersection of two interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region, in Guilford County in the central part of the state. In 1808, "Greensborough" (as it was spelled then) replaced Guilford Court House as the county seat.
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History
The city was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781. The Americans lost that battle but slowed up Lord Cornwallis's British forces enough to allow the Americans to prepare to defeat them at Yorktown (Virginia), where the British were forced to surrender on October 19, 1781, after a 20-day siege, thus ending the American Revolution.
Greensboro has been known for being on the forefront of racial equality issues, sometimes resulting in nationally known events. During the 1800's, with its large concentration of anti-slavery Quakers near Guilford College (now part of Greensboro), the town was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Railroad helped to smuggle runaway slaves to freedom in the North.
In 1960, four black college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down at an all-white Woolworth's lunch counter, and refused to leave when they were denied service. Hundreds of others soon joined in this first sit-in, which lasted for several months. Such protests quickly spread across the South, ultimately leading to the desegregation of Woolworth's and other chains. The original Woolworth's counter and stools now sit in the Smithsonian Museum, but a Sit-In Museum is being planned for the old Woolworth's building where the event actually occurred.
On November 3, 1979 gunfire was exchanged between Communist Workers Party members holding an anti-Ku Klux Klan rally, and a group of KKK and neo-Nazi counter-protesters. Five CWP members were killed and seven were wounded and television footage of the event was shown across the nation. This event is known as the Greensboro massacre.
The town is home to several universities and colleges. The University of North Carolina-Greensboro, North Carolina A & T University, Guilford College, Bennett College, and Greensboro College all call Greensboro home. In addition, the state community college system has several campuses for the Guilford Technical Community College.
First Lady Dolley Madison and short story writer William Sydney Porter aka O. Henry were born in Greensboro. One of the luxury hotels in town is named after O.Henry. Edward R. Murrow, famed World War II CBS radio broadcaster, one of the pioneers of TV news and five-time Emmy winning journalist, was born just outside of the city. Nationally acclaimed poet Randall Jarrell lived in Greensboro when he was a professor at UNC-G until his death in 1965. He is buried near the Guilford College campus. Science fiction/fantasy author Orson Scott Card is a current resident. Rick Dees, a famous radio personality who hosts an internationally syndicated radio show and who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, also grew up in Greensboro.
Greensboro native George Preddy, was credited with 26.83 enemy air-to-air kills ranking him as the top P-51 Mustang ace of World War II and sixth on the list of all-time highest scoring American aces. The town named a street "Preddy Boulevard" in his honor.
In terms of geography, Greensboro enjoys gently rolling hills and is half-way between the mountains of North Carolina and its beaches to the east. A view of the city from its highest building -- the Jefferson Pilot tower -- reveals that the town is populated with large numbers of green trees giving perhaps another dimension to its name. The town is well-situated in terms of travel, with Interstates 40, 85, and the soon to be built I-73 passing through its borders.
The Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, one of the oldest national PGA golf tour events, is held in Greensboro every fall at the Forest Oaks Country Club.
Geography
Greensboro is located at 36°4'48" North, 79°49'10" West (36.079868, -79.819416)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 283.0 km² (109.2 mi²). 271.2 km² (104.7 mi²) of it is land and 11.8 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.16% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 223,891 people, 92,394 households, and 53,958 families residing in the city. The population density is 825.6/km² (2,138.3/mi²). There are 99,305 housing units at an average density of 366.2/km² (948.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 55.49% White, 37.40% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 2.84% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.08% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 92,394 households out of which 27.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% are married couples living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,661, and the median income for a family is $50,192. Males have a median income of $34,681 versus $26,797 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,986. 12.3% of the population and 8.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Greensboro is served by Piedmont Triad International Airport, which also serves High Point, North Carolina and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Amtrak's Crescent and Carolinian and Piedmont trains connect Greensboro with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 2603 Oakland Avenue.
Constructions
The WFMY Tower situated near Greensboro is 583 m high. It is a guyed tower for FM- and TV-broadcasting.
Colleges, Schools and Universities
- Bennett College
- Guilford College
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, founded as the "State Normal School for Girls" in 1891 by Charles Duncan McIver, later the Women's College of the University of North Carolina, and now a coeducational autonomous campus of the University of North Carolina System.
- Greensboro College
- Guilford Technical Community College
- Canterbury School
- Greensboro Day School
- American Hebrew Academy, a private, Jewish boarding school for grades 9-12.
External links
City websites
- Official website of Greensboro, NC (http://www.ci.greensboro.nc.us/)
- Greensboro Chamber of Commerce (http://www.ci.greensboro.nc.us/)
- Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (http://www.greensboronc.org/)
- Links to Piedmant Region government, press and institutional websites (http://www.triadstuff.com)
- Greensboro101 - Citizens' Media for Greensboro, NC (http://www.greensboro101.com/)
- News & Record, Greensboro's daily newspaper (http://www.news-record.com)
Documentaries
- February One (http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0170) California Newsreel documentary on 1960 sit-in by the Greensboro Four. Accessed on April 2, 2005.
- Online Study guide for February One PDF document (http://www.newsreel.org/guides/february/feboneguide.pdf). Accessed on April 2, 2005.
- 88 Seconds in Greensboro (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/transcripts/102.html) PBS Frontline transcript. Reported by James Reston, Jr. Directed by William Cran. Original Airdate: January 24, 1983. Accessed on April 2, 2005.
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