Eric Heberlig quoted in The Charlotte Observer’s ‘We set out to find Charlotte’s true culture. Here’s what our search turned up’
Eric Heberlig, professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, was quoted in The Charlotte Observer’s article, ‘We set out to find Charlotte’s true culture. Here’s what our search turned up.’
Between 2000 and 2010, Charlotte grew by nearly 65%, the fastest of any U.S. city. When the city was chosen to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the host committee searched for a symbol of Charlotte’s culture and identity to gift attendees. However, there was no clear answer to what represented the fast-growing city.
“There’s nothing immediately obvious and consensual that everybody’s going to say, ‘yeah, that’s Charlotte,’” said Heberlig.
Heberlig studied the convention and authored “American Cities and the Politics of Party Conventions” (State University of New York Press, 2018) alongside Suzanne Leland, professor and MPA director in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and former associate professor David Swindell.
“New Orleans, you have something related to jazz. Nashville, you have something related to country music. New York, you have the Big Apple and the Statue of Liberty. Charlotte, you know, it’s banking,” he said.
In light of this historical context, the Charlotte Observer set out to define Charlotte’s identity. Throughout the process, they ultimately found that for many residents, the openness to constant change and reinvention is why they love Charlotte.