The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce today said it has chosen Harvey Gantt for its 2011 Citizen of the Carolinas Award.

Gannt was Charlotte’s first black mayor and the first black to be admitted to Clemson University.

It’s the 22nd Citizen of the Carolinas Award. Past recipients include Leon and Sandra Levine, Jim Rogers, Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, Billy Graham, Marian Wright Edelman and Hugh McColl.

“Harvey Gantt’s contributions to the Charlotte community are endless,” the chamber said. “The importance of a solid education and the value of the arts have long been special passions for his family. Gantt has worked tirelessly to make Charlotte a great place for people of all backgrounds to live, work and to raise a family.”

In the early 1970s, Gantt and Jeff Huberman launched Gantt Huberman Architects. Gannt later went into politics, serving as a council member and mayor pro-tem before being elected mayor.

The award will be presented at the chamber’s annual meeting Nov. 29.

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