A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Harvey B. Gantt was the first African-American enrolled at Clemson University. He received a degree in architecture with Honors from Clemson and a Master's degree in City Planning from MIT. He continued in that profession and built a successful architectural practice, Gantt Huberman Architects .

He was elected the first black mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Her served in that position from 1983 - 1987. He staged two unsuccessful U.S. Senatorial campaigns against Jesse Helms in 1990 and in 1996