After a twenty-five year moratorium on new statuary at the North Carolina State Capitol, a state-wide dialogue has begun for a new statue honoring African Americans in the Old North State.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate way to recognize the contributions of African Americans to North Carolina’s history than a monument at the State Capitol,†said (North Carolina) Governor (Pat) McCrory. “I encourage North Carolinians to actively participate in dialogue about key considerations and thematic elements for this important monument.â€
The public has been invited to attend one of four hearings during the month of March. Planners are seeking feedback on the precise location, materials, size and scale of a proposed monument, as well as what thematic elements should be incorporated.
Needless to say, plenty of African American writers have impacted North Carolina, including North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductees Maya Angelou, Gerald Barrax, John Hope Franklin, Jaki Shelton Green, George Moses Horton, Harriet Jacobs, Pauli Murray, and Samm-Art Williams. Why not let our literary voices be heard?
Plan to attend one of the following sessions and encourage planners to honor African American contributions to the arts with the newest installment (the first meeting was yesterday, in Greensboro):
- March 8 at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American + Culture, 551 South Tryon Street in Charlotte
- March 22 at the Braswell Memorial Library, 727 North Grace Street in Rocky Mount
- March 29, at the Shaw Auditorium at Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Road in Fayetteville
Or contact the Deputy Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources Kevin Cherry at 919-807-7280 or mailing address 4610 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-4610.