Celebrating Black History Month

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St. Philips Moravian Church

Organized in Winston-Salem, then "Salem," in 1822, the church's congregation was mostly enslaved people. Consecrated in 1861, this is the oldest African-American church in North Carolina. Freedom was announced inside the church on May 25, 1865 by a Union Army cavalry chaplain. This is one of the oldest African-American congregations in the United States. The church still holds service every Sunday.

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Woolworth's Lunch Counter

The Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro is the site of an iconic moment in civil rights history. The store was infamous for turning away African American patrons at this counter. Four N.C. A&T students decided to change that in 1960 and took a stand by having a seat.

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The Greensboro Four

Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond became known as "The Greensboro Four" for their sit-in at Woolworth's in 1960. They were all students at N.C. A&T.

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The Greensboro Four Statue at N.C. A&T

Located in front of N.C. A&T's Dudley Building, this monument portrays "The Greensboro Four." From left to right: David Richmond | Franklin McCain | Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan) | Joseph McNeil

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John Coltrane

Coltrane was born in 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina. He grew up in High Point and attended William Penn High School. In 1943, he moved to Philadelphia before becoming one of the world's most renowned jazz musicians.

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Shaw University

Shaw University was founded in 1865 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the first higher education institution for African Americans in the South and one of the first in the country. The Leonard Medical Building (left) was named after philanthropist Judson Wade Leonard. Behind Leonard Hall, a 25-bed hospital opened in 1910. It was designed by Chatham County native Gaston Alonzo Edwards. Edwards was the first African-American licensed architect in North Carolina.

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Wilmington Insurrection

White men pose in front of the burned-out remains of The Daily Record newspaper building in Wilmington in 1898. The building, which housed the African-American newspaper operation, was set on fire by white men during the Wilmington "insurrection" of 1898.

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N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co.

North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance company was the largest black-owned insurance company when it moved to Parrish Street in Durham in 1906. African American-owned businesses lined the streets just south of the Hayti community. Nicknamed "Black Wall Street," the area became the hub for African American-owned businesses.

N.C. State Archives

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The "Triumvirate"

These three men, John Merrick, Dr. Aaron Moore, and C.C. Spaulding, were the leaders of N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. and were the ones who chose to move the headquarters to Durham. They became know as the "Triumvirate." The Mutual leaders had other business ventures and became icons for African-American entrepreneurship. From left: Merrick, Spaulding, Moore

N.C. State Archives

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Hard at Work

John Merrick, C.C. Spaulding, and Dr. A.M. Moore are hard at work inside N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. circa 1912.

N.C. State Archives

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North Carolina Highway Historical Marker "Black Wall Street"

Erected in 2003, this historical highway marker stands where "Black Wall Street" once operated in Durham.

wikimedia commons

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Foreshadowing a coup

A News & Observer 1898 political cartoon lampooning the power the Fusion Party, which consisted of black Republicans and Populist Party members, would have if it was successful in the 1898 elections. It was successful, but white supremacists, led by N.C. legislators, regained control, starting in Wilmington in the 1898 insurrection. That event and subsequent legislation began segregation and the "Jim Crow" era.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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20th century eugenics targets black people

The N.C. General Assembly created the Eugenics Board of North Carolina in 1933 to sterilize "mentally defective" or "feeble minded" people. Eventually, it would be used primarily on black people. Of the 7,686 people sterilized, 5,000 were black. The board was shut down in 1977 by the General Assembly.

Wikipedia

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Segregation

This 1938 photo shows a segregated drinking fountain on the lawn of the Halifax County Courthouse.

Library of Congress

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A long walk to integration

Dorothy Counts endures taunts as she walks to Harding University High School in Charlotte in 1957. As its first black student, Counts was a state and national symbol for integration.

Spectrum News

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Ernie Barnes leaves legacy on canvas

Durham-born artist Ernie Barnes, who was a graduate of Hillside High School and N.C. Central before playing five years in the AFL and NFL, became an internationally renowned artist. His most notable painting, "The Sugar Shack," became the cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" album and was featured in the opening of the hit TV show "Good Times." Barnes, whose works have been exhibited at the N.C. Museum of History, died in 2009.

Ernie Barnes with "In Remembrance"; Courtesy: Wkimedia/The Ernie Barnes Family Trust

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Princeville

Originally organized as Freedom Hill after the Civil War, the community of Princeville was the first town incorporated by African Americans in U.S. history in 1885. Princeville is located across the Tar River from Tarboro. That proximity to the river has devastated the town with catastrophic flooding issues from tropical storms and hurricanes.

Spectrum News

Watch Spectrum News throughout the month of February as we pay tribute to generations of African Americans who struggled through adversity and made history.

History Quiz