Two Major Exhibit-Related Events

Two major events will take place in conjunction with the exhibit Behind the Veneer: Thomas Day, Master Cabinetmaker at the N.C. Museum of History. Both events are free.

Panelists Dr. Timothy B. Tyson, Dr. Reginald F. Hildebrand, and Dr. Blair LM Kelley will participate in a lively discussion about turning points in African American history on Saturday, May 22, the opening day of the exhibit. The program is part of the larger “Celebrate North Carolina” initiative of First Gentleman Bob Eaves.

Don’t miss the Ninth Annual African American Cultural Celebration on Saturday, June 5. More than 50 presenters from across North Carolina will share their history and culture during this large festival.

Details about each of these large events follow.  

Celebrate North Carolina: Turning Points in African American History
Saturday, May 22
10:00-11:15 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. coffee and doughnuts will be available.

During this panel discussion, Dr. Tyson will center on the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot, Dr. Hildebrand will discuss the impact of the Civil War on African Americans in North Carolina, and Dr. Kelley will focus on the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Jeffrey J. Crow, Deputy Secretary, N.C. Office of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, will serve as moderator.
Information about each panelist is below.

Dr. Timothy B. Tyson, Senior Research Scholar, Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and Visiting Professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture, Duke Divinity School. Tyson is the author of Blood Done Sign My Name, which was recently released as a motion picture.  

Dr. Reginald F. Hildebrand, Associate Professor, Department of African and Afro-American Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill.  

Dr. Blair LM Kelley, Associate Professor, Department of History, N.C. State University.
Kelley's recent book Right to Ride (UNC Press, 2010) examines the earliest struggles against Jim Crow laws across the South, when ordinary men and women risked lynching and race riots to contest the segregation laws that divided trains and streetcars by race.

Ninth Annual African American Cultural Celebration
Saturday, June 5
11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Bring the family to this fun and educational event with loads of hands-on activities for all ages. Truly a celebration, the variety of dancers, musicians, actors, authors, storytellers, artists, craftspeople and others will bring to life the rich heritage of the state’s African Americans, past and present.

See video “portraits” that highlight aspects of Thomas Day’s life and the antebellum period. Watch scenes from the play “Phillis Wheatley and Friends,” and learn about the George EastmanSchool in northeastern North Carolina.

Hear music performed by legendary bluesman Big Ron Hunter and nationally acclaimed musician Grenaldo Frazier, composer of the gospel off-Broadway musical “Mama, I Want to Sing.” Modern dance company Cyrus Art Productions will perform and teach dance moves, and storytellers from the N.C. Association of Black Storytellers will captivate both young and old.

For a complete schedule of events, go to ncmuseumofhistory.org or call 919-807-7900. The African American Cultural Celebration is supported by AT&T and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, with funds from the United Arts campaign as well as the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

For more information about the N.C. Museum of History, call 919-807-7900.

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