In addition to organizing the second annual African-Americans in Western North Carolina Conference, UNC Asheville assistant history professor Darin Waters, along with his family, is donating a collection of historic photographs for the university to digitize, archive and selectively exhibit. Taken by local hobbyist photographer Isaiah Rice (Waters’ grandfather) from the ’40s until his death in 1980, the collection highlights communities such as Burton Street and Shiloh. “What people will see in these photos is a different Asheville as far as the presence of African-Americans is concerned,” Waters says, noting one photo’s depiction of Pack Square Park bustling with African-American students and youths. The collection, he says, demonstrates the African-American experience through the eyes of a “very middle-class,” forward-thinking family. Waters and his colleagues will debut a slideshow of select photos by Rice at the UNCA Highsmith Student Union’s Alumni Hall Friday, Oct. 23, during a panel that runs from 2-5 p.m. Free. avl.mx/1u0. Self-portrait by Isaiah Rice
Smart bets: Isaiah Rice photography collection
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