A capital for Black capitalism: Soul City, N.C. and its unique connection to Asheville

Press release from Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Join us for the 14th Annual Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taking place Monday, January 15th at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church (123 Kenilworth Rd. Asheville, NC 28803). Community potluck from 5:00-6:30pm in Kenilworth Center,4 Chiles Ave. (directly behind church) followed by the program which will begin at 6:30pm in the Church Sanctuary.

The topic of this year’s event is: A Capital for Black Capitalism: Soul City, N.C. and its Unique Connection to Asheville. The evening’s keynote speaker is Floyd B. McKissick Jr. Esq., the son of the late civil rights leader and Asheville native Floyd B. McKissick. The McKissicks and associates were the developers of a 3,700-acre community called Soul City. Soul City was a planned Black mini-metropolis designed for a population of 55,000 in rural North Carolina. Come and learn more about this fascinating part of our nation’s history.

The discussion will be moderated by Benjamin Barber, a writer and advocate who is heavily interested in voting rights, democracy and Southern history. He currently serves as the Democracy Program Coordinator at the Institute for Southern Studies and as a contributing writer for Facing South.

The evening will be hosted by Marvin Chambers, a founding member of A.S.C.O.R.E. (Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality), and an icon of the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina.

DJ Profe$$ah G will be spinning great tunes. Come out for food, fellowship and learn about the past, present, and future of Soul City!

 

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