A new book of photos and poems explores the emotional toll of the pandemic. Plus, the Vance Birthplace teams with the American Myth Center to present stories of enslaved people, the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center helps make memories, and the Magnetic Theatre holds a carnival.
While some historians were already telling fuller stories before the monument’s removal, others have been inspired by its absence.
“Each segment of the community is yelling at the elected officials to promote its particular point of view, but there’s no structure for helping us all listen to one another across differences, en route to achieving mutually agreeable solutions.”
On Dec. 8, Asheville City Council voted to move forward with the removal of the downtown obelisk, which memorializes Confederate Gov. Zebulon Vance. Sandra Kilgore was the only member in opposition.
Because the monument stands on city property, Asheville City Council will have the ultimate say; Council is expected to take that vote at its regular meeting on Dec. 8.
Members of the Vance Monument Task Force voted 11-1 on Nov. 19 to remove the monument from the center of downtown Asheville, marking an end to 12 weeks of intense public comment and community division.
Per the joint city and county resolution that established the group, a “recommendation regarding the removal and/or repurposing of the Vance Monument” must be delivered to Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners within three months of Aug. 4, when the final members were appointed.
Holding onto hope — even when things appear darkest — was a key aspect of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message at the height of the struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and ’60s, says local civil rights icon Oralene Simmons. And that notion still rings true today, more than 50 years after King’s […]
Observances of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kick off with the 38th annual prayer breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 19, presented by The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville held its 37th annual prayer breakfast at the Expo Center of the Crowne Plaza Resort on Jan. 13. More than 1,000 attendees packed the room for the event, which was founded by Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons, who also served as this year’s keynote speaker.
A diverse crowd numbering in the thousands marched from the St. James AME Church at 44 Hildebrand St. in Asheville to Pack Square Park to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy on Monday, Jan. 16. Many carried signs expressing love for King and his message of social justice.
A capacity crowd filled the Crowne Plaza Resort’s Expo Center this morning for the 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast. Keynote speaker Patricia Russell-McCloud urged attendees to embody the event’s theme: “Stand up, speak out and unfold the dream for today.”
On Jan. 10., Asheville City Council approved the free downtown shuttle service offered by Slidr, a request to voluntarily annex a 4.8-acre parcel in South Asheville and an amendment to the zoning approval for the RAD Lofts housing development on Roberts Street. Council also agreed to move forward with a study of voters’ attitudes about district elections for positions on City Council.
A capacity crowd of nearly 1,200 attendees filled the largest ballroom at Asheville’s Crowne Plaza Resort to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sat., January 16. Dedicated to the memory of Clara Jeter, the theme of the 35th annual event was “A Call to Service.” View the photo slideshow.
Local leaders reflect on King’s influence and legacy nearly half a century after his assassination on April 4, 1968. Whether or not they were alive during King’s lifetime, all agree that his work and example had a profound impact on American society that continues today. Here’s what they had to say, along with some compelling quotes from King himself.
Oralene Simmons founded Asheville’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast in 1982 for residents of the neighborhood surrounding the Montford Recreation Center. It quickly grew into an Asheville tradition that’s still going strong as Simmons plans this year’s 35th community commemoration of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
