“I’d like to end on a less scholarly note … by quoting Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary in Australia: ‘If we could live happy and healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn’t we?'”
Tag: slavery
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From Slavery to Freedom: Remembering April 26, 1865
A remembrance at Vance Monument was organized to honor the 150th anniversary of the freeing of slaves in Asheville, just steps away from where black men and women were sold as goods, on the steps of the Courthouse in a different era. The remembrance was co-sponsored by Date My City and the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education.
Letter writer: Vance Monument debate raises issue of American historical amnesia
“As a transplanted Northerner, I have always been amazed that the South wants to glorify its past Confederate history while being so quick to overlook its true history, both past and present, of violence, hate, impoverishment and economic and chattel slavery of people. “
Stones and bones: Volunteers help resurrect local African-American history
A revitalized volunteer push is underway to rescue Western North Carolina’s oldest known African-American cemetery from the ravages of neglect and obscurity. The effort includes a new website that features an interactive map of the cemetery and a digital guide to each of its graves.
Whose story? Democratizing America’s collective historical memory
America continues to have a difficult time facing its past, especially when this requires taking an in-depth look at slavery. Slavery does not comport with our claims about our founding ideals. Thus, when memorializing the past, Americans are more comfortable with images that don’t glaringly highlight the country’s hypocrisy.
Juneteenth: First-ever 13th Amendment exhibit celebrates end of slavery
Nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War, one of the era’s most important historical documents was displayed in Western North Carolina for the first time ever.
Bought & Sold: Forgotten documents highlight local slave history
In Buncombe County, thousands of slaves toiled as cooks, farmers, tour guides, maids, blacksmiths, tailors, miners, farmers, road builders and more, local records show. And after mostly ignoring that troubled history for a century and a half, the county is now taking groundbreaking steps to honor the contributions of those former residents by making its slave records readily available online.
Exhibit spotlights hidden local African-American history
The Buncombe County Register of Deeds Office has opened an exhibit to commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and to remember those who were enslaved and their immeasurable contributions to our community. Along with the exhibit, the county has produced a short documentary, Forever Free, which features historians and descendants of slaves speaking on the significance of these records and the importance of acknowledging our past. Watch it here.