The City of Greensboro is continuing its efforts to preserve and highlight local Civil Rights history through a $75,000 African American Civil Rights grant project, and city officials are inviting residents to an upcoming community meeting later this month.
The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, in the fellowship hall of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.
According to the city, residents attending the meeting will be able to receive updates on the project and learn more about historic preservation tools and programs.
The initiative is funded through the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund and is intended to support the documentation of stories and locations connected to Greensboro’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
As part of the effort, nominations are being prepared to place two historically significant sites – the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and Gillespie Golf Course – on the National Register of Historic Places.
City leaders and Guilford County staff and commissioners are expected to provide updates on the nomination process for those properties during the meeting.
Officials also plan to share information on historic preservation resources and programs – including Greensboro and National Register Historic Districts, the Guilford County Landmark Program, state and federal rehabilitation tax credits and the Heritage Community Program.
According to city officials, previous grant-funded studies have included updating the Downtown Greensboro National Register Historic District to include mid-20th century architecture and Civil Rights history, surveying historic buildings in east and southeast Greensboro, and adding the South Benbow Road Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places.
Questions about the project should be directed to Russ Clegg at Russ.Clegg@greensboro-nc.gov.
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75,000 waste of money. Racist.
Celebrating Greensboro’s historic role in the US civil rights movement fighting actual racism and you call it racist? How is this racism from your perspective?
I figured Skip had this covered.
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I’ve been smeared as a racist repeatedly in these columns by a mean spirited individual whose intellect is too obtuse to differentiate between criticism and bigotry. I’m not a racist. About a third of my business’s customers are black, and while it’s true that they have different challenges to whites and Hispanics, they are perhaps the most human of all, if that makes any sense.
In 35 years I have seen family tragedies unfold, along with victories that are celebrated as only African-Americans can do. Their families are much stronger and closer than those of most white Americans.
In the early days of my door-to-door selling I often received the greatest hostility from black people, especially the men, but I have also received the greatest warmth from black people.
Mrs Corene Blair was the mother of one of the brave Woolworth Four, and she and I liked each other, for some reason. She lived on Benbow Street, and she’d never let me leave without giving me some small gift as I left. An apple, or a Coca-Cola perhaps.
I never broach the subject of politics with my customers, but I once noticed that she had a (pro forma) letter of thanks from Ronald Reagan prominently displayed on a board she had in her kitchen. I’m not saying she was a Republican, probably not, but I was surprised to see that.
She was getting on by the time I got to know her, but her sense of humour was undiminished. She once advised me to be gracious but realistic about ageing. She said “When I wake up and open my eyes in the morning, I say “Thank you Jesus! Now let me see if I can get out of bed”. She was a riot.
In retrospect, I realise that I loved her. She was just wonderful.
Oh, I forgot to say, she was the mother of Ezell Blair Jr, one of the brave young guys who stood up for their rights to be treated as human beings, right here in Greensboro.
I could tell many more stories about my experiences, but it’s true that I value my black customers as much as any other customers, possibly more so because of the warmth of their humanity.
If you like, I’ll tell y’all a true story that once shocked me to my core. Two, actually, both concerning black men.
Did you tell her how you beleive people from Africa are genetically lessor eviovled than people from Europe. Bet you didn’t.
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Professor, you can be relied upon to be an ASS**LE.
Every time.
Well did you?
I would love to hear those two stories!
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Okay Gilbert, here’s one.
A couple of decades ago I was working near Youngs Mill Road S.E. of Greensboro, and pulled into a driveway of a respectable, clean house. The door was answered by an older black gent who indicated an interest in the service I offer.
He invited me in, and I began to explain, only to realise quite quickly that he wasn’t really listening. So I just stopped speaking. After a moment or two, he looked up and apologized, telling me that he was distracted because his wife of many years was in the Intensive Care Unit at Moses Cone, and it was obvious that she wouldn’t make it. Clearly it was weighing heavily on him.
I apologized, and excused myself. As I left, he asked me to come back in the Spring, when he said he’d be more serious about looking at what I had to offer. This took place in the Fall.
I forgot all about the guy. “Come back later and I’ll buy” is a fob off 99 per cent of the time.
But… the following Spring I happened to drive by the same house and turned around, remembering the genial old fellow. The door was answered by a well presented black lady of about the same age. I was wrong footed immediately. Was this the man’s sister, helping him with the situation? Was it a new lady friend?
I explained the situation to the woman as diplomatically as I could, but telling her that he had said his wife had been terminally ill in Moses Cone Hospital.
The lady said “Yes, that was me. I nearly died, but I’ve made a complete recovery. They never did figure out what was wrong with me, but my husband was killed last month in a wreck on Battleground Avenue”.
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
The nice old guy who’d seemed as healthy as a horse 6 months ago was now dead, and his gravely ill wife was now the picture of health.
Wow that is both heartbreaking and wholesome. It is clear to me that those two must have loved each other very much. You have a natural talent for storytelling. It’s no wonder you’re a door-to-door salesman
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I think that’s a backhanded compliment… but I’ll take it.
Cheers Gilbert!
great place to get killed in a wreck, battleground ave, aptly named, personally knew several who died in wrecks using the ‘battleground’, NONE KILLED BY CYCLISTS i don’t bike on it but use it where there are sidewalks. there are long stretches without sidewalks where i fat tire bike on the shoulder/grass. i am trying to persuade people out of their dangerous M/V use by living close to their stuff etc.
“The initiative is funded through the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund”
That’s just another way to say money taken by force and coercion from we the working stiffs.
Perceptive.
ditto
That sign looks like Calibiri 11pt! Brings back memories of my office days.
Dumb question #1: how about EVERYONE’S civil rights?