Buncombe Community Remembrance Project: August 2023

Important News/Events/Stories

This e-newsletter shares what the Buncombe Community Remembrance Project is doing and offers other news, events and stories that align with its work. Below are some items that are noteworthy. As always, feel free to share any or all of these items or the entire e-newsletter.

Black Wall Street AVL works to support Black Businesses in Asheville. Check out their website for more information.

Hood Huggers offers a fun way to learn about the history of Black Asheville. They also organize volunteer opportunities at the Peace Garden  – there are regular Community volunteer days. The Farm stand is open on Fridays from 3pm-7pm every week. Get details about how to book a tour, volunteering or taking part in their other community actions here.  

The Color of Asheville’s Black-Owned Businesses and Community directory

National News

Judge dismisses the lawsuit seeking reparations for the 3 survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. article 

Rudy Giuliani conceded that his claims against Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, were lies. article 

A rising number of Americans say political violence is justified. article 

Black farmers can now apply to the USDA for relief from decades of discrimination. article 

The US Forest Service and Black colleges unite to boost diversity in firefighting. article 

The Air Force has moved 15 families in the past 2 years due to racism, anti-LGBTQ harassment. article 

The definition of who is a patriot depends on who you are asking. article 

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State News

***Important voting information: The NC Board of Elections released these 10 facts about the NC photo ID requirement for voting. This goes into effect now!

NC Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor, emphasizes that he is “not no African American.” article

The Raleigh City Council unanimously approved a resolution acknowledging the lingering effect of slavery and Jim Crow on Black families. article

The NC General Assembly seems more inclined to disrupt education efforts across the state than help them. article

In last month’s newsletter there was an article that reported that UNC-CH had not returned funds to the Ida B. Wells Society, co-founded by noted journalist Ms. Nikole Hannah-Jones. UNC-CH still has not done so. article

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Issues in Education

A recent study shows that Black Land Grant Universities are receiving less funding while white universities flourish. article  

The ending of Affirmative Action has energized efforts to end minority scholarships in higher education across the country. article 

Ending Affirmative Action may close the door for to higher education for Black student athletes. article 

Florida faces a national backlash as it moves to whitewash the teaching of African American history. article 

While Florida works to whitewash the teaching of African American history, across the nation the demand for the AP African American Studies curriculum is surging. article  

Here is an article that supplies information and resources on anti-Black racism in education. article 

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Racism

A recent poll found that voters for Trump see racism against white Americans a bigger problem than racism against Black Americans. article 

Structural racism may contribute to mass shootings. article 

Anti-LGBTQIA+ policies are linked to depression in Black and Latinx youth. article 

New York City shows once again that racially biased police tactics continue to be financially expensive to communities. article 

There is actual harm in ignoring the influence of racism in studying the impact of climate change. article 

Racial redlining created Black neighborhoods that researchers are finding have increased health risks. article 

SC continues to destroy Black communities to build roads. article 

Country singer Jason Aldean’s new song created a racial firestorm. article 

The existence and legacy across the US of places that through force, laws, or customs worked to remain all-white and are known as sundown towns (also cities and counties) continues. Here is a link to a website that teaches about them. 

Here is a historical essay that looks at how sundown violence and policies helped set school district boundary lines embedding inequity in America’s educational system. 

In a town in rural Alabama, explicit active racial election denial is going on. article 

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Local Happenings

Sadly, local sports icon Henry Logan passed away last week. He earned a basketball scholarship to Western Carolina Univ. making him the first African American scholarship athlete at a predominantly white institution in NC. article 

A Confederate flag in the Barnardrsville 4th of July parade gets called out in an Asheville Watchdog op-ed. 

Asheville now has a mural celebrating Latin Pride. article 

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The East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association is having its Community Heritage Festival on Saturday, August 26th, from 10am to 10pm in MLK Park, located at 50 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. This year’s theme is Heritage: Past, Present, Future.

The East End/Valley Street Community Heritage Festival Parade will kick off the festivities at 10am at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Alexander Drive, and will end at MLK Park. 

This is an alcohol-free, family-friendly festival, so bring your loved ones and enjoy a day filled with laughter, learning, and fun. Please note that animals are not permitted at the festival. 

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In this article from the Citizen-Times, Dr. Dwight Mullen, chair of the Asheville and Buncombe County Reparations Commission, noted that reparations will do much to “fix the country as a whole”. 

Asheville and Buncombe County Community Reparations Commission Commission webpage

• The Commission’s project page Project page  
• The next meeting of the Community Reparations Commission is scheduled for August 21, 2023 from 6pm-8pm at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Banquet Room:  87 Haywood Street,  Asheville, NC 28801

The Asheville Racial Justice Coalition hasexpanded its efforts to promote reparations in Asheville and Buncombe County. They are asking organizations to endorse this effort. I encourage you to go here to learn more about their Reparations are Due pledge and to sign it. 

The Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Asheville has created the RSAA Reparations Fund. Here is information on how people can learn and support this effort organized by the Tzedek Social Justice Fund. Early in July they offered this update

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The Plant Club Pop Up Market is welcoming to all plant lovers and growers alike. We have plant-centered events in the Canopy Gallery at Art Garden in the RAD each month. The Pop-up Market happens on the 3rd Saturday of each month, features around 10 local plant people, and is free to attend and to vend! Come find plants and plant-goodies from a wide range of local growers and makers, and make new plant friends!

Sat. August 19 11am-3pm

Art Garden AVL 191 Lyman St, Ste 316 Asheville, NC 28805

Email connect@artgardenavl.com if interested in vending!

A new national organization is committed to funding to help small nonprofits across the country fight for reparations for Black citizens and their communities. article 
 

Feeling inspired to voice your concerns? Here is an updated list of print and online media here in WNC and a writer’s guide to writing a well-organized letter-to-the-editor (LTEs) or opinion article can be found here 

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Remembrance Projects Nationally & Locally

The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has been the important partner not only to Buncombe County but to all communities willing and working to address their history of racial injustice. As in each edition of this e-newsletter, the Buncombe Community Remembrance Project continues to highlight several items from EJI.

1. EJI is currently working with nearly 100 communities to advance Community Remembrance Projects. More than half have erected historical markers. You can find out more about the communities that have erected EJI sponsored Community Remembrance Project markers here.
2. You can view what is on each of the markers for Buncombe County, front and back, here as compiled by the Equal Justice Initiative. To see the markers, go to the following sites: for Mr. John Humphries – College & Spruce Streets; for Mr. Bob Brackett – Triangle Park; and for Mr. Hezekiah Rankin – Craven Street & Emma Road.
3. The full stories about each of the three men who were lynched are captured in this document. 
4. The Equal Justice Initiative shared this webpage of the Historical Markers Installation Ceremony In Asheville on October 30th of 2021.

     Please remember:

1. That if you want to stay connected to the work of the Equal Justice Initiative? Sign up for updates about their work here.
2. Every day of the year offers important racial justice history. If you want to get a daily reminder of that history, the Equal Justice Initiative offers this sign-up. Go here to get today’s reminder.

The NC Black Alliance offers this webpage with a page entitled – “Access to Healthcare: What You Need to Know” along with other pages that have articles and information concerning the Black community.