State Sites and Museums Celebrate African-American Maritime History

Black History Month continues with several more events at state historic sites and museums.

On Thursday, Feb. 21, the North Carolina History Center in New Bern will host the next installment of the Tryon Palace African American Lecture Series, “Music of Black Migrationers.” Dick Knight and Company will share music of artists who left the south to escape violence and injustice. Musicians will include W. C. Handy, Huddie Lead Belly, Muddy Waters, Wilbert Harris, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, and more. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is free.

On Friday, Feb. 22, and Saturday, February 23, Historic Edenton will give its Harriet Jacobs Walking Tours. These tours celebrate Harriet Jacobs and the maritime underground railroad, and are targeted at the eighth-grade curriculum. Pre-registration is required, and you can call (252) 482-2637 to register. The tours begin 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and cost $2.50 per person.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, visitors to Historic Edenton can tour Edenton: From Civil War to Civil Rights. The tour will focus on black leaders, businessmen, and educators from Edenton and the Albemarle region from pre-emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement. The tour departs from the Historic Edenton visitor center at 11 a.m. and will last approximately one hour. The cost is $2.50 per person, and you can call (252) 482-2637 to RSVP.

At the Museum of the Albemarle, through March 30, Harlem Renaissance: A Forward Movement showcases historic artifacts from the Harlem Renaissance, including African American art and pro-black literature. Admission to the museum is free.

Roanoke Island Festival Park continues to honor black history throughout February through Facebook, Instagram, and other media. Visit these pages for content related to the Freedman’s Colony, Champney drawings, the Pea Island Life Saving Station, and more. The Park reopens on March 8.

Adapted from a news release from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.