Guilford 250: Our Leadership in Civil Rights

Guilford County is unusual in North Carolina, and perhaps the American South for having a treasure trove of Black historic sites that include the acclaimed International Civil Rights Museum and Center, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Palmer Memorial Institute, and the John Coltrane Childhood Home, as well as a significant collection of institutions such as Bennett College for Women, Penn-Griffin High School, Dudley High School, and the largest HBCU in the nation - NCA&T. Sometimes at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, and sometimes lagging, Guilford County has much to offer the state and the nation in terms of history of a place and its people.
Join us this National Historic Preservation Month to learn of these treasures and trends in historic preservation moving forward. Guilford can be a national leader, once again, in raising the voice of diversity and Black history. Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson is among the most connected people in historic preservation in our state. She is currently the Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities and Professor of Sociology at Shaw University in Raleigh, and before her appointment there she was the Mott Distinguished Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of Africana Women’s Studies at Bennett College in Greensboro. Dr. Johnson chairs the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, serves on the North Carolina Historical Commission, National Register Advisory Committee, and is member of the board of Preservation North Carolina.