Press Releases

William Gould was a plasterer in Wilmington who escaped from slavery with seven other men via the Cape Fear River. They were picked up by the USS Cambridge and joined the Union Navy. Gould kept a journal of his experiences for three years, producing the only known account by a sailor who was formerly a slave. He will be recognized with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker Nov. 13 at 10 a.m., dedication at the corner of 5th and Market Streets.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will join Kids in Parks, Edgecombe County and the Town of Tarboro Thursday, Nov. 1 to celebrate the opening of North Carolina’s 100th “Kids in Parks” TRACK Trail at Indian Lake in Tarboro.  The grand opening, including a ribbon cutting and guided hike, will be held at 11 a.m., Nov. 1 at Indian Lake Sports Complex, 3300 Western Blvd, Tarboro. The public is invited to attend. 

The North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped will celebrate 60 years of service to North Carolinians during a public Open House Celebration Thursday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1841 Capital Blvd., Raleigh. The event will feature live music and readings by local authors.  This event was rescheduled from its original date in September due to Hurricane Florence. 

The new date for the installation of North Carolina’s ninth Poet Laurate, Jaki Shelton Green, is Monday, Dec. 10 at the State Capitol.

What is archaeology? It’s more than just digging in the dirt! The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology will hold a Public Archaeology Day Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh. 

Explore the crafts and harvest traditions of one of North Carolina’s largest plantations at the Historic Stagville Harvest Festival, Oct. 20, noon to 5 p.m.  Enjoy demonstrations by master craftsmen, hands-on activities for all ages, and music by artists from the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Admission is $5 per person, in support of the site’s programs and mission. Tickets are available at the door.

Writers delving into societal inequality and social unrest have taken top honors in the competitions for the 2018 North Carolina Book Award, to be presented Oct. 26 during the annual meeting of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association in Greenville. The struggle of women and African Americans seeking opportunity and equality resonate throughout the winning works.

Even 400 years after his death, Sir Walter Raleigh continues to intrigue. Raleigh sponsored three expeditions to Roanoke colony in the 1580s, the earliest British attempt to settle North America. In 1792, North Carolina’s legislature honored this feat by naming the state’s new capital city for the explorer, soldier, and writer.   

Visit Historic Stagville Friday, Oct. 19, for a full day of educational activities! Are you studying American history, African American history, colonial history, the Civil War, or the history of slavery? Stagville’s Fall Harvest Homeschool Day will offer students hands-on activities about life on a plantation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a fee of $4 per child. 

Although born into slavery in 1859, Peter Weddick Moore used education as a path to success and service. He likely attended a school founded by the Freedman’s Bureau and went on to become the principal of the new State Normal School for the Colored Race in 1891, which is now Elizabeth City State University. A N.C. Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated in his honor Oct. 20 in Elizabeth City at 11 a.m.