Charlotte, NC
One of Four Sculptures at The Square
An African-American railroad builder is honored as part of the city's importance as a transportation center; Trade and Tryon Streets in Uptown
Nubian Rootz Cultural Center
Hosts a number of cultural classes and special events; call for calendar of events; 4801 North Tryon Street; 704-597-5258; http://www.nubianrootz.com
Afro-American Cultural Center
Located in the Historic AME Zion Church, the Afro-American Cultural Center is home to the renown Hewitt Collection of African American art and a Buffalo Soldier exhibit; the within two large galleries one sees changing exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media shows by local, state and national artists; Drs. Mary Harper and Bertha Maxwell established the Cultural Center in 1974 as an outgrowth of the Black Studies Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; in 1976 the AACC opened in Spirit Square Center for the Arts; in 1986 the Cultural Center moved to this larger current facility and now includes a 130-seat theatre and a 300-seat amphitheater; AACC's grounds feature two restored "shotgun" houses that date back to the 1890s -- this type of home was the most common type of housing in Charlotte's African American neighborhoods during the first half of the 20th century; AACC buildings are listed on the National Register for Historic Places; the center offers drum circles, step teams and a Heritage Music Festival; Tue-Sat 10a-6p, Sun 1-6p; free admission and handicapped accessible; Tue-Sat 10a-6p; Sun 1a-5p; 403 North Myers Street near East 7th; 704-374-1565; http://www.aacc-charlotte.org
The Original Coffee Cup
Gardine Wilson II’s original Southern café founded in the 1940s during the Segregation Era; now part of the Afro-American Cultural Center; 914 South Clarkson Street
Johnson C. Smith University
This HBCU was founded at a different site in Charlotte in 1867 with the mission to train black students; the school moved to this site during the early 1870s and many original buildings on campus include Biddle Hall, a Romanesque Revival centerpiece of the campus built in 1884, Carter Hall a Victorian Gothic building erected by students in 1895 and Carnegie Library built in 1912 with funds from Carnegie Foundation; the business school at Johnson C. Smith is moving up in rankings and by urban university standards, the school has a lovely campus; 100 Beatties Ford Road; 704-378-1000; http://www.jcsu.edu
Afro-American Children's Theatre
Founded in 1981; offers performances at the Great Aunt Stella Center, Dana Auditorium at Queens College and First Ward Place; mounts six to eight fully staged productions each year with local cast members; a tremendous opportunity for children to develop a variety of skills: artistic, social, cultural, personal and academic with an emphasis on African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean cultural contributions; 345 North College Street, Suite 408; 704-372-7410; http://www.ncculturetour.org/sites/aact.htm
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument
An 8-feet tall bronze statue sculpted by Dr. Selma Burke; located in Marshall Park at 3rd Street, across new County Court house in Center City
Asheville, NC
Young Mens Institute Cultural Center
Built at the behest of Cornelius Vanderbilt as a necessary adjunct to the famed Biltmore Estates; it housed African craftsman that built his estate and furniture; these men were schooled in building crafts of the English and French Estates; this building was were they ate, drank, slept, and entertained; Vanderbilt ultimately transformed it into the Young Men’s Institute, a place where his workers and their children were educated and maintained their African, now American, culture; subsequently bought by African Americans, it has been a school, library, cultural institution, funeral home, doctors and dental offices over the years; gallery open Tue-Sat 10a-5p; a historic Colored hospital, Ritz Social Club, and Grave Park Inn build by African craftsmen, and a Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument are nearby; 39 South Market Street; 828-252-4614; http://www.ymicc.org