Investigating Durham's Difficult History: Colonization, Slavery, Urban Renewal, and Gentrification
Investigating Durham's Difficult History: Colonization, Slavery, Urban Renewal, and Gentrification
- Date:
- Saturday, June 17, 2023
- Time:
- 3:00pm - 4:00pm
- Location:
- Main Library - Auditorium - Upper Corridor 2nd Floor
- Location:
- Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St)
- Audience:
- Adult Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds
- Categories:
- Durham Humanities North Carolina Collection
The city and county we know today as ‘Durham’ has a long and tumultuous history. This talk will touch briefly on a timeline history of Durham’s difficult past, including the colonization and removal of Indigenous peoples, ties to Stagville Plantation and slavery, the Urban Renewal Project beginning in the late 1950s, and the continued gentrification of Durham with a particular focus on the downtown area. As the talk transitions between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Urban Renewal, it will highlight the founding of Durham and Durham County, the construction and success of Hayti and Black Wall Street, and Durham’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. The goal of the presentation is to provide insight into Durham’s structure today, and how this turbulent history has affected the communities therein.
This presentation will include difficult topics including racism and mentions of physical violence.