Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin | City of Raleigh - Government
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin | City of Raleigh - Government
Author and local historian Carmen Wimberley Cauthen will be conducting her popular Trolley tour of Historic Black Neighborhoods for Emancipation Day. The tour is scheduled to begin at the Top Greene Community Center and will cover several historic black neighborhoods in Raleigh.
Cauthen's book delves into the history of Raleigh's African American communities, which began before the Civil War. Oberlin Village, among other towns, was built by free people of color during the antebellum era. The Reconstruction period saw the creation of thirteen freedmen's villages that defined racial boundaries in Raleigh. These neighborhoods illustrate the determination and resilience of formerly enslaved North Carolinians. Post-World War II, new suburbs emerged, reflecting the growth and challenges faced by the Black community under Jim Crow laws. Many of these communities still exist today, with numerous previously unpublished pictures and maps illustrating this hidden history.
Carmen Wimberly Cauthen shares a narrative about people who—despite slavery—sought education, growth, and equal treatment.
The tour will take place on June 14, 2024, with sessions from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $4 for children aged 5-15. Participants can register via RecLink.
Alerts Sign-up