North Carolina Humanities Council

Nashville, TN

PURPOSE: EMPLOYING SLAVERY PEONAGE RATHER THAN SAFETY AND CARE, THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE COLORED INSANE IN GOLDSBORO REMAINS A LITTLE KNOWN, INADEQUATELY EXPLORED CHAPTER OF NORTH CAROLINAS HISTORY OF RACIAL INJUSTICE. THE HUNGRY RIVER PROJECT IS A COLLECTIVE OF CARE AND RESPONSIBILITY. THIS COMPLEX COLLECTION OF PORTRAITS OF NEARLY 4,000 PEOPLE HAS WAITED NEARLY 100 YEARS TO BE EXPLORED AND ACCESSIBLE. APPROXIMATELY 2,000 CELLULOID NITRATE NEGATIVES (SIZE 5&7/8 BY 3& 5/8) TAKEN BY CLINICIAN FRANK WHELPLEY DOCUMENT LIFE AT THE SEGREGATED ASYLUM. FUNDING FROM NC HUMANITIES WILL BE USED TO HOST PROJECT EVENTS, FACILITATE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS DESCENDENT RESEARCH, AND FOR THE PRESERVATION/DIGITIZATION OF THE IMAGES. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR A MORE ETHICAL, CONTEXTUAL, CREATIVE AND COMMUNITY-CENTERED ENGAGEMENT WITH THESE MATERIALS.

Wentworth, NC

PURPOSE: THIS FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT EXISTING PERMANENT STAFF SALARIES THAT DRIVE ALL MARC'S OPERATIONS AND HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL MISSION: BY ENSURING OUR STAFFING POWER, FUNDING WILL ALLOW MARC TO EXPAND OUR OPERATING HOURS BY OPENING MORE DAYS AND CONDUCTING MORE HISTORICAL TOURS. A KEY COMPONENT TO MARC'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS IS ITS VOLUNTEER AND STUDENT INTERN TEAM. AS NORTH CAROLINA HUMANITIES FUNDING WOULD DIRECTLY BOLSTER STAFF POSITIONS WHOSE DUTIES INCLUDE VOLUNTEER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT, IT WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT REVERSING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON OUR VOLUNTEER BASE. ADDITIONALLY, BY SUPPORTING EXISTING MARC STAFF, NORTH CAROLINA HUMANITIES FUNDING WOULD ENABLE FURTHER HUMANITIES SERVICES, SUCH AS HISTORICAL REQUESTS AND GENEALOGY ASSISTANCE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBITS. FUNDING WOULD NOT ONLY HELP THE MARC SURVIVE AND KEEP OUR HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL MISSION ALIVE.

Brevard, NC

PURPOSE: TO ENABLE THE VHMC TO KEEP ITS DOORS OPEN THROUGH 2021 EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE FEWER VISITORS AND FEWER VOLUNTEERS AND VOLUNTEER DOCENTS DUE TO COVID. WHILE OUR BUDGET SHOWS NEARLY $48,000 IN EXPECTED EXPENSES FOR 2021, THE VHMC WOULD APPLY THESE NCH ARP FUNDS TO BASIC OPERATIONS COSTS INCLUDING RENT, UTILITIES AND INSURANCE. IT WOULD BE DEVASTING TO CLOSE OUR DOORS AND STORE OUR ARCHIVES IF WE CANNOT COVER OUR BASIC COSTS. THE OTHER ITEM WE WOULD APPLY THESE NCH ARP FUNDS TO IS OUR PRINTING AND PUBLICITY BUDGET WHICH HAS MULTIPLE ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY VENUES TO DRAW VISITORS BACK TO THE MUSEUM IN QUAINT DOWNTOWN BREVARD, NC. WE WILL PLAY TELEVISION COMMERCIALS TO PLAY FOR SIX MONTHS ON REGIONAL TELEVISION STATION WLOS; ADVERTISE ON THE KIOSKS IN THE REGIONAL ASHEVILLE AIRPORT; ADVERTISE IN REGIONAL TOURISM MAGAZINES; AND PRINT MATERIALS FOR REGIONAL VISITOR CENTERS. THESE EFFORTS ARE OUR WELL-PLANNED ATTEMPT TO MITIGATE THE LOSS IN VISITATIONS AND REVERSE IT.

PURPOSE: WE ARE SEEKING THIS GRANT TO DEVELOP AN INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM FOR THE SMITHFIELD FREEDMEN'S SCHOOLHOUSE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RESTORATION. THIS 24' X 48', TWO-ROOM STRUCTURE, BUILT 1868-69 BY THE FEDERAL FREEDMEN'S BUREAU UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION, IS THE ONLY SCHOOLHOUSE FOR FREEDMEN KNOWN TO REMAIN IN NORTH CAROLINA AND ONE OF ONLY A FEW (PERHAPS FIVE) REMAINING IN THE UNITED STATES. THE JOHNSTON COUNTY HERITAGE CENTER IS PARTNERING WITH THE HISTORIC SMITHFIELD FOUNDATION, OWNER OF THE SCHOOLHOUSE PROPERTY, TO RESTORE THE BUILDING TO ITS 1869 APPEARANCE AND TO OPEN IT FOR TOURS, LECTURES, COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, AND POSSIBLY FOR AN AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING PROGRAM, IN KEEPING WITH THE BUILDING'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE. BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, PLANS WERE BEING DISCUSSED REGARDING THE HIRING OF A SCHOLAR AND/OR STUDENT INTERN TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING A PLAN TO INTERPRET THE SITE.

Salisbury, NC

PURPOSE: THIS FUNDING WILL ENSURE FULL OPERATION OF THE MUSEUM FOR ONE MONTH AS WELL AS HELPING TO SECURE OUR HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AND COLLECTIONS. TAKING THIS BURDEN OFF OF THE MUSEUM'S OPERATING BUDGET AT THIS TIME WILL ENSURE SMOOTH OPERATION INTO 2022. EXISTING STAFF SALARIES WILL BE SUPPORTED, ALONG WITH THE REESTABLISHMENT OF TWO PART TIME POSITIONS. $10,000 IS THE AVERAGE COST OF ALL 8 MUSEUM PERSONNEL FOR A MONTH. $2,000 WILL GO TOWARDS OUR UTILITIES AS THAT IS OUR AVERAGE UTILITY BILL A MONTH. $4,000 WILL GO TOWARDS CURATION SUPPLIES TO HELP PROTECT OUR COLLECTIONS. $4,000 WILL GO TOWARDS UPGRADING OUR PAST PERFECT COLLECTIONS SOFTWARE AND 3 NEW COMPUTERS FOR FULL TIME STAFF THAT WILL BE USED FOR BOTH COLLECTIONS AND THE PLANNING/EXECUTION OF HUMANITIES PROJECTS. THE NEWEST COMPUTER THE MUSEUM HAS IS A 2015 WITH THE OLDEST BEING A 2011 STILL RUNNING WINDOWS 7, LIMITING OUR ABILITIES AND ENDANGERING OUR PROGRAMMING AND COLLECTIONS.

Chapel Hill, NC

PURPOSE: NUESTRO SOUTH IS A MULTIMEDIA PROJECT DESIGNED TO ENGAGE NUESTRA GENTE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL CONTENT, EXPLORING OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY AND FUTURE AS SOUTHERN LATINXS. IN THIS NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT, WE WILL DIFFUSE THE HUMANITIES RESEARCH OF THREE EMERGING HISTORIANS, YAMI RODRIGUEZ, PERLA GUERRERO, AND YURI RAMIREZ. NUESTRO SOUTHS CORE TEAM WILL PAY IT FORWARD BY DEVELOPING NEW TEAMS OF 3-5 YOUNG LATINX STORYTELLERS AROUND EACH SCHOLAR. EACH TEAM WILL LEARN TO EFFECTIVELY PLAN, PRODUCE, AND DISSEMINATE DIGITAL CONTENT FOR NUESTRA GENTE BASED ON THEIR SCHOLARS WORK. IN ORDER TO ELEVATE THE VOICE AND VISIBILITY OF OUR STORYTELLERS, WELL FURTHER DEVELOP THE NUESTROSOUTH.ORG WEBSITE TO ALLOW OUR AUDIENCE TO EXPLORE A GROWING CATALOG OF DIGITAL CONTENT DEVELOPED BY OUR TEAMS. ALTHOUGH OUR CONTENT MAY BE ENCOUNTERED AND SHARED ON A VARIETY OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, OUR WEBSITE WILL SERVE AS A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR NUESTRO SOUTH CONTENT.

Washington, DC

PURPOSE: UNRESTRICTED