Tonight, the Buncombe County Commissioners had a varied agenda, their chambers bustling with groups of citizens there to make their feelings heard on matters ranging from heritage to economic growth.
The major item was the approval of the joint city-county African-American Heritage Commission. Asheville City Council gave their endorsement last month.
Marvin Chambers, one of the leaders of the effort and an activist in Asheville’s civil rights struggles, pointed out that many don’t know of the history of the area’s African-American community, a history he said is “beyond reproach” compared to any city in the state. Many stories, he emphasized, were passed down through families that were scattered in the “urban renewal” of the 1970s, making it more important than ever to protect that history for future generations.
Many other members of the effort and supporters from the public spoke, and organizations like the YMI, the NAACP, and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources have all given their endorsements. The commission aims to help coordinate and support efforts to preserve and celebrate the area’s heritage. Other benefits the supporters mentioned included improved economic development, especially through
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