RALEIGH – The North Carolina Historical Commission is undertaking a series of public hearings to consider the addition of new memorials to diversify tributes at the State Capitol. The State Capitol Memorial Study Committee will address what some see as the underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities at the State Capitol and on the grounds. The committee will seek public input and present to the North Carolina Historical Commission alternatives regarding the memorials.
Public hearings will be held in Asheville on Feb. 15, Raleigh on Feb. 18 and Greenville on Feb. 22, to seek comments on representation at the State Capitol. The Asheville meeting will be held at the YMI Cultural Center. The Raleigh meeting will be at the State Capitol and the Greenville meeting will be in the Carol Belk Building, S. Charles Blvd, East Carolina University. Each hearing will start at 7 p.m.
Every effort will be made to retain and enhance the visual appearance of the Capitol’s interior and exterior grounds. The group will not recommend the removal of any existing monuments. The committee commends the work of the Freedom Monument Project group and seeks to complement its ambitious plan for a public art project at the corner of Wilmington and Lane Streets.
For additional information call (919) 807-7290. The State Capitol is part of the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.