Born in 1954 in Concord, North Carolina, Wilma King Means details her experiences growing up in a segregated school system in Cabarrus County as well as going through the process of integration. She also shares the school experiences of her mother,…
Born in 1940 in Concord, the oldest of nine siblings, Bernard Davis Jr. discusses his experience with segregation and integration of schools in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. Living on the border of black and white communities, Davis shares his…
Peggy Petrocy is an artist who sells her artwork almost exclusively in Elkin, NC. Petrocy discusses the challenges and successes that she faced growing up, how she settled in a small rural community, the support she receives from the local community,…
Leigh Freeman shares her experience of living in Elkin, North Carolina since the 1980s and has seen many changes to the historic downtown. Her mother was integral in expanding the recognition of local artists in Elkin. Freeman discusses her thoughts…
Dan Butner and Sydney Sieviec discuss their work as Executive and Assistant Directors of the Foothills Arts Council in Elkin, NC. They share their thoughts about small rural communities and how the Foothills Arts Council works with these communities…
Dave Waldrop discusses his family history in Jackson County, tracing his mother's side back to the mid-1800s and his father's to 1936. Waldrop highlights the impact of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Works Progress Administration…
Ken Brown, a generational resident of Jackson County, shares his views on the growth of the area and its impact on the environment. Brown is the Executive Director of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR). He discusses what it…
Zebadiah Polk Allman, a generational resident of Jackson County and a graduate of the Hospitality and Tourism department at WCU, shares his unique perspective on regional tourism. Allman tells of the changes he has experienced in Jackson County…
Lee Daggerhart Jr. shares his memories of the Cherryville New Years shooters tradition, a long-standing tradition that started in Germany along the Rhine River where celebratory gunfire was used to ward off evil spirits and ensure a good harvest.…
Burgess Beam shares his experience with, and the history of, the Cherryville New Years Shooters in Cherryville, North Carolina. This is a long-standing tradition that started in Germany along the Rhine River where celebratory gunfire was used to ward…