At North Carolina Central University’s James E. Shepard Memorial Library, a bold banner greets visitors with three simple words: “We Built This.”
Beneath it, the exhibit explains, “Many of the historic buildings we revere in North Carolina are credited to their owners. Rarely are the people responsible for the labor and craftsmanship recognized. This exhibit seeks to acknowledge the countless African Americans who built the historic buildings we collectively treasure.”
The traveling exhibit, “Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina,” was created by Preservation North Carolina and is being presented in Durham by Hayti Promise Community Development Corporation and Preservation Durham. It marks the first time NCCU has hosted the exhibit, which is part of the university’s Black History Month event series…