America250 at CAM: Veterans Celebration Community Day

Cameron Art Museum joins the nationwide America 250 commemoration with a full day of storytelling, music, family activities, performances, and living history demonstrations. This Community Day highlights the bravery and service of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and honors the enduring contributions of Black veterans in the ongoing fight for freedom.

All ages are welcome and encouraged to take part in this day of recognition, learning, and celebration.

Agenda

Ongoing (10 AM–5 PM)

• USCT Reenactors – Experience living history through demonstrations, drills, songs, and storytelling. Visit reenactor camps to learn about Civil War history and the service of the USCT.

10 AM

• Opening Welcome at Boundless – With Dr. Sonny Kelly, USCT reenactors, and storyteller Donna Washington. Through poetry and song, we gather at the Boundless sculpture to begin this day of recognition.

11 AM–12 PM

• Performance by Storyteller Donna Washington: Through Their Own Eyes – An all ages performance of folktales by storyteller Donna Washington. We know that folktales are told for many reasons.  They can inspire, delight, and even scare us. They aren’t created in a vacuum. These stories reflect the strength, fear, and hope of generations. Families are invited to “Through Their Own Eyes”, a celebration of the stories that sustained, inspired, and helped African Americans overcome their darkest moments to reach for the light and hope of the future.

12:15–1 PM

• Workshop – History Through Human Eyes: Who Gets to Tell the Story? – Family-friendly storytelling workshop with Donna Washington. Why do we remember some stories from history and forget others? Who were the people who fought these battles? What did they want? In this workshop, we try to go beyond the slogans and the selected story that makes it into the history books. What would it be like through the eyes of the men and women who stood their ground and fought for what they thought was right?
• Register Here – spots limited

2–3:30 PM

• The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans – Dr. Sonny Kelly presents a theatrical presentation on the centuries of service by Black soldiers. “The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans” is a one-man presentation & performance elevating Black freedom fighters and veterans with North Carolina connections – known & unknown, on and off the traditional battlefield – who have engaged in over 400 years of a struggle for freedom, liberty, and equality. Their sacrifices, resistance, and resilience have contributed to American democracy, even as they were denied the full rights of citizens. Through listening to their stories in this production, we can gain a deeper understanding of our nation’s founding ideals, and harness the hope to continue the work, together, of making those ideals a reality for all.