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Living History Day: 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Forks Road

February 22 at 10:00 am UTC-5
CAM Living History and Boundless Sculpture

Bring the whole family to commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Forks Road through living history, film screenings, family activities, and an illustrated lecture by Ms. Chaitra Powell the inaugural Sarah Graham Kenan Curatorship in the Southern Historical Collection at UNC Libraries. Plus, enjoy 20% off memberships ALL DAY!

Cameron Art Museum was the site of the Battle of Forks Road, a Civil War skirmish whose victory was won by the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and led to the fall of Wilmington. Their impact is significant, yet their story is virtually unknown. USCT reenactors from Battery B, some who were cast for the Boundless sculpture, will demonstrate living history and invite guests to learn about camp life from the 1860s.

Boundless, the public sculpture by NC artist Stephen Hayes, features the cast faces of reenactors, veterans, descendants, and community members. Boundless honors the USCT and their fight for citizenship and stands proudly on our museum grounds and as the centerpiece of this commemoration.

Spend the day learning more about the USCT and this significant battle.

Read about Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation‘s substantial investment in Boundless and its impact on our community

10 AM-5 PM
Learn about the lives of USCT with reenactors from Battery B. Family activities in CAM’s Reception Hall. 

12 PM
Battle of Forks Road Documentary
The Battle of Forks Road documentary looks closely at the story of this Civil War skirmish that led to the fall of Wilmington, focusing on the victory of the United States Colored Troops and the significant impact they made in the Cape Fear Region.

1 PM
Legacy Short Film

Legacy is a short film chronicling the oral histories of the descendants of the United States Colored Troops by filmmaker Adam Alphin. The film paints a more complicated picture of this story than might be seen at first glance, exploring the lives of the Black, white, and Indigenous men who fought at the Battle of Forks Road where Cameron Art Museum now stands. Legacy captures the resilience of these men, the strength of the communities they built, and the impact that they have had on our region, our state, and our country. This film continues the work of Boundless, the sculpture by American artist Stephen Hayes that was installed on the museum’s grounds in 2021.

2 PM

Illustrated Lecture – Ms. Chaitra Powell

Through the Archives: In Search of African American History, Culture, and Traditions.  Drawn from her 15 years of working in archives, Powell will walk the audience through a myriad of examples and queries that help us consider what makes African American culture unique, how does it fit into broader narratives of American history and what shape do our memories of this knowledge take? Where do these memories belong, who decides what matters and how do we share it with future generations? These are the questions that consume her as curator of the Southern Historical Collection, and questions that she hopes every individual would consider for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Chaitra Powell has held the inaugural Sarah Graham Kenan Curatorship in the Southern Historical Collection since 2021. Prior to this appointment, Powell served as the African American Collections and Outreach Archivist, and as the Project Director for UNC Libraries’ Mellon funded Community-Driven Archives grant. In each of these roles, Powell works to expand the possibilities of the archives by engaging diverse communities, donors, researchers and stewardship models. Before coming to UNC Libraries, Powell worked for government, corporate, and community archives in Phoenix, Chicago, and Los Angeles. She is a certified archivist and holds an M.A. in Library Science from the University of Arizona.

Event Activities are Free; Gallery Admission applies.

$5 Suggested Donation for Lectures

REGISTER FOR LECTURE

For questions or concerns regarding accessibility, please contact Georgia Mastroieni, Deputy Director of Operations, at (910) 726-9492 or [email protected]

Details

Date:
February 22
Time:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm UTC-5
Event Category:
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