![]() Civil Rights marker means to everyone in the community.Ĭhestnut is an active member of the Ocean City Beach Citizens Council and the son of Wade Chestnut, one of the main founders of Ocean City Beach in the 1940s.Ĭarla Torrey, president of the Ocean City Beach Citizens Council, initiated the process that brought the Civil Rights Trail marker to Topsail Island. Leading the unveiling and wrapping up the ceremony, Kenneth Chestnut reflected on the significance of Ocean City Beach’s history and what the N.C. As Shawan Wilson began singing “A Change is Gonna Come,” the level of enthusiasm soared well beyond the top of the tent under which the crowd gathered. African American Heritage Commission, and the Right Reverend Robert Wright, the tenth and current bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and the first African-American to be elected to the position.Įxcitement over the Civil Rights Trail state designation filled the warm, humid July air throughout the unveiling ceremony. Speakers also included Angela Thorpe, Director of the N.C. His father, Floyd McKissick, Sr., was a civil rights leader, the first African-American student at the University of North Carolina School of Law and founder of Soul City in Warren County, North Carolina. Utilities and former state senator, who also grew up in Ocean City Beach, delivered an impassioned address as well. Reid Wilson all spoke to the engaged crowd.įloyd McKissick, Jr., commissioner of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources D. North Topsail Beach Mayor Joann McDermon, Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce President Laurette Leagon and Secretary of the N.C. Speakers participating in the unveiling ceremony shared words of pride, accomplishment, recognition of the historic challenges and acknowledgment of the momentum that needs to continue. Nationally known talk show host, actress and novelist Rolonda Watts, who grew up in Ocean City Beach, presided over the ceremony. African American Heritage Commission, among others. ![]() On Friday, July 1, 2022, the marker unveiling ceremony was attended by several hundred residents, community members, North Topsail Beach officials, state representatives and representatives from the N.C. Navy “Operation Bumble Bee” observation tower. It is also the site of the state’s first African-American owned fishing pier, located on the site of a former U.S. That description certainly fits Ocean City Beach, an eclectic mix of historical homes, community buildings and firsts. Markers along the trail highlight and acknowledge tireless civil rights efforts, some well-known and some unsung. Pomeroy Foundation and presented by the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission in partnership with the North Carolina Office of Archives and History and Visit North Carolina. The growth of the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail is supported by the William G. By 2023 there will be 50 markers placed across the state, at sites honoring events, places and people who had an impact on the Civils Rights movement here. The markers physically mark sites critical to the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina. In December 2021, the community made history once more by becoming the fourth recipient of a marker signifying inclusion in the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail. Fifteen years before the official end of segregation, Ocean City Beach was established as the first residential beach community with Black home ownership in the state of North Carolina. In 1949 the Ocean City Beach community made history on Topsail Island. Topsail Island’s Ocean City Beach is now part of the N.C.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |