NCCU Will Ring the Shepard Bell to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

North Carolina Central University in Durham will ring its historic Shepard Bell on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 3 p.m. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Dr. Debra Saunders-White, NCCU chancellor, will provide opening remarks at 2:55 p.m. Tiffany Adams, a senior, political science major and member of the Student Government Association’s Executive Board, will ring the bell along with North Carolina State Rep. H. M. Michaux Jr. An NCCU alumnus, Michaux took part in the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, at the personal invitation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Adams attended last Saturday’s celebration in Washington.

The Shepard Bell, bearing the name of NCCU founder Dr. James E. Shepard, has been a campus fixture since the institution’s earliest days, when it rang out to announce class dismissals, mealtime, and game victories. The bell stands in a low tower on Campus Drive in front of the Hubbard-Totton Building and next to the Edmonds Classroom Building. The community is invited to attend. The campus map is here.

Founded in 1910, North Carolina Central University was the first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans.  Today, this dynamic campus has a diverse student body of 8,300 enrolled in academic programs including law, biosciences, library science, business, nursing, education and liberal arts.

Learn more about African American history in Durham.

An Unfinished March in Durham

Durham, NC was the site of many important events in American Civil Rights history. The Unfinished March is a collection of commemorations of those events related to the pursuit of Civil Rights Equality. That pursuit is ongoing, hence The Unfinished March. There are several events occurring in Durham to help remember the important victories of the past.

May
Saturday, May 18, 3 pm, Hayti Heritage Center
“Just Friends That You Never Knew”: A Personal and Historical Glance at Durham’s Integration of Public Facilities presented by Judge Willis Whichard. Co-sponsored by Durham County Library and St. Joseph Historical Foundation

June
Saturday, June 8, all day, Historic Stagville, 5828 Old Oxford Highway
Celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation through cultural
experiences, music, games, crafts and food.

Sunday, June 23, 3 pm, Durham County Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro Street
Civil Rights Stories, 1963 & Durham Civil Rights “Pop-up Museum.” Presented by Eddie Davis. Look back at Durham’s history at critically important events that changed the local civil rights landscape a half century ago. Co-sponsored by the Durham County Library and the Museum of Durham History.

For more information about Durham history, visit www.durham-nc.com.