Hundreds of Carrboro residents and community members gathered on Monday to celebrate the official opening of a new town park.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was the culmination of planning that spanned over two decades for building the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The land, located at 1120 Hillsborough Road in Carrboro, was purchased by the town in 1998 and chosen to be dedicated to the civil rights activist a few years after.
Wendell Rodgers worked as the project manager for the town. While he said he typically doesn’t lead projects as large as the park, Rodgers said its importance to honoring Dr. King and serving Carrboro drove him to stay on from start to finish.
“I felt like I wanted to be a part of this because it represented Dr. King and the community was behind it,” Rodgers said at Monday’s ceremony. “It was very fulfilling to continue to work on it.”
The community had lots of input into the park’s features, which added to the project’s length. But Rodgers said the cooperation between the public and town officials should serve as an example of how to create a high-quality result while working together.
“When you have various facets of the community that want different things in the park,” he said, “coming to a cohesive agreement on the park took a lot of compromise for people. For everybody to come together and agree on what they wanted in the park was a big deal for us.”
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said the cooperation on the park reflects the community’s values. She said it was exciting to see the turnout on Monday and shared how the park has activities for all residents.
“You can do nothing, you can walk around or sit and reflect,” said Lavelle, gesturing to the grassy lawn at the center of the walking trail. “But over [at the pump park], you can be on your bicycle. We have the community gardens and a children’s play area. It’s a really great amenity for the town and I’m so happy we were finally able to cut the ribbon.”
There are a few aspects of the park that are not yet complete. Two are murals designed by local high school students that will be displayed on the central facility building.
Carrboro resident Hannah Ingham is one of the four students who won the design contest. Her design includes the Carrboro logo with a passage of Dr. King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, surrounded by black and white paint strokes representing people.
“I wanted to include the whole community and you can see the individual people in the background,” Ingham said. “It all comes together with his speech in the middle of it and brings together people of all colors and backgrounds.”
Another element still in progress are plaques with Dr. King quotes to line the walking trail. Lavelle said a selection process is still ongoing to find select quotes that most accurately reflect the activist’s efforts to push the status quo and fight for freedoms.
“It’s our hope that people will remember his legacy and read his words as they go around the walking path here at the park,” said Lavelle. “We want them to reflect what a man of his time he was and how he spoke for change. That [legacy] will go through the ages.”
Rodgers echoed similar sentiments, saying Dr. King’s messages are just as relevant today as they were when the activist delivered them, and Carrboro’s dedication shows a commitment to those ideals.
“Hopefully people that will come will remember that he stood for justice for everyone, equality for everyone,” Rodgers said. “It’s a park, yes, but it’s also a commemoration for a great man and I hope that part won’t be lost [on those] who come out here.”
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