Orange County has been working for several years to expand their government campuses. The first building on the new Orange County Northern Campus is also the first building in the county government to be named after a Black woman.
The new Environmental and Agricultural Center officially opened on Friday.
Family, friends and local elected officials gathered just off US Route 70 for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Bonnie B. Davis Environmental and Agricultural Center. The new home of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension features state of the art climate control, large conference rooms and even a mentorship test kitchen.
But more important than what’s inside, is the name on the front.
The Bonnie B. Environment and Agricultural Center officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Bonnie B. Davis was an agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension for 40 years. The extension is a partnership with North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University that works with local communities to educate and provide resources across the state.
Davis was the first Black person to work at the extension — during the era of segregation. Having this building is something her daughter, Bonita Neighbors, said is emblematic of the progress in Orange County.
“When she first took her job, she could not use the bathroom in the building. Now her name is on the building,” Bonita Neighbors said.
Bonita Neighbors said all 6 feet of her mother would be jumping for joy to see this building being named after her.
“I know she’s smiling on us. I know she is happy because this would be her dream, a dream come true,” Bonita Neighbors said.
Chair of the Orange County Board of County Commisioners, Renee Price and Bonita Neighbors, daughter of Bonnie B. Davis pose with the proclamation naming the Center after Davis.
Speakers at the ceremony said Davis was always a mentor to others, both in her work and as a volunteer. They spoke of her helping them overcome speech impediments or teaching them how to can fruits and vegetables for the winter. One of her most direct methods of mentorship was through 4-H, a youth development organization that teaches a variety of life skills.
Shiela Vanhook McDonald was one of those mentored by Davis in 4-H. She said Bonnie B. Davis had always been like a mother to her.
“We were able become productive citizens,” Vanhook McDonald said. “Because Bonnie B. Davis taught us that nothing can stand in your way but yourself, you have nothing to fear but fear itself, and a man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.”
Vanhook McDonald said Davis taught her to stand up and be proud as a Black woman, even during the era of integration.
“So, she taught us not only to tell the story, but to be the story,” Vanhook McDonald said. “She said, ‘always, whatever you do, leave a legacy.’ I live off that, I believe that. We cannot help the youth of our county unless we are our there in the fields with them. She taught us to harvest the fields with our work.”
Her nephew, A.J. Briley, said helping others was Davis’ way to create her legacy.
“If I can live that I might help somebody, then my living is not in vain,” Briley said. “That’s what my aunt exuded, and this is what we’re trying to do even now.”
N.C. Cooperative Extension will further honor Davis’ impact by building a mentorship community garden for 4-H members in the home Davis and her husband built in Hillsborough.
The sign outside of Bonnie B. Davis’ former home declares it a space for a community garden for 4-H members.
The property, once the source of food for her family, will be a source of food and education for the community.
Rashid Neighbors helped come up with the idea for the community garden. He said his grandparents would be proud because it’s motivated by helping people, not profits.
“It means everything because it’s literally putting their beliefs into work,” Rashid Neighbors said. “They worked hard to have this land and even though they’ve passed away, it’s still giving back to the community and being used for something useful.”
Rashid Neighbors said the garden and the building bring everything full circle because it goes hand in hand with Davis’ motto: making the best, better.
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