The Town of Carrboro plans to implement a historical ‘truth plaque’ at the former Freedmen’s School site.

The goal of these ‘truth plaques’ is to recognize Carrboro’s history with the purpose of uplifting the truth and acknowledging an unjust past.

This will be the town’s second truth plaque – the first of which was placed in front of town hall – explaining Julian S. Carr’s ties to racial segregation. When that historical truth plaque commemorating Carrboro’s namesake was unveiled in April of 2019, the town’s Truth Plaque Task Force already had plans to install more within the community.

Now, the task force will mark the site of the historic Freedmen School on Main Street. Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said Freedmen’s was a local school created for the areas black community that opened following the Civil War.

“It’s kind of our second truth plaque, but this is one recognizing the general area where the Freedmen’s school stood from 1866 to 1917,” Lavelle said.

The location of the marker will be on the St. Paul AME Church side of the street near the “Carrboro” welcome planter. Tom Tucker, Owner of the Carolina Car Wash, and former Carrboro Mayor Ellie Kinnaird had previously approached the town with the request to honor the former Freedmen school location site. The land that the church and car wash currently sits on was once purchased by Green Cordal and Benjamin Craig for the school.

“So the plaque is going to be on the St. Paul property – and we thank St. Paul very much for letting us put the plaque on that property – but it’s part of the piece of property that actually extended all the way over to where the car wash was and the buildings on that side of the road also,” Lavelle said. “All of that land in there is where the Freedmen’s school and the church was built and that schoolhouse served essentially hundreds of free black children and adults.”

According to the town, the final text of the plaque will read, “Green Cordal and Benjamin Craig, freed from bondage, purchased this land for a Freedman School and church. With funds from the Society of Friends, they built a schoolhouse that served hundreds of free Black children and adults.”

The town’s resolution states that an unveiling ceremony with the community will be held as soon as the plaque is finished and it is safe to do so.

For more information on Carrboro’s Town Council, and what was discussed at their latest meetings, click here.

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