At the National Memorial of Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, 805 steel rectangles hang from the central plaza’s ceiling. Each the size and shape of a coffin. Each marking a different county in the United States where a lynching took place between the years of 1870 and 1950.

The memorial, the work of the Equal Justice Initiative, opened last April, and represents part of the most significant effort to address a terrible but often-avoided aspect of American history in the years following the Civil War: a wave of what the EJI calls “racial terror lynching’s” across the country.

And Orange County is no different. It has a slab in Montgomery too, commemorating the lynching of Manly McCauley in late October of 1898. McCauley was reportedly lynched at what is now the intersection of Old Highway 86 and Homestead Road.

Now, the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition, co-chaired by local NAACP vice president James Williams and Orange County Commissioner Renee Price, is working with the EJI to bring remembrance of lynching’s dark national and local history to Orange County.

This week, the remembrance coalition kicked off their efforts at a reception at the United Church of Chapel Hill. Ultimately, they want to bring Orange County’s marker in Montgomery to a resting spot in the local area. The EJI provides duplicate steel memorials to counties that engage in remembrance projects like the one the OCCRC is undertaking here.

James Williams spoke to WCHL’s Aaron Keck in December about their recent efforts to recognize the past here in Orange County. He said that history is not so far away, and it still has lessons and ties to the world we live in today.

“Now, we’re dealing with voter suppression today,” he said. “A lot of racial terror and lynchings came about as a result of that very thing. Trying to prevent black people from have access to the ballot and suppressing their constitutional right to vote. So, those legacies still have yet to be reckoned with.”

The remembrance coalition’s next event is February 2, where they will be holding a symposium at Hillsborough’s Passmore Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the legacy of lynching. There will be panel of historians and local students of history. Jacki Shelton Green, North Carolina Poet Laureate and Orange County native, will perform as well.

More details on that event, and information on the remembrance coalition, can be found by contacting Renee Price 919-619-1139 or reneeprice2012@gmail.com, or JamesWilliams at 919-819-0364 or attwill9@gmail.com.

Related Stories
‹
Local NAACP Branch To Celebrate 75th Anniversary in October
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch of the NAACP will celebrate its 75th anniversary in October. The branch is planning several events during that month to commemorate its founding, and announced a tentative schedule on Tuesday. On October 8, the branch will host an Umoja (the Swahili word for “unity”) Read-In, which will “celebrate the culture, cuisine […]
Orange County Commissioners Pass Anti-Hate Resolution, '400 Years' Remembrance
Hundreds Gather in Hillsborough to Support Confederate Flag
Several hundred confederate flag supporters gathered in downtown Hillsborough Saturday for a ‘Southern Heritage Ride and Rally.’ It was pitched as an educational event to learn more about the history of the flag and other Confederate memorials. WCHL’s Jess Clark was there, listen below:   Last Thursday, on the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights […]
In Carrboro and Orange County, A Push Back Against Pollution
The Carrboro Town Council and Orange County Commissioners both passed resolutions this week to tackle climate change.
Orange County: Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford With Meeting Recap, Orange County Property for Sale
Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 11, discussing county news and events. She recapped this week's Orange Couny Commissioners meeting, which heard updates on the county's 2050 Land Use  Plan, as well as appointment to boards and commissions. She also discussed some property that the county is selling, and the process they have to go through to sell that property. She also discussed the recent midterm elections, which saw her win reelection and the recently opened state senate seat in Orange County.
I-40 Off-Ramp in Orange County Set for Overnight Closures, Concrete Removal
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Monday it will begin conducting nightly closures of the west-bound off-ramp from I-40 to North Carolina Highway 86.
Tariffs Are Teases: The Effect of Tariffs on the Adult Goods Industry
In the show's debut episode, Aria dives into how recent tariffs affect for consumers, manufacturers and retailers in the adult goods industry.
Orange County Sheriff: Suspect Captured in Stabbing Death of Hillsborough Woman
Orange County Sheriff’s Office says it has taken 53-year-old Matthew Jared Vukmer into custody. Vukmer is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 54-year-old Paula Floyd at Vukmer’s Hillsborough home Friday morning. The sheriff’s office says an investigator working with the U.S. Marshals Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Capital Area […]
Wild Vehicle Pursuit Leaves 2 Orange County Sheriff's Cars Damaged, 2 Charged for Drug Possession
A cross-county vehicle pursuit on Wednesday resulted in two Durham residents facing several felony changes, as well as a pair of damaged Orange County Sheriff's vehicles and Alamance County properties.
Orange County: Election Reaction, National Association of Counties
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 5, discussing town news and events. She offered reaction to Tuesday's midterm primary elections locally, which saw three fellow board members elected. She also recapped feedback from Commissioners who went to the recent Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., and more.
›