The North Carolina State Capitol will be hosting walking tours, starting on September 6, centered around civil rights and protest history in Raleigh.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) created the walking tour as a way to share some of the state’s rich history of advocacy as a part of its mission to “manage, promote and enhance the things that people love about North Carolina.”
From the website: “Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.”
The tour, titled “We’ve Always Been Out There,” will become one of the hundreds of educational opportunities DNCR offers, which also include 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund and the Natural Heritage Program.
The “We’ve Always Been Out There” tour will be a half mile-long trek with various stops to learn about protests and demonstrations in Raleigh from the past and present. Each stop is designed to cover different advocacy causes and their role in Raleigh, from the early 19th century, to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, women’s suffrage, prohibition, the anti-Vietnam War movement and Raleigh’s first LGBTQ+ Pride parade. The tours will happen on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Tours are free of charge, but attendees are required to register as there are limited spots each week. Each session will last around 40 to 50 minutes and will start at the Capitol’s east grounds, located at 1 East Edenton St. For more information visit their website.