Past. Present. Future: Preserving Black History Across Generations

In the D. Oscar & Heide Groomes Creative Annex of the Gantt Center stands a 70-foot mural that tells the story of Black Charlotte—its past, its present, and the futures imagined by generations of change-makers. In celebration of Black History Month, join us for a panel discussion on how Black history is preserved, interpreted, and brought to life across generations and various media.

The conversation features muralist Abel Jackson; Pamela Grundy, author of Legacy: Three Centuries of Black History; and John O’Connor, Manager of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Their work is rooted in documenting and sharing Charlotte’s Black history—illuminating where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Throughout the evening guests are invited to experience a first look at a new augmented reality (AR) feature connected to the mural. Through AR, select figures from the mural “come to life,” sharing brief stories with visitors.

This program centers on a vital question: What does it mean to memorialize Black history—not as something static, but as something living, evolving, and accessible to future generations?

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture