On Nov. 10, 1898, white supremacists murdered African Americans in Wilmington, North Carolina, and deposed the elected Reconstruction era government in a coup d'etat. This horrific event has left an indelible mark on the city of Wilmington – and now our state and nation are discovering this painful story. 

On behalf of LWVNC, the League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear will present a panel discussion that will help us all learn from the facts of our state's history. Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Dr. Kimberly Cook, PhD, Director of the Restorative Justice Collaborative at UNCW, will outline the history and the continuum of change in our community. Cynthia Brown, historian for the St. Stephen AME church, will share her family’s personal story of their experiences during the Massacre and the legacy of her resilient loved ones. Marla Barthen, Co-President of the LWV of the Lower Cape Fear, will share perspectives on how this event is linked to their 1921 beginning and how they have navigated change in the years that followed. 

This 90-minute webinar is open to the public and is sponsored by the LWVNC DEI Action Team, under the leadership of Ouida Watson and Shannon Halbur, in partnership with LWV of Lower Cape Fear. Want to join the LWVNC DEI Action Team? Email SWHalburMDA [at] hotmail.com.

LWV of Lower Cape Fear is a non-partisan organization, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties. LWVLCF is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. To learn more about our policies and organization, please visit www.LWVLCF.org.

The LWVLCF also recognizes the tribal lands of the Waccamaw Siouan and indigenous people of the Lower Cape Fear. 

Register for this Zoom webinar here. If you missed our spring DEI webinar – titled "What's the League's Stake in Racial Justice?" – watch it here.