Monday, September 16, 2002

Wilmington, NC –Wilmington’s race riots of 1898 are featured in the four-part PBS documentary series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow airing four Tuesdays in October. In conjunction with this series, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is hosting a panel discussion Examining Jim Crow from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1, in Cameron Hall Auditorium. The Office of Campus Diversity is sponsoring this free, public event.

Panelists will be Bertha Todd, former co-chair of 1898 Foundation; Kenneth Davis, community activist and 1898 Foundation member; Dr. John Haley, associate professor emeritus of history from UNCW; Dr. Melton McLaurin, associate vice chancellor of academic affairs at UNCW and co-chair of 1898 Foundation; and moderator Dr. Joanne Nottingham, director of campus diversity at UNCW.

“I believe anytime we have dialogue about race, it’s informative. Dialogue builds relationships and brings races together,” Davis said.

The series’ first program Promises Betrayed (1865-1896) airs at 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1; Fighting Back (1896-1917) airs at 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8; Don’t Shout Too Soon (1918-1940) airs at 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15; and Terror and Triumph (1940-1954) airs 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22.

The second installment, Fighting Back, features a 16-minute segment on Wilmington and the violence of 1898. The four Examining Jim Crow panelists were interviewed for and contributed to this segment.

McLaurin said audience participation is strongly encouraged at the Oct. 1 program. He said he hopes those attending will discuss the history of segregation. Panelists and the audience will explore the history of segregation by reflecting on these questions: What circumstances/factors led to and sustained the era of segregation? How do you think blacks and white related to each other on a daily basis during segregation? Do you feel that segregation continues to have an impact? What actions can you as an individual take to alleviate the lasting impact and influence of segregation in society today?

“This is an effort to promote a truly superb examination of an extremely significant era in American history,” McLaurin said. “an era filled with significance both today and in the future.”

For more information, call the UNCW Office of Campus Diversity at 910/962-3832.