[Durham INC] Museum of Durham History Seeking Community Partners for Memorial Tree Project

[Patricia]

I'm forwarding the following information on behalf of Steve Channing from the Museum of Durham History, which officially opens on October 12.

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The Museum of Durham History is partnering with other local
organizations to plant small groves of memorial trees, with each site honoring
an individual, family or organization that helped to create this unique place
called Durham. Each grove will contain one or more benches for folks to pause
and reflect, and every site will have a small, durable marker that briefly tells about the honoree and gives the Museum website, where there will be
further information.

The first History Grove was planted at Durham Central Park
last fall to honor celebrated historian Dr. John Hope Franklin. A second grove
is scheduled as a pocket park on Main St., across from the Self-Help Offices,
potentially  to
honor Jean Anderson, author of the outstanding history of Durham County; a
third is being developed by the Burch Avenue Neighborhood Association, and we
have meetings set with the Albright community and in Morehead Hill.

We have met with City Parks & Recreation, Keith Chadwell,
Grace Dzidzienyo, Wanona Satcher and Peter Coyle, and with the Duke-West Durham
Neighborhood Partnership, and all see the History Groves project as a way of
encouraging an appreciation of Durham’s rich history and building neighborhood
pride.  We hope to work with these and
others to get the project idea in front of key city neighborhood groups and
help follow up with those interested. 

The Museum will provide a simple “how-to” template, so
groups can have a blueprint for building a History Grove.  To give the groves a community-wide
cohesiveness and identity, the following broad guidelines for selecting
honorees are proposed:
·       Honorees must be or have been residents within
Durham County for significant parts of their lives.
·       Honorees may be:
o    recognized historians (e.g., writers,
photographers, filmmakers) whose work includes topics pertinent to Durham and
North Carolina 
o    informal
“community historians,” the resident documenters/storytellers of local history
who have made significant contributions to the city,  the county or a particular neighborhood 
o    community
leaders who have helped shape Durham’s distinctive heritage through contributions
to the community’s cultural life, economic welfare, civic progress and/or climate
of opportunity and justice for all citizens.  In the case of neighborhood-sponsored groves,
the honoree may be a former resident who has been of historical significance in
that neighborhood. 
 
The Museum’s
role is primarily that of initial facilitator, with funding, honoree selection,
installation and maintenance provided by the local neighborhood  groups or sponsoring organization(s).  An informal “coach” from the Museum’s History
Advisory Committee will be available for consultation during the process. 
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