During its recent meeting of the Board of Directors, the African American Heritage & Culture Center leadership elected its 2022 Officers. Serving as 2022 Officers are individuals who are known in the region and our community: President – Carol Bonner Becton, Vice-President – Mike Williams, Secretary – Dre’ Nix and Treasurer – Jim Copland.
Re-elected to the Board of Directors for a second three-year term are Carol Bonner Becton and Rick Fisher who join Brenda Carter George and Joy Harsen who are in their first three-year term as Directors on the Board.
2021 was a challenging year for our young organization and our country. Our leadership shifted attention inward, from program and event planning, to our fortifying our infrastructure and projections to guide us as we deliver our mission to “actively present the historic impact and progression of African American heritage and culture in our region.”
As 2022 begins, the AAHC Board of Directors plans to meet for the first time with members of the AAHC Board of Advisors. They are Jacqueline Atkinson, Sabrina Bengel, Mark Best, Valerie Taylor-Best, Maria Cho, D’Aja Fulmore, Lynne Harakel, Jameesha Harris, Edward Hood, Gerry King, Nelson McDaniel, Mickey Miller, George Oliver, Larry Rosenstrauch, Jaki Shelton Green, Reverend Garry Slade, Timothy Thompson and Ben Watford.
AAHC has expanded the Stories and News section of its website to include a broad range or well-researched articles and publications relating to African American Heritage & Culture in Eastern North Carolina.
During early 2022, previously recorded interviews from the City of New Bern, Craven Community College and the New Bern Historical Society, our community partners, will be included with AAHC conducted interviews to launch the AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY. This new program will be available on the AAHC open platform website. The community is welcome to reach out with nominations for new interviews with community leaders to info@AfricanAmeericaHeritageandCulture.org.
The African American Heritage & Culture Center is a 501C3 North Carolina nonprofit organization based in New Bern and serving communities throughout the region. All correspondence and donations may be mailed to Post Office Box 1354, New Bern, NC 28563-1354.
By Carrie Gallagher, Executive Director