Early morning, February 1, 2010, as I stood in-between the driving lanes of Elm Street alongside hundreds of others anticipating the opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, I felt awestruck.
photo credit: Dan Routh Photography
It may have been the combination of moving words from Doctor Franklin McCain, Senator Kay Hagen and a host of other speakers. Or it may have been an emotional release brought on by the lack of sleep I endured to be downtown at eight o’clock in the morning (not my usual modus operandi). The simple truth of the matter, though, is that an integral part of History — not just Black History, or American History, but Human History — had unfolded less than a block from where we all stood.
Exactly fifty years had passed since that day, and about two decades had passed since the Center & Museum was originally commissioned. I remember, even as an adolescent, being concerned about the future of the historic site. It really is something in which every resident of Greensboro (especially those native to the city like myself) can find pride…and it honestly brought a few tears to my eyes.
So, on February 1, 1960, four seemingly ordinary Greensboro residents were inspired to do the extraordinary. In recent weeks, I’ve wondered how many other “ordinary” North Carolinians have proven themselves capable of extraordinary feats. I began searching for icons in the world of music whose origins can be found in the Tarheel State.
I ended up finding a long, long list of musicians all born here in North Carolina. An abridged list (very abridged) is as follows:
John Coltrane (b. Hamlet, NC, 9/23/26–7/17/67)
photo by vanveen1967
Thelonius Monk (b. Rocky Mount, NC, 10/10/17–2/17/82
photo by Ben Pearce
Maceo Parker (b. Kinston, NC, 2/14/43
photo by dimervansanten
Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC, 2/21/33–4/21/03)
Shirley Caesar (b. Durham, NC, 10/13/38
photo by Brendan Hoffman
George Clinton (b. Kannapolis, NC, 10/22/41)
photo by Pix Gremlin
Roberta Flack (b. Black Mountain, NC, 2/10/37)
photo by Sweeping Zen
Ben E. King (b. Henderson, NC, 9/28/38)
photo by Live at J&R
Max Roach (b. Township of Newland (Pasquotank County), NC, 1/10/24–8/16/07)
photo by lieberkater
The list grew to be far more extensive than I had imagined. In the world of Jazz alone, there were a great number of influential figures born, raised, or educated in North Carolina. I can only imagine what names and faces I might be able to add to this list — whether it’s five, ten or twenty years from now, or maybe even five, ten or twenty months from now!
(Information gathered from the following sites: North Carolina Jazz Musicians, Wikipedia)
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