SESSION #1A / Tuesday, June 2 @ 5:00 pm

HOW DO PEOPLE WANT TO BE INVOLVED?

This first community outreach session for the Enterprise on Castle project focused on introducing the effort, sharing early research findings, and inviting community guidance on how the work should move forward. Discussion centered on documenting and honoring the Black business and family history of Castle Street, especially during the period between emancipation and the 1898 Wilmington Coup, while also acknowledging that the current research is still preliminary and must be reviewed by a qualified historian before it can be treated as verified history.

 

A major theme of the meeting was the need for authentic Black community involvement in shaping a project centered on Black history. Participants spoke openly about trust, representation, and the limits of formal outreach when relationships have not yet been built. The group agreed that warm introductions, repeated invitations, and informal one-on-one conversations may be more effective than traditional meeting notices alone. Attendees also identified meaningful roles for allies, including note-taking, research, outreach, and helping make introductions, while emphasizing that community voices should guide the project’s direction.

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The session also produced several practical ideas for strengthening participation and building momentum. These included adding “drop in anytime” language to meeting outreach, exploring informal coffee conversations at Luna Cafe, developing oral history interviews and a “listening table” concept, and creating both physical and electronic suggestion boxes for people who cannot attend in person. Participants shared possible contacts, funding leads, and volunteer roles, and the meeting ended with a shared understanding that consistent presence, thoughtful outreach, and community-led relationship building will be essential to the success and credibility of the project.

SESSION #1B / Friday, June 5 @ Noon

​HOW DO PEOPLE WANT TO BE INVOLVED?

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No Attendees.