A Black Capital for the World to See, Durham
This pedestrian-scale bronze sculpture is the third in a series of six monuments documenting “Black Wall Street” in Durham. The sculpture highlights how institutions such as North Carolina Mutual Life and North Carolina College (now, North Carolina Central University) worked to facilitate black entrepreneurship in the Durham area.
Image of the plaque
A Black Capital for the World to See
The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, the Mutual Building and Loan Association and North Carolina College were model financial and educational institutions devoted to entrepreneurship and self-help in Durham.
1910-1945
The City of Durham
October 15, 2009
35.994960 , -78.899060
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"Black Wall Street Durham. Durham, North Carolina. Borne from segregation and exclusion, Durham’s Black Wall Street is now a living reminder of the city’s past." Sponsored by Visit North Carolina, atlasobscura.com, (accessed March 28, 2024) Link
Fitts, David L., Jr. “Sculptures Honor Parrish St., Durham’s 'Black Wall St.',” The Durham Voice, (accessed April 20, 2012) Link
Morgan, Fiona. "Honoring the Past, Facing the Future. Durham’s Parrish Street Moves One Step Closer to Resurrection," Indy Week, 01/24/2007, (accessed March 20, 2024) Link
North Carolina Office of Archives and History. "Durham's 'Black Wall Street'," 2003. Anchor. A North Carolina History Online Resources", (accessed March 28, 2024) Link
Pfeiffenberger, Sylvia. "Durham's 'Black Wall Street'." Joint Duke-NCCU course looks at the history and people of Parrish Street, today.duke.edu, January 25, 2007, (accessed March 28, 2024) Link
Yes
Bronze
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funds granted with the assistance of Representative David E. Price.
$350,000
The Parrish Street Sculptures
This sculpture honors the contributions of four key institutions in spurring black entrepreneurship in the Durham area. Those four institutions are the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, the Mutual Building and Loan Association, and North Carolina College. N.C. Mutual Life was the first black-owned insurance company in the United States. North Carolina College, which would later become North Carolina Central University, was the first public liberal arts university to support black students.
The sculpture sits on historic Parrish Street, which is better known as “Black Wall Street.” It is part of a series of six sculptures each commemorating important pieces of Durham’s history.
This sculpture is in downtown Durham. There are a few trees close to the monument.
This monument, and the entire series of Parrish Street sculptures, is part of a larger revitalization effort by the city of Durham.
With the help of Representative David E. Price, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development granted $350,000 to the City of Durham’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development for the Parrish Street Revitalization and Historic Commemoration Project. This monument and the entire series of Parrish Street sculptures is part of a larger revitalization effort by the city of Durham.
The entire series of Parrish Street monuments cost $350,000.
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