RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The new 2018 Edition of The Heritage Calendar: Celebrating the North Carolina African-American Experience is now available, AT&T* announced today.
The publication highlights individuals from across the state who have made a lasting impact in North Carolina and across the country.
"The fabric of North Carolina is woven from the experiences, dreams, and accomplishments of many extraordinary people," said Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T North Carolina. "We are excited about the opportunity to recognize the men and women featured in the 2018 calendar. It is a privilege to help preserve and share the stories of how these people have made a lasting difference in our state."
As with previous editions, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) convened a team of educators to prepare lesson plans based upon the lives of the honorees. This material will be available online as a resource for teachers across the state.
"From our earliest days, North Carolina has been a land marked by diversity and rich in opportunity for those who work hard in pursuit of their dreams," said Mark Johnson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. "The curriculum material brings that history into focus and projects it into the future for students. I am proud of the professional educators who developed their materials and appreciate their ongoing commitment to helping students learn and succeed."
Coming from across North Carolina, the Class of 2018 represents a wide variety of fields, including education, medicine, law, athletics, the performing arts, and community service.
The individuals spotlighted in the 2018 Heritage Calendar are:
- Elvin Lamont Bethea – Overcoming the inequities and personal obstacles raised during segregation in the 1960s, he became the only alumnus of North Carolina A&T University enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Dr. Frederick D. Burroughs – The first board-eligible African-American pediatrician in Raleigh, he served patients without regard to their wealth, race, or zip code while also helping recruit other young African-American physicians in differing specialties to the area and teaching at the UNC School of Medicine.
- Jennifer King Congleton – Believing we have been put on this earth to serve others, she works with other African-American female civic leaders in Pitt County to develop a variety of programs that improve the quality of life for the community and for individuals.
- The late Bill and Ida Friday – They left a legacy of continually working for equal opportunity for all people. Bill Friday is considered the Father of the University of North Carolina system, while Ida Friday earned a reputation as an unrelenting advocate for social justice.
- The late Ransom Hunter – Born a slave, he transformed 80 acres of undesirable land in Gaston County into a thriving farm dubbed Freedom and became one of the most well-known African-American entrepreneurs of Reconstruction-era North Carolina.
- Zoe Woodell Locklear – From a student at rural, segregated schools, to a collegiate educator she actively promoted programs to recruit and retain teachers of color for school districts in southeastern North Carolina.
- Henry Lee Logan – The first African-American collegiate athlete to play at a predominantly white institution in the southeastern United States, Henry Logan played professional basketball in the NBA and ABA after graduating from Western Carolina University.
- Elliott and Juanita Palmer – Educators by profession and historians by avocation, they transformed a hobby of collecting artifacts and documents highlighting outstanding contributions made by African-Americans into a museum as founders of the African-American Cultural Complex in Raleigh.
- The late Marvin Pittman – Through more than four decades as a professional educator in public schools and the state Department of Public Instruction, he passionately believed that all children have the ability to learn and invested his life in helping make that happen, arguing that achievement gaps between groups of children ultimately impacted every citizen's well-being.
- Patricia Timmons-Goodson – Once a legal aide lawyer and district court judge, she was the first African-American woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court of North Carolina and is currently the vice chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
- Mel Tomlinson – Initially attracted to dancing as a way to get attention, this Raleigh native became one of the country's first African-American ballet stars.
- Barry White, Jr. – A fifth-grade teacher in Charlotte, he became an international social media star through intricate handshakes with his students that brought energy, creativity, and excitement for learning into the classroom.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Carolina University, PNC Bank, The News & Observer, Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL-TV and Sheraton Raleigh Hotel serve as primary supporters on The Heritage Calendar project.
Media resources
Images of the 2018 honorees, in high- and low-resolution formats, as well as the published bios, may be downloaded from https://ncheritagecalendar.com/2018-honorees/
To download an electronic copy of the calendar, click here.
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