Wake Forest Black History Walking Tours

The Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Historical Museum are partnering to offer free Black History Month Walking Tours of the Northeast Community at 1 p.m. on the following dates in February:

Wednesday, Feb. 7
Friday, Feb. 9
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Friday, Feb. 16
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Friday, Feb. 23
Wednesday, Feb. 28

Pre-registration is required by completing the online sign-up form at . Space is limited to the first 15 participants to sign up for each tour. Led by staff from Historic Preservation Planning and the Wake Forest Historical Museum, the tours will include Olive Branch Baptist Church, Alston-Massenburg Center, the newly restored Ailey Young House, the African American Cemetery, and more.

Along the way, each group will discuss the developmental and architectural history of the area, along with the significant men and women who shaped the Northeast Community. Tours are outside only and will not include the inside of individual homes or buildings.

Each tour is approximately 90 minutes and will begin at Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St., proceed west along East Juniper Avenue, south on North White Street, east on East Spring Street, and north along North Taylor Street back to Taylor Street Park.

For complete details, visit  or contact Michelle Michael at 919-435-9516 or mmichael@wakeforestnc.gov.

Offered through the Diocese of North Carolina…

The Diocese of North Carolina invites you to mark Black History Month in a number of ways:

Take a moment to learn about historical moments and figures: Each day, the diocese will share on social media historical moments, churches and figures on our social media channels. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Attend the Annual Celebration of Blessed Absalom Jones, happening February 10 at Saint Augustine’s University. Worship begins at 10 a.m., and a luncheon will follow featuring the world premiere of “Telling Our Stories.” Register.

Join the Lenten and pre-pilgrimage diocesan-wide book study, “Wilmington’s Lie.” The eight-week study begins February 6 and meets Tuesdays from 12-1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Register.

Explore the resources available on the new diocesan reparations and restitutions ministry webpage.

Learn about systemic racism through Racial Equity Institute (REI)‘s foundational workshop. Subsidies are available; see below for more detail and upcoming dates.

Forum on Rise of Christian Nationalism

Wed, February 28

We’ll hear from three panelists who have done extensive and/or local organizing to resist the rise of Christian nationalism in the U.S., an ideology that is toxic to both nation and Church and is wed to white supremacism. Panelists: David Bland, Tom Baker IV, and Rev. Doug Long (read bios here).

Events with Cole Arthur Riley February 16 The Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee (RJRC) of our diocese is co-sponsoring two upcoming events with Cole Arthur Riley, creator and writer of the very popular Black Liturgies Project, a project that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature and the Black body. She is also the author of This Here Flesh and the newly published book Black Liturgies.  Both events will be held on Friday, Feb. 16th and are open to the public at no cost. The first takes place at 2 p.m. at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). The evening event is at 7 p.m. at Mt. Level Missionary Baptist Church. The Mt. Level event will be livestreamed on Mt. Level’s church Facebook page. Download event flyer