Wrestling with Governor Aycock and His Legacies

Posted on October 04, 2016

Aycock Auditorium

Friday, Oct. 14, 3:30-5:15 p.m.
Location: UNCG Auditorium (formerly Aycock Auditorium)

After much study and debate, UNCG recently removed Governor Aycock’s name from the campus auditorium, uncomfortable with his leadership in the twentieth-century white supremacy movement. This session, held in conjunction with the Historical Society of North Carolina, continues the public dialogue on this decision. Historians will share insights about Governor Aycock, the history of African Americans on Greensboro’s campus, and how other North Carolina schools have handled commemoration controversies on their campuses. Following the session, graduate students in UNCG’s public history program will hold an informal poster session to share creative proposals for how to remember Aycock in the building that used to bear his name.

Presenters:

  • James L. Leloudis, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    “Aycock’s Impact on North Carolina”
  • Gerald Prokopowicz, Professor of History, East Carolina University:
    “Remembering Aycock at ECU: Activism, Reaction, and the Role of Public History”
  • Erin Lawrimore, University Archivist, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
    “Searching for Aycock—and African Americans—on UNCG’s Campus”
  • Students in UNCG’s public history program

Reposted from the department of history.

Share This