Begin your journey into the history of African Americans in Winston-Salem with a complimentary reception at the Winston-Salem Visitor Center. Our staff will enhance your visit with their knowledge of the people and places so important to our community.
Winston-Salem State University was the first black institution in the nation to grant degrees for teaching in the elementary grades. Today it serves 3,500 students.
The cultural center on campus, Diggs Gallery, features 10-15 exhibitions each year by African American artists. The mission of the gallery is to create cultural bridges between all communities. Recent exhibits have focused on African hair traditions and 200 years of African American contributions to the world of fashion.
 View
two murals on permanent exhibition by John Biggers. "Origins" and "Ascension" were
commissioned by the Winston-Salem
Delta Fine Arts, Inc. for
permanent exhibition in the three-story
atrium of the C.G. O'Kelly Library at WSSU. Each magnificent mural
is 15 feet wide by 30 feet
high and displays symbolic representations
of ancient concepts found in African mythology and folklore, fused
with mathematical
concepts and scientific theories. Before
you leave campus, take time to visit the Sculpture Gardens.
St. Philips Complex in the Old Salem Museums and Gardens Historic
District includes a reconstructed 1823 log church, the restored 1861
brick St. Philips Moravian Church and a burial ground. The brick St.
Philips Church is one of the earliest buildings dedicated to African
American worship in the South, and it is the oldest existing African
American church building in North Carolina. The complex, which opened
in May 2003, features interactive exhibits explaining what life was
like for enslaved Africans and African Americans in the Piedmont.
Serving as
the first burial site in Salem for non-Moravian
members and as the first site designated
for African American burials in Salem,
the sacred site tells the true stories
about diversity and equality in Salem.
The burial ground was practically unknown until an archaeology team working on the site discovered burial stones from the graves lodged under the floor of the brick church. Some of these burial stones are exhibited in the newly reconstructed 1823 log church museum, along with other artifacts found in or around the church during the archaeological process.
A walking tour of African American sites throughout Old Salem is available.
Nearby Delta
Arts Center offers programs in the visual arts, music, literature,
drama, history and folk arts. Delta
Arts Center has featured artists
such as George Walker, William Eduoard
Scott, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and John
Biggers. The center will be moving into a larger facility
in winter 2004.
African and
African American art and collectibles are available
at these retail locations: Special Occasions, Pan-African Imagery, World
Mission and
the Leinbach Gallery.
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