Special to IFN

The Statesville Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the City of Statesville, will host a public unveiling of a Civil Rights marker honoring the 1960 Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in on Thursday, February 26.

The marker was secured through an application to the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission as part of its statewide initiative to identify and physically mark sites critical to the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina.

For generations, communities across the state have used spaces and places to organize, protest, and advance civil rights. Through this initiative, the African American Heritage Commission aims to place 50 markers in counties across North Carolina, highlighting both well-known and unsung civil rights efforts.

Statesville’s inclusion recognizes the local impact of the 1960 sit-in movement and affirms the city’s place within North Carolina’s broader Civil Rights story.

The unveiling represents a collaborative community effort, supported by local civic, preservation, and business organizations.

The ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, February 26, at the Statesville Historical Collection, home of a recreated Woolworth’s counter exhibit that commemorates the courage of those who participated in the peaceful protest movement that helped shape our community and our nation.

The Statesville Historical Collection is located at 117 S Center Street in Statesville.