Equal Justice Initiative National Legacy Museum National Memorial 

Please click the button below to know more about the Equal Justice Initiative, Montgomery, Alabama, the National Legacy Museum and National Memorial and the commitment to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society,   
The Black history of Chatham County has been hidden history for the most part, largely known only within the Black Community and Black churches.  Over the years within the Chatham County Black community there have many heroes who have worked to save and encourage the preservation of  our Black history, and that history is now emerging to the broader public as it has not done before.  We thank and honor all those who in the past and today continue to bring this history to light. 

Remembering Lynching Victims

The six lynching victims in Chatham County between the years 1885 and 1921 were Harriet Finch, Jerry Finch, Lee Tyson, John Pattishall, Henry Jones and Eugene Daniel.  The links below include the history of the events and are drawn from the University of North Carolina website at http://lynching.web.unc.edu/
Click here to read the Chatham News and Record's story of the lynching victims in Chatham County. 
THE PAGE BELOW CONTAINS A LIST OF RESOURCES FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC OF RACIAL JUSTICE IN CHATHAM COUNTY AND BEYOND.  THE LIST MAY BE EDITED FROM TIME TO TIME.


1.  Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror:  https://eji.org/wp-content/uploads/2005/11/lynching-in-america-3d-ed-110121.pdf

2. See additional materials at the EJI.org site:  https://eji.org/reports/lynching-in-america/

3.  For a lesson plan to teach this material to students, see:  https://lynchinginamerica.eji.org/drupal/sites/default/files/2019-11/EJI%20High%20School%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf

4.  For names and biographies of the six lynching victims in Chatham County, see:  https://www.crc-c.org/remembrance.html

5.  For an account of lynchings in NC entitled Red Record compiled by UNC, see:  https://lynching.web.unc.edu  

6.  For videos of book discussions featuring Chatham County residents, including the book CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, WILMINGTON’S LIE by David Zucchino and THE SUM OF US by Heather McGhee, go to the Home Page of CRC-C.org

7. For these other videos, please also go to the Home Page of CRC-C.org

    1)  Jubilee Day Address on the Emancipation Proclamation by Superior Court Judge Carl Fox 
    2)  Remembrance Ceremony for Eugene Daniel, Chatham County’s last lynching victim
    3)  Address on the life of Lewis Freeman, renowned free man of color in Chatham County in the 19th century by Dr. Harold B. Freeman, his 4th generation Grandson.
    4) Article on the Legacy of George Moses Horton, famous Black poet of Chatham County.

8.  African-American Heritage materials at the Chatham County Public Libraries: (Library Card required)  https://login.proxy205.nclive.org/login?url=http://africanamericanheritage.proquest.com/login/ipbarcode?aid=13563  For other materials please consult directly with the Library with the help of your teacher as needed.

9.  The Chatham News & Record (https://chathamnewsrecord.com) is the local newspaper of record for Chatham County and provides wide coverage of county events.  A subscription may be needed for research.  If you do not know a subscriber, for access please consult with your teacher or check with the Library.

10.  The Raleigh News and Observer (https://www.newsobserver.com) covers NC news. A subscription for some stories may be required.  If you do not know a subscriber, please consult with your teacher or check with the Library.

11. Patriots of Color in Chatham County During the American Revolution: https://youtu.be/fh9LnLQgVHc

12. Black Chathamites:  https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/BlackChathamitesFeb18.pdf

13.  10 Places to Explore African-American History:  https://www.visitnc.com/story/MHzg/places-to-explore-african-american-history

14. I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–11970 https://eusa.org/exhibition/i-am-a-man/

15. CHATHAM COUNTY SLAVE NARRATIVES FROM THE FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/ChathamCountySlaveNarratives.pdf

16, The Life of George Moses Horton  - https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/horton-george-moses-1797-1880/

17.  CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH ICONIC ARTISTS FROM NC https://www.ncarts.org/celebrate-black-history-month-iconic-artists-nc

​AFRICAN AMERICAN WALKING TOUR FOR PITTSBORO NORTH CAROLINA

THE CHATHAM COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION HAS REPUBLISHED THIS WALKING TOUR HISTORY IN A USER FRIENDLY FORMAT. CLICK HERE

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PLAYING OUR PART

PictureGeralidine DeGraffenreidt
Many individuals and groups have been tirelessly working for equity or lifting up Black History in Chatham in the past and present. Though impossible to name all people and groups, Black history has long been celebrated in the many Black churches of Chatham and throughout the history and Alumni Association of what is now George Moses Horton Middle School. Geraldine DeGraffenreidt, a 1962 graduate of Horton High School, founded the Black Historical Society of Chatham County, with its first public celebration of African American history in 1997.  The Chatham Historical Association and Chatham Public Library have also made contributions in highlighting some of the Black history here in Chatham.

Chatham County's history is still in the making and requires us all to play our part and join the many known and unknown people who helped preserve and transmit events of the past so that they might not be forgotten in the future.  Thanks for everyone who has played a part in uncovering and celebrating the history of Chatham, particularly voices and perspectives historically marginalized. In addition to the CRC-C and local NAACP chapters, you can find other local groups working for racial justice at the bottom of our website's Partners and Friends tab. Working together, even more important history can be uncovered and shared in ways that invite pride, conversation and healing in this generation and those to come. Imagine the future of this county as you to play YOUR part!

Chatham 250 Church Histories Project
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Explore the rich heritage of faith from Chatham County's various communities of faith, with special thanks to Annie Taylor McCrimmon for her efforts to collect these histories! Click here to view

Chatham County Fair 1950 - today

      The first Chatham County Colored Agricultural Fair was held in 1950 on the Goldston Lumber Company grounds, which were rented for a fee of two hundred and fifty dollars.  Through mud, rain and leaks, the event attracted about three thousand people and held exhibits in a rented tent.  Preparation of the fairgrounds required a lot of work, but the fair was considered a success... [read more] 
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Heroes of Chatham County Black History

Black Chathamites Making a Difference

CLICK HERE to learn more about 18 people of Chatham who made a difference in our community. Brief biographical sketches of a number of prominent black Chathamites were compiled by Delphine Womack and Joyce Cotten for a display at the 2017 Horton School Reunion. The information for the sketches comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, the Horton Yearbook, Internet sources, Chatham County Historical Association records, funeral programs, and books. All of the individuals described were either born in Chatham, received their education in the county, or lived later in life in Chatham.