America 250 Symposium at Pack Library Probes Immigration, Emancipation, Voting Rights

A screening of Urban Renewal Impact, part two of the Black in Asheville series that documents the East Riverside urban renewal project that displaced 1,250+ families, will anchor a full day of programming at Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., on Friday, Feb. 27. The symposium will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is a free public event with no pre-registration required.

“When Are We US? An America 250 Symposium” is organized by Buncombe County Special Collections in partnership with the Vance Birthplace State Historic Site and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, both administered by the Division of State Historic Sites under the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 828newsnow summarized the program: “The free public event will feature lectures, a film screening and live readings centered on immigration, integration, emancipation and voting rights in North Carolina.”

The 1 p.m. screening of Urban Renewal Impact will be followed by a Q&A with director Todd Gragg and collaborator and historian Priscilla Robinson, who co-present the documentary examining how redevelopment reshaped Asheville’s Black community. Avltoday reported that Gragg and Robinson will host audience questions after the film.

At 3:30 p.m., members of Asheville Community Theater will present “Open Envelope,” a live reading segment that draws on historical documents ranging from letters home from the Belgian front in World War I to accounts of suffragettes celebrating political victories. Light refreshments will be served during the free day of programming, Avltoday noted.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources framed the event as part of the statewide America250 commemoration: “This free day of programming will explore the fundamental ideals of democracy and the voices that have shaped the nation.” DNCR materials say the presentations will grapple with the question “when are we US?” and will bring together historians, scholars, filmmakers, and community members to examine immigration, integration, emancipation, and voting rights in North Carolina.

Concurrent with the symposium, Buncombe County Special Collections is hosting the multimedia exhibit “Black Stories in Census Tract 2,” curated by Garnet Prose + Projects and STM Multimedia; the exhibit runs Jan. 20 through April 21, 2026. Ami Worthen of Garnet Prose + Projects is listed as a project founder; partners on the exhibit include the Historic Stumptown Neighborhood Association and supporters include Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, and Dogwood Health Trust.

Practical details for visitors: the Pack Memorial Library Lord Auditorium is at 67 Haywood St. Admission to the symposium is free and pre-registration is not required, and the full schedule is available online through DNCR and Buncombe County Special Collections event pages. Buncombe County Special Collections reading room hours are Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with Mondays by appointment; staff note reading room hours may be affected by public programs. For more information contact Buncombe County Special Collections at 828-250-4740 or packnc@buncombenc.gov.