Your Heritage Matters

Introduction

The Guilford County Community Remembrance Project humbly seeks your financial support for a significant event we are planning to hold on September 30th, 2023, which will memorialize Eugene Hairston, Guilford County’s only documented victim of lynching, who was brutally murdered at the hands of a mob in August 1887. Working in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) we are organizing a solemn soil collection ceremony in Greensboro, NC, near the location where this heinous act occurred 136 years ago. We have created this GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the ceremony that will ensure Eugene Hairston's memory is properly commemorated.

Campaign Goal:

Our goal is to raise $5,000.00 to support the Guilford County Community Remembrance Projects Soil Collection Ceremony.

The ceremony will feature guest speakers and artists who will educate attendees about this contentious, long-forgotten atrocity, and foster healing and understanding around the legacy of racial violence. These initiatives aim to promote empathy, reconciliation, and a shared commitment to equality.

During the ceremony, we will collect soil from the approximate location of Eugene Hairston's lynching, a solemn act that symbolizes the reclaiming of dignity and respect for his memory. The soil will be preserved as a testament to his life and the ongoing fight against racial violence. Large glass jars of soil, engraved with Hairston’s name and death date, will be donated to the Greensboro History Museum, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (Greensboro), and EJI’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, where they will be exhibited and used in educational endeavors.

Why Your Support Matters:

By supporting the Guilford County Community Remembrance Project Soil Collection Ceremony, you play a crucial role in acknowledging and rectifying the historical injustices that have deeply affected our community. Your contribution sends a powerful message that we must never forget the victims of racial violence and must commit to creating a more just and inclusive future.

How You Can Help

Donate: Your financial contribution will directly support the implementation of the Soil Collection Ceremony, and the GCCRP’s ongoing community engagement efforts to address our difficult history and advance racial reconciliation and healing in Guilford County. Every donation, no matter the amount, makes a meaningful impact in preserving Eugene Hairston's memory and promoting racial justice.

Share:

Spread the word about our campaign, the upcoming Soil Collection Ceremony, and the event on September 30th, 2023, at Church of the Covenant in Greensboro, NC. By reaching a wider audience, we will increase awareness and the potential for more individuals to support our cause.