Council Member D’Andre Jones was instrumental in the formation of the city’s Black heritage commission, which recently met and requested a name change.
Fayetteville Government Channel
FAYETTEVILLE — The city’s recently created Black heritage commission has a new name.
City Attorney Kit Williams said members of the group, which was previously known as the Commission to Preserve Historical Black Structures and Cemeteries and to Create Black Historical Markers, recently met and agreed unanimously to shorten and simplify the name as the Black Heritage Preservation Commission.
The City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to approve the change. The ordinance was sponsored by Council Member D’Andre Jones, who was instrumental in the group’s formation in August. Jones was absent for Tuesday’s meeting, but sponsored the name change to add it to the agenda.
The commission is comprised of seven members, including one City Council member appointed by the mayor. According to city code, one non-council member must be “very familiar with an Historical Black Church in Fayetteville” while the other five are at-large members. Non-council members serve three-year terms except for two of the first at-large positions, which will only serve for two years in order to establish rotation.
The current commission includes Council Member D’Andre Jones, Lois Bryant, JL Jennings, Traci Morgan, Kaleb Turner, Joetta Walker and Wendell Huggins.
From the city’s description of the commission:
Preservation and Protection
The Commission may work with and coordinate its preservation goals with the Historic District Commission. The Commission may recommend protection or preservation measures for particular Historical Black Churches, Structures, and Cemeteries to the City Council and the Historic District Commission.Black Historical Markers
The Commission should research and investigate sites of important struggles and achievements of our Black residents and their supporters to promote diversity and equality and to oppose discrimination in Fayetteville. The Commission may recommend to the City Council that a Black Historical Marker memorializing such important site be created and installed at such location.
City code requires the commission to meet at least quarterly. Special meetings can be called with two days notice.
