Facing our History
The Wilma Dykeman Legacy invites you to a special program on Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 7-8:30 p.m.
Facing Our History focuses on the 1927 lynching of Broadus Miller near Marion, North Carolina, and the 1897 lynching of Bob Brackett along Reems Creek in the Weaverville area.
Kevin Young, the author of The Violent World of Broadus Miller, will put the lynching of Broadus Miller in historical context.
In the summer of 1927, an itinerant Black laborer named Broadus Miller was accused of killing a fifteen-year-old white girl in Morganton, North Carolina. Miller became the target of a massive manhunt lasting nearly two weeks.
More than an account of a single murder case, The Violent World of Broadus Miller vividly illustrates the stormy race relations in the Carolinas during the early 1900s, reminding us that the legacy of this era lingers into the present.
Forrest Weaver will present background about the Weaverville Black community, Jonathan McCoy will describe the Equal Justice Initiative, Meta Commerse will sing and read a poem, and Jim Stokely will tell the story of the Bob Brachett lynching. We have planned a rich and informative program.
Because space is limited, please RSVP by Sunday, October 26, 2025 at www.evite.com/event/0204C6L3AI7TAY3WGEPQPSIGNVDTBQ.
The Weaverville Community Center is located at 60 Lakeshore Drive in Weaverville, NC.
