Celebrating Black History Month is important to many people in this country. None more so than the people in the All American City of Fayetteville. This great city has become home to many ethnicities and cultures. A lot of this has to do with the Fort Bragg military installation. During Fayetteville's annual International Folk Festival, admiration and respect for cultural diversity are highly displayed. However, in February, Black History Month, it's an important time to celebrate and recognize the many contributions and sacrifices and honor the heritage of African Americans who have contributed to the history of the City of Fayetteville.

Many of us are aware of the nation's tumultuous history related to African Americans and those of African descent. As stated earlier, we want to celebrate the contributions of just a few African American Fayetteville natives. One such person to honor would be the first well-known African American novelist, Charles W. Chesnutt. He grew up in Fayetteville and would serve as principal of the State Colored School from 1880 to 1883. This school would later become Fayetteville State University.

Today the library on the FSU campus is named in honor of the renowned author.

In politics, Fayetteville Native Hiram Revels became the nation's first African American United States Senator in 1870. He was born to free black parents in 1827. He served as a minister within the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). There are a few African American firsts in politics in Fayetteville. Marshall Pitts, Jr. served two terms and was the city's first African American Mayor. Ms. Mable C. Smith served as a city councilwoman representing her community east of the Cape Fear River. Mrs. Mary E. McAllister served as the first African American female chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and served in the NC General Assembly, to name a few.

African Americans also contributed to local religious endeavors. Henry Evans, a prominent Black preacher, has been credited as the father of the Methodist Church, white and Black, in Fayetteville. Sometime before 1800, he built the African Meeting House, the present-day Evans Metropolitan A. M. E. Zion Church. Another native son Harry Hosier, a Methodist minister of the early 19th century, was once called "one of the greatest orators in America" by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

We could go on and on about the rich African American History that has come out of and helped shape this All American City of Fayetteville. Still, none of it would mean anything we don't continue to build on it. We must continue to celebrate our diversity. That is done by publicly honoring Black men and women who contribute to the city's history. We must make sure that history brings us together as a community and does not divide us. History has to live outside of the classrooms and textbooks. It must become a lived experience if we are to truly appreciate its' lessons. Finally, we have to make a concerted effort to share these lessons to make not only Fayetteville a better city but North Carolina a better state and the United States a better nation.