Mecklenburg County’s own Declaration of Independence? Plus, the history of NC's first residential Black beach town.

Due South

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Mecklenburg County’s own Declaration of Independence?
May 20, 1775, is a date you may recognize from the North Carolina state flag. It represents what was supposedly the first declaration of independence made by any of the 13 colonies involved in the American Revolution. That date was added more than a century ago, but its authenticity was first contested by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. This conversation originally aired on May 20, 2025.
Scott Syfert, author of ‘The First Declaration of Independence? The Disputed History of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of May 20, 1775'

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First residential Black beach town invigorates history through annual jazz fest
Since the late 1940s, when Ocean City was formed as a beach community where Black residents were afforded opportunities to purchase land and homes, the town’s founders and residents have worked to preserve its unique history. One way this is being done is through an annual jazz festival, meant to generate much-needed revenue for the community.
Kenneth Chestnut Sr., Ocean City historian, son of town founder

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The Broadside: The other Declaration of Independence
July 4th, 1776, is arguably the most important date in American history. That's when citizens of the colonies declared total independence from Great Britain for the very first time. But what if it wasn’t the first? This week, we travel down the rabbit hole of North Carolina’s Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.