Reclaiming Durham's Narrative: Scholarship, Service, and the Spirit of Dr. Moore

Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore—physician, educator, civic visionary, and founder of the Durham Colored Library—played a pivotal role in shaping Durham’s Black institutions and community life. Join us for a discussion examining Moore’s lasting contributions and the ways his legacy continues to inform present-day conversations about education, equity, and local history. Panelists will explore Moore’s influence on Durham’s development, the interconnected histories of the Durham Colored Library and other Black-led institutions, and the relevance of Moore’s values to Duke University’s ongoing engagement with the surrounding community.

This lunchtime panel is part of a broader initiative celebrating the living legacy of Dr. Moore and the enduring impact of Black-led innovation and institution-building in Durham.

Panelists
Descendants of Dr. Moore and leaders in their fields

C. Eileen Watts Welch, President, Durham Colored Library, Inc. and the Leader of the Aaron McDuffie Moore Biography Project

Blake Hill-Saya, Executive Director, The Friends of NC Freedom Park Board; Author of the Aaron McDuffie Moore biography - titled Aaron McDuffie Moore: An African American Physician, Educator, and Founder of Durham’s Black Wall Street, Published 2020 by UNC Press

Brandi Sansom Glover, Duke Alum ’06; Board Member, Durham Colored Library, Inc., experienced non-profit leader in the arts and community leadership arena

Chair of the Department of History at North Carolina Central University

Charles D. Johnson, PhD. - Associate Professor of History, North Carolina Central University who specializes in Public History in the Global African Diaspora.

Moderator
Damon Tweedy, MD — Physician, Author, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine

A light lunch will be provided.