Durham is growing.
I would like to nominate that previous sentence for the understatement of the year.
On average, 20 people a day are moving to Durham and even more are taking jobs in the Bull City. The Bull is booming. There are both pros and cons to this. Changes occurring in Durham are unprecedented compared to anything in Durham’s history dating back to 1701, EXCEPT the influx of newcomers.
Before Durham was Durham, it was home to the Eno and Occaneechi tribes. From there colonial exploiter John Lawson called the area the “flower of the Carolinas,” a drunkard with a side hustle of doctoring gifted the NC railroad an acre, and a series of unBULLievaBULL events unfolded making Durham. Durham’s history can turn the most agnostic individuals BULLievers.
Durham’s history and existence are because of folks moving here for opportunities. Post Civil War Durham was one of the few cities in the South making money. The Bull City was one of the few places in the entire U.S. that African-Americans could make good, even great, money, even during the Jim Crow Era. It’s not that racism didn’t and doesn’t exist here; it’s more that it’s always taken a backseat to money. A funny thing happened during all of this; in working together folks got to know and like one another despite the color of their skin. They say money is the root of all evil, but in Durham, it was the root of strong race-relations.
But here’s the thing… what’s happening now is NOT like what has happened since 1701. An estimated 7,000 people moved to Durham last year, but there were over 9,300 evictions filed during that time. None of that is simple.
So how do we keep Durham, Durham in the face of such drastic changes in our population and thus culture?
We actively choose to.
We welcome newcomers in a way that clearly says, “this is who we are and what we value. You get that and you with that, welcome home. You are seen. You are loved. You matter.”
This Bull City History Bit was made possiBULL by our Community Partner Chrysti Peek.
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