Welcome, Reflect & Gather
The Park’s landscape and educational features are inspired by dynamic themes of discovery, recognition and celebration. There are areas to reflect and places to gather and a signature vertical architectural structure at the center, The Beacon of Freedom, to welcome visitors.
The Beacon of Freedom
The Beacon of Freedom is an abstract metal art structure depicting a soaring flame. This flame characterizes the hope and eternal spirit of African Americans and all those who have struggled for freedom.
The Beacon of Freedom is made of steel and stands 45 feet high on a wooden plinth. Another ten feet of metal below anchors the beacon to a reinforced base. The Beacon is coated with a bright gold finish that contrasts with the rugged finish of the precast and metal walls. The eight LED lights in the plinth highlight the beacon each evening with beams of light reaching toward the heavens.
The Beacon was assembled in the the early stages of park construction as the cranes required to lift the beacon into place were too heavy to be on the finished walkways.
The Walkways
The gray concrete walkways leading to The Beacon are designed in the shape of a sunburst which symbolizes the hope for a brighter more equitable future.
The Walls
The Carolina red dirt-like walls etched with powerful quotes are a prominent feature of The Park. The walls are intentionally red, textured and distressed to match the soil beneath the Park’s surface.
The Voices of Freedom
Visitors to The Park will be inspired by our Voices of Freedom in the form of quotes from African Americans in North Carolina history etched into The Park’s walls. Each quote is the beginning of a conversation, a snapshot of a life that we hope our visitors will be inspired to further research.
The Brush Arbor
The Brush Arbor area of North Carolina Freedom Park is a place for thought, relaxation, prayer and reflection. The Arbor is based on a signature tradition of the African American experience. Brush arbors, often hidden by branches, served as quiet secluded ceremonial places for enslaved people to gather for worship, thought and community.
Some arbors were constructed with sticks, poles, and branches to resemble a church.
After the end of slavery, the arbor meetings evolved into revivals and camp meetings in open areas or under large tents. These gatherings became the foundation of the southern African American church. Many early Black churches were built on the places where brush arbor meetings were held.