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.
The Beacon of Freedom
The Beacon of Freedom is an abstract steel art structure depicting a soaring flame. This flame represents the hope and eternal spirit of African Americans as well as all those who have struggled for freedom.
The Beacon stands 45 feet tall on a wooden plinth with another ten feet of metal below anchoring and reinforcing its base. It is coated with a bright gold finish that contrasts with the more rugged finish of the precast and metal walls. Eight LED lights in the plinth light The Beacon each evening with beams of light that reach toward the heavens.
The Beacon was assembled in the the earliest 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 hope for a brighter more equitable future.
The Walls
The Carolina red clay-like walls are etched with powerful quotes and serve as 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
We hope our visitors will be inspired by our Voices of Freedom etched into The Park’s walls. Each quote is from an African American in North Carolina history who tenaciously hoped and journeyed toward freedom. All are meant to be the beginning of a conversation, a snapshot of a life that we hope our visitors will be compelled to further research and get to know.
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 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.