Eastern Carolina Christian College — Inclusive Public Art

Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary

Roanoke Rapids, NC

*Sarah Keys (middle) in the Women’s Army Corps basic training. Thumbnail and photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans*

Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary (ECCCS), and additional community organizations, have partnered together to tell the story of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans – a young, African American woman in the Women’s Army Corps, who refused to move to the back of the bus on August 2, 1952, was arrested, and whose legal battle was seminal in the fight for equal rights. This event took place at the bus terminal on Roanoke Avenue in Roanoke Rapids, NC, while she was traveling dressed in her official Women’s Army Corps uniform, from New Jersey to her hometown of Washington, NC. On September 1, 1953, Sarah Keys became the first Black petitioner to bring a complaint before the US Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) on a Jim Crow bus matter, two months before Thurgood Marshall made the second round of oral arguments in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. The resulting breakthrough civil rights case, Keys v. Carolina Coach Company (1955) was the first occurrence in which the ICC broke with its history of adherence to the Plessy v. Ferguson “separate but equal” doctrine. This ruling was publicly announced six days before Rosa Parks’ historic defiance of Jim Crow laws on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus and the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts of 1955. While the story of Sarah Keys has generally been eclipsed by the events in Montgomery, her activism was a necessary step and key success in ultimately dismantling Jim Crow transportation laws in the South in 1961. Working in collaboration with local Enfield, NC artist Napolean Hill, the artwork plaza, themed “Closing the Circle,” tells this important, yet under told story through eight chronological mural panels and two bronze plaques, mounted on two semi-circular brick walls. This project is located in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, an active community space in Roanoke Rapids.

Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary, in partnership with filmmaker Les Atkins, produced Trailblazer - Sarah Keys Evans Story

Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary, along with additional community stakeholders, have gathered together to form The SKE Project Committee to share this important story. Since 2018 they have worked in a collaborative community-engaged process that is central to the Inclusive Public Art Initiative. The slideshow below follows their journey, from their desire to share this vital but under told story, to research, education, design and engaging the wider community in the creation of a public artwork that lifts up this North Carolina trailblazer. Visit their project website at http://sarahkevansproject.com/

Miss Sarah Louise Keys In her Women’s Army Corps uniform. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

Mrs. Keys Evans is honored at The Women’s Memorial in Arlington Va., alongside her lawyer, Attorney Dovey Johnson Roundtree. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

Research and education have been central to the project. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

Miss Sarah Keys’ parents with her brother William. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

Miss Sarah Keys in 1952. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans on her wedding day in 1958. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans

The community engagement begins, with members discussing this history and ideas for how the story could be told with public art. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

The SKE Project Team travel to New York, with filmmaker Les Atkins (left) where they interview Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans (right). Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans during the video interview. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

On March 18, 2019, Dr. Blair L. M. Kelley, Associate Professor of History at North Carolina State University, gave a presentation on the historical significance of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans landmark case, along with placing it in the context of the history of protest to contest segregation. This public event, held at Halifax Community College, was attended by more than 50 community members. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

A group of multigenerational community members gather with the SKE Project Team. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

The SKE Project Team, from left to right: Dr. Ervin Griffin, Dr. Georgette Kimball, Mrs. Ophelia Gould-Faison, Dr. Charles McCollum, and artist Napolean Hill. Here Dr. Griffin is holding the book about Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans, Take a Seat-Make a Stand, by Amy Nathan. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

A site is chosen for the art installation in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, an active community space in Roanoke Rapids. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The architect’s rendering is complete. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

Artist Napolean Hill completes his first draft concept sketches. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

The outreach and engagement continue. The SKE Project Team creates a community newsletter to share this important project. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The SKE Project Team is committed to keeping the project inclusive. Photo courtesy of the SKE Project Committee

Meeting with the contractor in the park. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

A momentous day has arrived. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The SKE Project Team breaks ground at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The construction crew begins work on the walls. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

Artist Napolean Hill painting the panels in his studio. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

Artist Napolean Hill, working on a portrait of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans, and her father, whom she credits with encouraging her to take up the legal battle. Mr. Hill paints the details on her Army Corp uniform. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The two semi-circular walls for the plaza are almost complete. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

The SKE Project Team stand socially distanced, admiring the plaza, which is near completion. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

The City of Roanoke Rapids invests in sidewalks that meet the plaza. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

A sneak peek at one completed mural panel, this one featuring Attorney Dovey Roundtree. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

An exciting day as the plaques are installed. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

The large plaque, telling the story of Mrs. Sarah Keys Evans. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

Artist Napolean Hill (right) is assisted in installing his completed mural panels. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ervin Griffin

SKE Project Team Chair, Dr. Charles McCollum, takes a break during the final installation. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The mural panel installation moves along seamlessly with artist Napolean Hill (right) and his assistant. Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

Sarah Keys Evans Plaza is near completion. Stay tuned and check back soon for the final reveal of the finished artwork! Photo courtesy of Morgan Potts

The following segment premiered as a part of the PBS North Carolina Visibly Speaking series, which documents all ten Inclusive Public Art grantee projects from Cohort I.