Durham, North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina
Maria Miracoli · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Durham, North Carolina
Settlement type	City
Nickname	Bull City
Pushpin label	Durham
Coordinates	35, 59, N, 78...
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	North Carolina
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Durham
Established title	Founded
Established date	1869
Established title1	Incorporated
Established date1	1869 (town), 1874 (city)
Government type	Council–Manager
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Leonardo Williams
Area total km2	299.0
Area total sq mi	115.4
Area land km2	296.7
Area land sq mi	114.6
Area water km2	2.3
Area water sq mi	0.9
Elevation m	123
Elevation ft	404
Population total	283,506
Population as of	2020
Population density km2	auto
Population density sq mi	auto
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	−5
Timezone DST	EDT
Utc offset DST	−4
Postal code type	ZIP Codes
Postal code	27701–27712, 27717, 27722
Area code	919, 984
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	37-19000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1020326
Website	durhamnc.gov

Contents

History and Civil Rights Foundations
Civil Rights Movement in Durham
Key Figures and Organizations

Durham, North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina, is a major city in the Research Triangle region, historically significant for its role in the economic and social advancement of African Americans in the post-Reconstruction era. Its development of a prosperous Black Wall Street and the activism of its citizens made it a critical, though often less confrontational, center for the Civil Rights Movement in the American South.

History and Civil Rights Foundations

Durham's modern history began with its establishment around a railroad station and the growth of the tobacco industry, led by industrialists like Washington Duke and his son James Buchanan Duke, founder of the American Tobacco Company. Following the American Civil War, the city became a destination for freedmen, and the founding of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in 1910 as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua provided a vital educational institution for the Black community. The early 20th century saw the rise of a remarkable African American business district along Parrish Street, famously known as Black Wall Street. This economic foundation, built by entrepreneurs like John Merrick and Charles Clinton Spaulding of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, created a class of independent, financially secure Black leaders who advocated for racial uplift and strategic negotiation within the Jim Crow system, setting a distinct tone for Durham's civil rights approach.

Civil Rights Movement in Durham

The Civil Rights Movement in Durham was characterized by strategic litigation, targeted protests, and influential local organizing, often avoiding the mass street confrontations seen in other Southern cities. A pivotal early event was the 1957 "Royal Ice Cream Sit-In," where protesters led by Douglas E. Moore challenged segregation at a local parlor, predating the more famous Greensboro sit-ins by three years. The city was a key site for the formation of activist organizations, including the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, which wielded significant political influence. In 1963, Durham hosted major addresses by both Martin Luther King Jr. and the more militant Malcolm X, highlighting the ideological spectrum of the movement. Protests focused on desegregating public facilities, including the Carolina Theatre, and achieving fair employment, particularly at the Duke University hospital and the HEW-funded Durham County Hospital.

Key Figures and Organizations