GREENSBORO, N.C. — Carol Hart knows history. As the director of The Greensboro History Museum she realizes that 2020 is and will be an unprecedented year in the history books.
"We see almost daily something that needs to be preserved. This year we almost feel like we are the gatekeepers of future history," continued Hart. "The pandemic had and continues to have such a harsh effect on the economy. Many small businesses and sometimes long-standing small businesses are collapsing."
One of those was the Smith Street Diner in downtown Greensboro.
"The owner reached out to us to save some of the items like some chairs and tables and menus and shirts. We took them in and decided to go in search of other long-standing businesses that might suffer the same fate. It is all a part of our area's history for sure. Even before Smith Street, Robinson's Restaurant was in that spot for 30 years or more", said Hart.
The museum also obtained a good number of the murals and artwork painted on the boards that were used to board up windows after downtown protests turned violent and resulted in some damage.
"These murals ended up giving us so much inspiration and hope after such a tough time and really shows off the spirit of the community," said Hart.