GREENSBORO – THIS IS WHERE MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY MADE HISTORY

According to ask4beauty, the city is just 200 years old, so you can’t really expect many historical monuments here. But Greensboro, now the third largest city in the US state of North Carolina, has its place in American history – especially in the civil rights movement.

It was here that the first “sit-in” took place, with which black Americans demanded equality with whites. That was still comparatively peaceful. But just 20 years later, Greensboro, North Carolina, was the scene of a massacre in which black citizens were victims of the Ku Klux Klan and lost their lives. Even if the act was late and not fully atoned for, life between blacks and whites in Greensboro has normalized, making everyday life unproblematic. For travelers, this means that with Greensboro they get to know part of a metropolitan region that also includes the cities of Winston-Salem and Highpoint and is now home to around 1.6 million people.

It is not uncommon for these three to be referred to as the “Piedmont Triad”. Welcome to a journey to the authentic, average America of today.

On your marks, get set, go!

If the shadows of the past are to fade, then a new generation must tackle new projects. Racial segregation tore deep wounds in Greensboro in the 1960s and 1970s, most of which are now healed. This is not least due to the fact that in the course of social change one has consistently invested in art and sport. Greensboro is now home to interesting museums and encourages young artists and artisans of all kinds. At the same time, whether you are a local or a guest, you can visit exciting sporting events here. At the top of the list are soccer and baseball. These encounters used to take place almost exclusively in the Greensboro Coliseum Complex (greensborocoliseum.com) instead of. Many clubs now have their own venues, but good youth baseball can still be seen there. In addition, the event center is the venue for cultural events as well as large trade fairs and congresses.

With art and culture into a better future

Art enthusiasts won’t get bored in Greensboro. Among other things, the Weatherspoon Art Museum (weatherspoon.uncg.edu). It was founded in 1941 and today has one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the entire southeastern United States. The focus of the collections is on American art, but overall the spectrum also includes works from other continents. In the “WAM”, for example, you can admire a comprehensive collection of Japanese wood prints. The museum regularly hosts more than 15 special exhibitions each year, plus an extensive program of activities. Even if children are involved, it is definitely worth taking a look at the calendar of events.

Another defining factor in the city’s cultural life is the Greensboro Ballet. The troupe that performed at the Carolina Theater of Greensboro (hcarolinatheatre.com) is the only professional classical dance formation in the entire metropolitan area. It was founded in the early sixties and has a very good reputation.

It doesn’t work without human rights

The civil rights movement in the United States began more than half a century ago, but it is still clearly tangible in Greensboro. This is not least due to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (sitinmovement.org), which is located in the building of a former Woolworth department store. The location is no accident. It was on February 1, 1960, a Monday, that four black students wanted to have lunch there in the fast-food restaurant. However, that was for “whites only”, so only served whites. The students didn’t want to be put off by this any longer and insisted on being treated as full customers (and people) there, as everywhere else in the store. The next day, 20 students followed suit. The example caught on. The “sit-ins” were soon practiced all over the US and spilled over to Europe during the student movement. By the way, the original lunch restaurant with the original chairs that Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil,

Take a deep breath please!

Greensboro is influenced by a subtropical climate, so it can be warm and humid. If that’s the case, then it’s not just air-conditioned shopping centers that provide relief. The city also has a number of beautiful parks and other open-air spaces that are great for breathtaking and relaxing. Above all, the botanical garden “The Bog Garden” should be mentioned. It is open daily with free entry and offers a small lake and waterfall, a large variety of plants and birds. The “Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden” is a bit more cultivated in the original sense of the word. In addition to a lot of greenery and a large display of flowers, the complex also offers various sculptures.

Greensboro in a nutshell

• The Greensboro Coliseum Complex (1921 West Gate City Boulevard) hosts major sporting and cultural events
• The Weatherspoon Art Museum (500 Tate Stree / corner of Spring Garden) shows modern and contemporary works
• Ballets at the Carolina Theater of Greensboro (310 South Greene Street)
• The first sit-in of the civil rights movement took place in what is now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (134 S. Elm Street)
• Relax in the botanical garden “The Bog Garden” (1101 Hobbs Road)
• Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden (1105 Hobbs Road)