Arts and Economic Development in Eastern NC -- African American Music Trail

<p></p> <p>The African American Music Trail (AAMT), a heritage trail network commemorating the rich arts and cultural history of eight eastern North Carolina counties, is underway in Kinston, North Carolina (NC). Kinston, the Lenoir County seat, will serve as the trailhead for the AAMT, which is a collaborative project of the NC Department of Cultural Resources (DCR) and the NC Department of Transportation (DOT), and spearheaded by the NC Arts Council. The AAMT seeks to promote the significant accomplishments of North Carolina musicians like saxophonist Maceo Parker and his brother Melvin Parker, both Kinston natives, who are well known for their collaborations with James Brown and the George Clinton collective the Parliament-Funkadelic. Kinston was selected to serve as the primary hub of the AAMT because of strong partnerships between the City of Kinston, the Kinston arts community, the Tourism Development Authority, and the Kinston Community Council for the Arts (KCCA), a nonprofit organization that has championed the AAMT on the local front. Construction on a four acre music park and sculpture garden in downtown Kinston will break ground late this summer.</p> <p>Kinston has received over $650,000 in grant funding over the past seven years to support projects related to the AAMT. Funders include the NC Arts Council, the NC Department of Transportation, and the Golden Leaf Foundation. The Community and Economic Development Program (CED) is working with the City of Kinston to explore innovative ways to revitalize a downtown neighborhood called Mitchelltown, which lies in walking distance to the AAMT music park. The city hopes [...]</p>