Durham 2008 Official Visitors Guide - Where Good Things Happen - (Page 5) Dr. James E. Shepard founded the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua, which eventually became North Carolina Central University, the nation’s first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans. AFRICANAMERICAN ENTERPRISES After the Civil War, the African-American economy progressed through a combination of vocational training, jobs, land ownership, business ownership, and community leadership. In 1898, John Merrick founded North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which today is the largest and oldest African-American-owned life insurance company in the nation. With its founding in 1907, M&F Bank became one of the nation’s strongest AfricanAmerican-owned and -managed banks. This entrepreneurial spirit led so many other businesses to join these two that Durham’s Parrish Street neighborhood became known as “Black Wall Street.” CIVIL RIGHTS The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, organized in 1935 by C.C. Spaulding and Dr. James E. Shepard, has been cited nationally for its role in the sit-in movements of the 1950s-60s. The committee also has used its voting strength to pursue social and economic rights for African-Americans and other ethnic groups. In the late 1950s, Reverend Douglas Moore of Durham’s Asbury Temple Methodist Church, along with other religious and community leaders, pioneered sit-ins throughout North Carolina to protest discrimination at lunch counters that served only whites. A 1960 sit-in at a Woolworth counter in Greensboro captured the nation’s attention. Within days, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met Rev. Moore in Durham, where Dr. King coined his famous rallying cry “Fill up the jails” during a speech at White Rock Baptist Church. Advocating non-violent confrontation with segregation laws for the first time, Dr. King said, “Let us not fear going to jail. If the officials threaten to arrest us for standing up for our rights, we must answer by saying that we are willing and prepared to fill up the jails of the South.” RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK In 1959, what is now the world’s largest universityrelated research park and namesake for the vast Triangle region was carved from Durham pinelands as a special Durham County tax district. Research Triangle Park (RTP) is encompassed on three sides by the City of Durham, with a portion spilling into Wake County toward Cary and Morrisville. Pioneering RTP scientists have developed everything from AstroTurf® to AZT, winning Nobel Prizes in the process. Now, 160 companies, including Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Underwriters Laboratories, and agencies such as the EPA, employ over 40,000. Durham Climate HIGH °F/°C LOW °F/°C RAIN JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 10.0 11.1 16.1 22.2 25.6 29.4 31.1 30.6 27.2 21.7 16.1 11.1 50 52 61 72 78 85 88 87 81 71 61 52 -1.7 -1.1 29 30 37 2.8 7.8 3.48” 3.69” 3.77” 2.59” 3.92” 3.68” 4.01” 4.02” 3.19” 2.86” 2.98” 3.24” WELCOME 46 12.8 16.7 19.4 18.9 15.6 55 62 67 66 60 47 8.3 3.3 5 38 -0.6 31 F=Fahrenheit C=Celsius National Weather Service (919) 515-8225 Provides 24-hour taped message about local weather that is updated throughout the day. Also find the current weather in Durham at www.durham-nc.com. Things to Know Driving • In North Carolina, call 511 (toll-free) for the latest information on road conditions, including accident and weather-related delays. • Drivers in Durham should be aware that road names and numbers sometimes change along the same roadway. • North Carolina requires drivers, all passengers, and children under 16 to wear seat belts. • State laws require children under eight years of age who weigh less than 80 pounds to ride in a properly installed child-safety restraint or booster seat. All children under 12 years of age must ride, wearing seat belts, in a rear seat. Taxes Most Durham purchases, including prepared food and clothing, are currently taxed at the rate of 6.75% (4.25% state sales tax, 2.5% county sales tax). On August 1-3, 2008, North Carolina observes a sales tax holiday on certain items. Non-prepared food purchases at retail stores are taxed at 2%. Lodging rooms are taxed at 13% (4.25% state sales tax, 2.5% county sales tax, 6% county occupancy tax). Car rentals are taxed at 16% in Durham (25.61% at RDU International Airport). State Lottery The North Carolina Education Lottery features Powerball, Cash 5, Pick 3, and instant scratch-off tickets. Games can be played at many Durham convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other businesses. For more information, log on to www.lottery.nc.gov. Language Services For a complete listing of interpreters and translators, check out www.durham-nc.com/visitors/transportation/getting_around_ signlanguage.php or call the Durham Visitor Information Center at (800) 446-8604 or TDD (919) 688-8680. Get up-to-date Durham information in nine languages with the language selection tool on www.durham-nc.com. Fishing and Hunting Licenses are required for fishing and hunting and are available at all sporting goods and outdoor activity stores. Children 16 and under are not required to have a license but must be accompanied by a licensed adult. North Carolina law prohibits hunting on Sundays. Alcoholic Beverages The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC) operates nine Durham outlets for liquor sales to those 21 years and older. ABC stores are open Monday through Saturday, 9am-9pm. Call (919) 419-6217 or check out www.durhamabc.com for store locations and product information. Wine and beer are sold at most grocery and convenience stores. www.durham-nc.com http://www.durham-nc.com http://www.lottery.nc.gov http://www.durham-nc.com/visitors/transportation/getting_around_signlanguage.php http://www.durham-nc.com http://www.durham-nc.com/visitors/transportation/getting_around_signlanguage.php http://www.durham-nc.com http://www.durhamabc.com
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