New sculpture honoring Black artisans to be unveiled Thursday in downtown New Bern

A new sculpture in downtown New Bern is set to honor the contributions of African American artisans who helped build the city.

Artist Georgie Nakima and two other artists spent months working on the project. The finished sculpture is now in Wilson Park at the corner of South Front and Craven streets.

The unveiling is scheduled for this Thursday at 10 a.m.

“Our futures are very much connected with our history, and it’s important that we learn and have curiosity about how we came to be as a city and how we see how integrated our lives have been and will continue to be,” Nakima said.

The artwork is inspired by the book “Crafting Lives: African American Artisans in New Bern.”