In the context of this artwork, discuss the African American Heritage Commission of the 21st-century controversy.
The North Carolina General Assembly created the African American Heritage Commission (AAHC) in 2008. In 2014, the commission began considering the creation of a monument for African Americans in Asheville to provide balance for the Vance Monument. One idea from the AAHC was to contextualize the Vance Monument. Sasha Mitchell, AAHC chair, said they wanted to add a series of small markers in the monument square to tell the story of Asheville's African Americans. Mitchel said, "To be perfectly honest, I wish it [the Vance Monument] wasn't there. But it is there and moving it would be very expensive. As far as putting money into moving it rather than for contextualizing it, I don't know that that would be the wisest use of money."A coalition of community activists—including the Center for Diversity Education, Carolina Jews for Justice, Masonic Lodge Venus No. 62, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and the Mountain's People Assembly—backed the AAHC and called upon Asheville's Public Art Board to create a new work near the Vance Monument to recognize African American history. The group started a Change.org petition that read, "It was at this site where enslaved people were sold and had bills of sale recorded. In addition, enslaved people were punished and imprisoned at this same site, yet no marker of any kind acknowledges this or the many contributions African-Americans made to this region." The petition referenced the site of a prior courthouse that was close to the Vance Monument, as well as the former jail which was on top of the monument's site.The AAHC made its recommendations to the city and also submitted the petition with 2,000 signatures. However, no action was taken by the city. When no progress was made, Mitchell stated his belief that regulations and staff support got in the way. On June 23, 2015, the Vance Monument was marked with spray paint, with "Black Lives Matter" being painted on the monument's nameplate. The paint was removed and no arrests were made. After the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesvilblale, Virginia, Asheville created a subcommittee to study what to do with its Confederate markers and monuments, including the Vance Monument. However, those efforts went nowhere.
Virginia Masonic Asheville Unite the Right rally North Carolina General Assembly Charlottesvilblale, Virginia Change.org