The African-American community has played a vital role in the development and success of Vance County over the years, from antebellum times, to Reconstruction, to the Civil Rights era, to the present. Making a difference in all walks of life--educational, spiritual, commercial, and civic--the black citizens of this historic Tar Heel county share an impressive story, one marked by a determination and undeniable will to succeed through economic hardships and social challenges.