Come see Connecting Our Past: The History and Culture of Boston-Thurmond, a pop-up exhibition at MUSE Winston-Salem opening December 2, 2024!

The exhibit tells stories from the historic Boston community (today often referred to as Boston-Thurmond). Established in 1892, Boston is one of the last intact historically Black neighborhoods in Winston-Salem. In the 1920s and ’30s, Boston was a thriving, self-sufficient, mixed-income community, but like many other historically Black neighborhoods, it was disrupted by numerous “public improvements” such as Cherry/Marshall Expressway (University Parkway) construction, school integration, and urban renewal.

Since 2021, a team of Boston-Thurmond residents and local scholars, filmmakers, and artists have been collecting oral histories and archival materials to create a virtual exhibition and “living” neighborhood archive of the untold stories that humanize Boston-Thurmond, both present day and historically.

Professor Ivan Weiss in the Journalism Program and Professor Cagney Gentry in the Communication Department have led the film portion of the project, and students from their classes have contributed to this ongoing documentary project. Segments of their work will be on display at the exhibit.