When Maurice J. Norman was a senior at Davidson College, he was introduced to the , an historically Black neighborhood in Cornelius. The classroom conversation centered around the , an ongoing movement since the neighborhood’s inception in 1910.
Norman isn’t from Smithville or even Mecklenburg County. He hails from Mineral Springs, a small town close to the South Carolina border in Union County. It too has a small but , Norman said, wedged between the pressures of change and the desire to remain intact.
So for Norman, the conversation hit home in a number of ways. “Over the years, noticing that my neighborhood was visibly getting smaller and visibly getting consumed by the suburbs, there was a moment of awakening where you realize that there is a problem here,” Norman said. “When I encountered the Smithville CommUNITY Coalition, and the organizing that they had done to combat the same issue just in a different location, .
..it was inspiring.
” , Norman needed to use that inspiration and his art to help amplify the Smithville community’s voices. After a year of documentation, Norman is ready to share what he’s learned. “Don’t Lose Heart” is a storytelling production by Norman who transformed conversations with Smithville residents into poetry.
He’ll perform those poems on stage at the on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
“This event is an invitation for people to come and engage with Smithville’s mission,” Norman said. “Come and hear a few of the stories.
