Bullhorn acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live and work. The Eno, Shakori, Occaneechi, and Lumbee tribes inhabited and cared for this land for as much as 12,000 years before European settlers arrived and began a continual genocide with colonialism and beyond. Bullhorn recognizes that this is not just historical violence, it shapes our lives today and we commit our solidarity to efforts to reclaim Indigenous Sovereignty.
We acknowledge the Black community that makes Durham the unique and amazing city that we have the privilege of calling home. Historically, Black laborers, both enslaved and free, cleared and cultivated the land that would one day become Durham. In its early days, during which Durham became the booming and bustling tobacco capital of the world, Black laborers, tradesman, educators, and developers helped accelerate the city’s growth. Black artists, industrialists, entrepreneurs, civil rights activists, and others have steadily built on this powerful legacy. We acknowledge the violent legacy of slavery, jim crow, and the damage that white supremacy still upholds here and we strive to be in solidarity with all efforts for Racial Justice. We must recognize these painful legacies to undo harm and create new paradigms.
Today, Black Durham, along with other invaluable communities, make Durham one of the most diverse, culturally vibrant, and equitable cities in the South. We can create beautiful things in this city that we call home. Durham is a powerful place where we can all be powerful together as native, black, immigrant, queer, workers, families, and much more.
-Dannette Sharpley-Truong, Loan Tran, and Bullhorn