Durham, North Carolina has a rich history in Black culture and activism. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Durham was known as the "Black Wall Street" due to its thriving African American business community. The city was home to successful Black entrepreneurs, such as C.C. Spaulding of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and John Merrick of the Merrick-Moore-Spaulding Real Estate and Insurance Company.

Durham was also a hub for civil rights activism. In 1957, the first sit-in protest in the South took place at the Royal Ice Cream Parlor in Durham, when a group of Black students from North Carolina Central University staged a nonviolent demonstration against segregation. This event paved the way for the sit-in movement that spread across the South.

Additionally, Durham was a key location in the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a prominent civil rights organization led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black leaders. The SCLC held its first mass meeting in Durham in 1957.

Today, Durham continues to honor and celebrate its Black history through various cultural events, museums, and historical sites. The city's legacy of Black excellence and activism is deeply woven into its fabric, making it a significant landmark in African American history.