As part of North Carolina’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has developed several traveling exhibits which are free to request and host. The Moore County Historical Association has reserved one of the exhibits for a six-week period from February 2, 2026, to March 13, 2026.

When Are We Us? Is the question that helps us consider the roots of American democracy before 1776, and how the reverberations of American independence continue to shape us today.

The 8 panels are an exploration of the concepts of freedom, civic responsibility, overcoming challenges and change that lead into the ideals of democracy. The exhibit shares the perspectives of people who have become American by choice – and those who became American not by choice. It hopes to explore the struggle for human rights in the years since 1776.

Schedule and locations:
February 3-10 Aberdeen Lake Recreation Center
February 16-20 Moore County Senior Center
February 16 Lecture: “Black Soldiers from Civil War to Spanish American War” Moore County Sr. Center, 1:00-2:30 pm, speaker Matt Farina. Refreshments will be served.
February 23-March 3 Southern Pines Public Library
March 4-12 Carthage Records Office