CHARLOTTE — The oldest history museum in Charlotte is set to host its annual Independence Day celebration Friday, featuring a naturalization ceremony to welcome and honor some of America’s newest citizens.
“It’s about as star-spangled crazy as you can get,” Terri White said about the event.
White is the president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History in east Charlotte. She says the Fourth of July is an extra special day for her because it marks her first day with the organization.
“It’s a reminder of why I took this job and why I’m so excited to make people excited about history again,” she said.
This tradition began about a decade ago. White says it originally started as a way to demonstrate the museum’s dedication to inclusivity and recognizing the diverse stories that have impacted Charlotte’s history over the years.
"It has really blossomed and grown into, yes, a naturalization ceremony, but a way to remind people that the arts and the humanities are a part of society, and that we help make up the fabric of this great nation just as much as the citizens do," White said.
Charlotte Museum of History partners with United States Customs and Immigration Services to put on the event each year.
This year, White says just under two dozen people from around the world will take the oath of allegiance to the United States. The museum expects hundreds of attendees to join in celebrating these new citizens.
After the oath, the ceremony kicks off with performances and activities for children, as well as speeches from other people who have gone through the immigration process.
White said the museum will also have community resources available, including information on voter registration and local representatives.
“We really try to make it a big celebration for these people that have worked so hard to become citizens,” she said.
The event will take place alongside the museum’s “Meck Dec 250″ exhibit which explores the origins of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and its continued value to the region since it was signed in 1775.
White says this celebration is a reminder of the longstanding history of immigration in the United States.
“Rather than looking for ways that people are different or that people shouldn’t be doing certain things a certain way, acknowledge that immigration has always been a part of our story, and that is something to be celebrated,” she said.
She hopes that anybody coming to join in on Friday’s festivities comes with peace, joy and excitement for the people and their families being honored in the ceremony.
“What makes Charlotte great is that great minds come from all over the world to convene in the Queen City, named for a German princess who ruled in England to make our municipalities strong,” she said.
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