On Thursday, the legislative semi-quincentennial committee, chaired by Rep. Hugh Blackwell and Sen. W. Ted Alexander, heard from stakeholders making plans for America’s 250th celebration on July 4th, 2026.

Thursday’s presenters were Sarah Koonts from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), Clarence Henderson, a civil rights and pro-life activist, and Randell Jones, a member of the Road Scholars speakers bureau of the North Carolina Humanities Council. 

“North Carolinians should know about their forebears’ impressive role in preparing for and fighting in the American Revolution,” Jane Stroup, editorial consultant for the North Carolina History Project, told the Carolina Journal in an email. “Patriots fought Loyalists in February 1776, five months before the Declaration of Independence was even signed. And on April 12, 1776, the colony issued a ringing statement in favor of lifting the British yoke. The Halifax Resolves called on all the other colonies to declare independence. And on July 4, they did.”

At the meeting, Alexander provided an update on some of the things the committee has accomplished since the last meeting: one of those accomplishments being preliminary contact with the North Carolina Symphony, represented by Stan Williams, the Symphony’s senior director of public affairs, in Thursday’s meeting. Additional progress includes sending letters to numerous publications in North Carolina to remind them of the upcoming semi-quincentennial and to request that they recognize the anniversary in their publications.

Koonts, the assistant director of government affairs for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, discussed the department’s role in planning the upcoming celebration in 2026. In 2018, the DNCR formed a committee to focus on designing and commemorating local events at the statewide level. The federal commission for the planning and observance the 250th celebration recognized this committee in 2019.  

“So, we are recognized by the National Commission as that official planning committee, but states are welcome to organize themselves however they want to,” said Koontz. “And truly, all the states and territories kind of organize their commemoration planning differently.”

According to Koonts, the DNCR encourages planning committees in all 100 North Carolina counties. She is also coordinating with South Carolina and Virginia. Koonts is cultivating outreach to state commissions and stakeholders to ensure that events and activities are being planned to foster tourism in all three states.  

All of it serves as a reminder of the Old North State’s critical contributions to the founding of our nation.

“North Carolina also played a key role in ending the war,” said Stroup. “Although the Patriots did not win the Battle of Guilford County Courthouse, their efforts slowed down and damaged the British army of Charles Cornwallis as it marched to Virginia. The British lost soldiers and supplies and, seven months later, surrendered to George Washington after the Battle of Yorktown.”

Following the committee’s brief discussion, they adjourned to reconvene on September 19.