CHARLOTTE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Have you heard of the Promise Land Community? The community was established and settled by former slaves from the Cumberland Furnace during the Reconstruction Period in Charlotte.
At one time, the community had encompassed around 1,000 acres with more than 50 homes, many stores, churches and an elementary school.
Today, only the St. John Promise Land Church and the Promise Land School Building remain.
The Promise Land Heritage Association is throwing its annual festival to celebrate the community's ancestry, legacy and creativity.
The Music & Arts Festival is taking place on June 1 at the Promise Land Historic Site in Charlotte. You can see a layout of the event schedule here.
The festival begins at 10 a.m.
The celebration begins with a Tennessee Historic Marker dedication and the Parade of Hats for Healthy Hearts.
Admission to the festival is free with donations accepted for parking.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
