To mark Wilson’s 175th birthday on January 29, 2024, the City’s Facebook page featured posts about the Mayor’s birthday proclamation; the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad; Wilson Energy; Wilson Fire/Rescue Services; Greenlight; and Buckhorn Reservoir. As with its Martin Luther King Jr. Day announcement — which was all about closures, said nothing about the man himself, and closed with a cheery “if you have the day off, take advantage of this long weekend and enjoy your well-deserved break!” — the City missed opportunities for inclusion in its write-ups about its honorees. At a minimum — especially during Black History Month — Ben Mincey and the Red Hots should have gotten a nod in the FRS post.

Let’s look a little closer at the proclamation though.  The “whereas” is accurate, but I can’t see Wyatt Moye’s name without thinking of his other legacy, one that resonates in the blood of African-Americans from Wilson County to Louisiana.

So:

WHEREAS, Wyatt Moye was a slave trader who moved surplus enslaved people in coffles from North Carolina to the deepest South, and

WHEREAS, his business, which ripped men and women from their families and communities forever, made the incorporator of the Town of Wilson wildly wealthy.

There. Fixed it.