We are living in unprecedented times, Raleigh, and the NC Museum of History (in partnership with the State Archives of NC) wants to make sure people remember what North Carolinians went through during the COVID-19 pandemic and the NC protests for generations to come. That’s why they started their Your Story is North Carolina’s Story initiative.

This project asks any and all North Carolinians to send the museum items that tell your story of how the pandemic + the protests shaped your year and impacted you personally. Here is a short list of example items that you could send to the NC Museum of History:

COVID-19 pandemic items

○ Personal protective equipment (PPE), including items manufactured in North Carolina.
○ Items associated with North Carolinians who contracted COVID-19.
○ Items associated with cancellations and closures faced by individuals, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and religious + cultural institutions.
○ Items associated with life during quarantine, including objects related to working from home, schooling from home, caring for family members, exploring new hobbies, and dealing with isolation.
○ Items connected to altered “life-changing” experiences, including weddings, pregnancies and births, adoptions, and funerals.
○ Items related to workers who were furloughed or lost their jobs.
○ Items linked to coronavirus volunteer efforts.

Protest items

○ Protest signs used at Black Lives Matter protests or other protests against structural racism, protests for police reform, or social justice reform.
○ T-shirts, masks, or other clothing worn to protests.
○ Protective eyewear or other protective items worn to protests.
○ Items associated with the ongoing national and local conversations over race and equality that North Carolinians are experiencing.

While the museum isn’t collecting items until it’s safe to do so, they would love to know about them so they can contact you in the future to talk about adding your items to their collection. Fill out this form with all of your information, your item information, and how it played a role in your life during these times. The museum wants to stress that the items must have a strong connection to NC or a North Carolinian in order to be accepted.

If you want to donate journals, digital photos, or videos, you can do so here through the State Archives of NC.