City Clerk

General Information

The African American Heritage Commission is to advise the City Council and County Commissioners about the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of African American arts, history, and culture. The Commission shall:

• develop a plan to identify, create, encourage, promote and implement projects that will recognize, increase and expand the awareness of the contributions of African Americans throughout the City-County area
• create plans to identify and recognize sites in the community that are significant to African American history; encourage and promote economic activity related to the African American community; and propose other projects that are consistent with the goals of the Commission

Documents

African American Heritage Commission Documents (meeting materials, annual reports, annual work plans, governing documents, enabling statutes, resolutions, ordinances, etc.)

Membership

The City-County African American Heritage Commission consists of nine members. Three of those members are appointed by the Asheville City Council, three are appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, and three are appointed by the six appointed members.

In appointing members to the Commission, the following criteria will be considered essential:

• Affiliations with significant African American institutions in Asheville and Buncombe County
• Diversity within the members by age range, affiliations(local, regional, national), Professional expertise, and area of town or county where they reside
• Willingness to be an active participant in meetings, expending an estimated three hours or more a month in Commission business

The term of office is three years. Members shall not serve more than six consecutive years, although members may be reappointed after being off the commission for one year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all members shall serve at the pleasure of Council, and may be removed at any time with or without cause.

Regular Meeting Schedule

The regular meetings of the African American Heritage Committee will remain meeting as needed until June 30, 2027, unless noticed otherwise. 

Public Access:

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute § 166A-19.24(f), this will be a remote meeting that the public can access by any of the following means:  

• Watch a livestream on the Engagement Hub or the City’s YouTube Channel 
• Call toll-free to listen to the meeting on your phone: Call (855)-925-2801. Enter the Meeting Code: 9409.
• Have an issue with participating in a board or commission meeting, in person or virtually? Use this form to let us know!

Public Comment:

• Call-In Public Comments: Call (855) 925-2801 and enter code 9409. Comments can be made in advance or during the meeting.

• Written Public Comments: Written public comments can be sent by email – AAHCAVL@PublicInput.com.

All public comments will be sent to the committee prior to the meeting.