'Connect us to future members of the Carrboro community': Drakeford Library holds grand opening

Walking into the new Drakeford Library Complex on Friday, Carrboro community members were met with high ceilings, modern architecture and colorful decorations to celebrate the grand opening of the long-anticipated addition to the Town. 

Over 200 people attended the event, which took place in the main lobby of the new facility. 

The ceremony began with remarks from Carrboro Town Manager Patrice Toney, followed by speeches from Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee, other town officials, community members, U.S. Rep. (D-NC 4th) Valerie Foushee. The library is named for Robert Drakeford, Carrboro's first Black mayor. Drakeford's son, Derrick Drakeford, also spoke at the event. 

“I remember the very first time I walked in here,” Barbara Foushee said. “I was brought to tears having been a part of this whole process.”

The library officially began construction in 2022 after the Carrboro Town Council and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted on the final approval for the development. However, the idea of the library spanned decades, with discussions dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. 

For some community members in attendance, the library was something they never thought they’d see in their lifetimes, Orange County commissioner Earl McKee said.

Jean Hamilton, vice-chair of the Orange County BOCC, said the library represents the community’s tax dollars being invested into the people of Orange County, which enhances work skills, education and recreation for residents and increases the productivity of the local economy. 

“Because, as we know, working together, working stronger — we, as Orange County, are better," she said.

Orange County commissioner Marilyn Carter said the library will provide a space for children to read about historical leaders, explore other cultures and learn about technological advancements, helping them imagine themselves in the future and what they will accomplish.

At the end of the ceremony, Derrick Drakeford gave the final remarks and sang an excerpt from the song "Amen" by Harry Belafonte. 

Drakeford said his father's legacy is in mentoring. He shared personal memories of his father’s commitment to helping others, including hosting a trip to the beach for low-income youth living in housing projects in Greensboro. 

“I remember being in the school bus riding from Greensboro to the beach, and I tell you, these kids were rambunctious,” he said. “They wouldn't listen to the bus driver, they wouldn't listen to the counselor, they wouldn’t listen to nobody. And then we got to the camp and everybody got in a circle, and my dad started speaking and it was like magic. All these kids who were once rambunctious, gave him full attention. He used vocal tone and inflection and seriousness and love, and he reached the souls of each one of these kids."

The ceremony moved outside for a final ribbon cutting, where members of the Carrboro Town Council, Orange County BOCC and Valerie Foushee marked the official opening of the Drakeford Library Complex.

“This building is a tie that connects folks who had that dream of a public space for learning, and that is going to connect us to future members of the Carrboro community who will have that same dream and carry it forward,” Carrboro Town Council member Catherine Fray said.

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