No abstract

Understanding disparities in visitation rates to heritage sites and patterns in public support for preservation and remembrance of African American heritage could greatly inform decision-making and management philosophies of park/historic site operators, preservationists, and other entrepreneurs. Informed by critical theory, this study examined heritage site visitation and attitudes toward remembrance and preservation of African American heritage among North Carolina (NC) residents. Telephone interviews were completed by 843 residents investigating their heritage site visitation patterns and support for African American heritage. The results suggest that race, age, education, income, frequency of travel, and voting record impact variation in heritage site visitation among NC residents while race, age, education, the presence of retirees or children in the household, voting record, and identification as a Southerner influenced attitudes toward African American preservation. This study contributes to the critical analysis of how patterns in heritage site visitation and public support of preservation perpetuate racialization of the travel experience.

Tour guides from six Eastern North Carolina heritage sites were interviewed to assess minority participation. The sites in this study focus on museums, plantations, and towns. A further comparison was done between site ownership: private and state. The interviews were coded, which provided themes to reasons behind lack of participation, what exhibits minorities show interest in, and potential solutions to boost minority participation. Sites were also assessed on how the information located within each site was presented. In order to perform site assessment, content from a guided tour along with inventorying of site gift shops was completed.Finally, recommendations were assessed based off of the guides' interviews and the tours.