Mission
Hometown Walkabout raises awareness of racial and cultural diversity in Burke County, NC through arts-based walking tours that present, promote, and celebrate local communities and advance inclusivity. Like many Southern Appalachian communities, Morganton has a rich and complex history. During our two-hour walk, we will explore some of the triumphs and challenges of our diverse community.
History
Hometown Walkabout began as a collaborative effort between The Industrial Commons and TOSS in 2019, with the guidance of Equity Specialist, Dr. Leslie McKesson, to welcoming visitors to Morganton to introduce them to the work of The Industrial Commons with the appropriate, sociopolitical context of our region.
Values
We offer the appropriate context for our community’s stories and hold a space (with trained facilitators) for the complex conversations which emerge as a result.
We fairly compensate the organizations and storytellers who participate in Hometown Walkabout to build a sustainable model for these on-going conversations and to honor their time, knowledge and willingness to share their stories.
We work collaboratively with institutions and allies to design a profound experience, catering to their needs and budget.
We use creative modes of expression to respond, reflect, and add to the conversation around inclusivity and anti-racism in our community.
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Hometown Walkabout is a program of TOSS and The Industrial Commons. Based in Morganton, The Industrial Commons founds and scales employee-owned social enterprises and industrial cooperatives, and supports frontline workers to build a new southern working class that erases the inequities of generational poverty and builds an economy and future for all.
