AT&T North Carolina has announced that it will unveil the 2013 edition of “The Heritage Calendar: Celebrating the NC African-American Experience” at an inaugural gala on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, located at 2 E. South St. The Heritage Calendar is a celebration of 12 men and women of all races who have contributed significantly to the lives and experiences of African-Americans in North Carolina. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be attended by the honorees and their families. The gala, an exclusive red carpet event, will celebrate the invaluable role each honoree has made in weaving the rich tapestry that is North Carolina’s diverse history, and will promote the individual stories and lives of all honorees to inspire the state’s future generation of leaders. The evening will include a VIP welcome reception for the honorees and their families, two live performances from local schools and universities, a special calendar signing, and meet and greet with the honorees for all attendees directly following the event. Gerald Owen, anchor and reporter from WRAL, will serve as the event’s emcee. All attendees will receive a free copy of the calendar. Included in the calendar are the stories of monthly honorees as well as historically important dates for both the state and the nation. AT&T worked closely with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to interview, write and produce biographies for all honorees. They also partnered with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to develop lesson plans and other interactive materials based on the historical contributions of each honoree to be implemented in elementary, middle and high school 2013 curricula statewide. All materials will be used to spur student interest and understanding of the impact and history of North Carolina’s African-American community.

Admission: Free - RSVP required