The Carolinian newspaper, a cornerstone of Raleigh since 1940, is launching a powerful new initiative:The Carolinian Legacy Project. As the paper prepares to expand into a new, permanent location, it invites the community to take part in the creation of a 'Legacy Wall' to honor the past. The Legacy Wall is a permanent installation made of engraved bricks that will celebrate the people, stories, and institutions that helped build our past and continue to shape our future.

Each brick placed in the Legacy Wall is a declaration that a life, a family, a business, a milestone—mattered. Whether it’s a tribute to a loved one, a remembrance of a young life lost too soon, or the recognition of a long life well lived, this is an opportunity to preserve what’s precious. It could be the name of a Black-owned business that once anchored a neighborhood. It could be your wedding anniversary, the day you opened your business, your pastor’s name, your graduating class, your children, your civic club—your story.

This is a chance to literally write “I WAS HERE” into the foundation of Raleigh’s future.

The Carolinian draws inspiration from the legacy of the land itself. The very bricks that built the Governor’s Mansion, the State Capitol, and Central Prison were made from the red clay of Rock Quarry in Southeast Raleigh. Now, The Carolinian's Legacy Wall gives us a new chance to build—this time, a monument to memory and meaning.

This is also a call to action in the face of vanishing histories. Too many important local places—like the once-thriving Black-owned Tee-Off Golf Course or beloved hair care line Glo Sheen—have faded from public memory because their legacies weren’t preserved. With the erasure of Black history happening too often and too easily, this wall will stand as a testament to what should never be forgotten. It will be a space where generations can learn, reflect, and find their roots.

The Legacy Wall bricks are being sold for $1940 as a nod to the year The Carolinian began. Supporters of the Legacy Project will also have the opportunity to wear a commemorative T-shirt that proudly states: “I am a link in The Carolinian newspaper’s legacy.” Because, this project is about connection—linking past to present, one name to another, one generation to the next.

Whether you’re honoring your family, your business, your organization, or simply want to leave behind a message of hope—this is your chance to put your footprint on the foundation of Southeast Raleigh’s future. It’s a community-built memorial that no one can take away. A statement that says: I was here. I mattered. I helped build this.

Secure your place in history. Be remembered. Be honored.
Be a link in the legacy.