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Currituck County has received a $30,000 grant from North Carolina’s America 250 NC initiative for a project to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

America 250 NC is North Carolina’s commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary and is led by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The grant will be used to assist the county in creating a commemorative statue in bronze of John Jasper White, known also as Currituck Jack. An enslaved Currituck seaman, White was recognized by both the Continental Congress and the NC General Assembly for acts of heroism during the Revolutionary War, yet his story is known by few, even in the county where he was born, raised a family, and died, noted a Currituck County news release. He went on to buy his freedom and became a ship owner, a landowner and a successful businessman in Currituck, where he lived the remainder of his life.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ America 250 NC initiative recently dispersed nearly $900,000 in grant funds across 34 counties in the state. The grant program is designed to spark commemoration programs and activities on a local level.

“These America 250 grants will serve as catalysts for local participation in the nationwide commemoration of our nation’s founding,” said DNCR Secretary Reid Wilson. “We look forward to working with communities across the state to build a memorable and meaningful celebration for all North Carolinians.”

For more information about America 250 NC, go to america250.nc.gov.

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