Statesville is a culturally diverse city, and part of the Charlotte metropolitan region. Most public tourist information on Statesville is big on historical highlights, however this available content does not include African Americans' local heritage. City circulated publications are widely missing one third of the local population’s history; discriminatory in representation of our cultural diversity here. Landmarks representative of African American heritage of freedom and early leadership are being denied public resources. Community members are petitioning for diversity in the city plans and adequate funding to design a commemorative freedom memorial for Statesville's African American Historic District. Currently our city has not agreed on adequate funding and little to no planning for preservation of African American landmarks. Your support for cultural diversity will help bring attention and funding to Statesville’s recognized Black Historic District. Millions of dollars from public resources  are invested in local historic projects and it is with your support and your signature that local Black heritage can be included in city planning in 2023. Please sign your name in support of city planning and more public funding for Statesville’s African American Historic District in 2023.