Started by Adalia S and Leeya Chaudhuri, co-founders of A and L Magazine (https://aandlmagazine.com)

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This past January, Cameron Village Shopping Center’s name was changed to the Village District. Along with this, the shopping center library’s name was changed from Cameron Village Regional Library to Village Regional Library.

We believe a library should be better representative of academic aspirations and reflect history which Oberlin Village Regional Library will do. We have three reasons as to why the name should be changed: 

#1: The Village Regional Library Name Doesn't Connect to History

• The Cameron Village Regional Library was renamed to the Village Regional Library because of the Cameron family’s connection to slavery. They were one of North Carolina's largest slaveholding families.
• The current name, Village Regional Library, doesn’t represent any history in this city or state. We believe the name Oberlin would be a better name as it is reflective of the history in our city. 

#2: Oberlin Village Reflects the Academic Aspirations of Oberlin Community

• Oberlin Village was likely named by James E. Harris, a former apprentice born in Granville County. He is believed to have studied at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, one of the first colleges in the United States to admit Blacks and women. After the Civil War, he returned to Raleigh to further promote freed Black independence, which is likely when he proposed the name.

• Furthermore, Dr. James Shepard, another resident of Oberlin Village, helped to establish North Carolina Central University.
• The name "Oberlin" has academic aspirations tied to it, which is extremely fitting for a library. 

#3: The Name Oberlin Village Ties the Past to our Future

• Because of the rich history behind Oberlin Village and the change that we hope to bring for the present and future, we believe the name Oberlin is a way to tie the history of the past to the change of the future.

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If you want more information, you can find resources here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PA0mSMJlc0h5s2X0qZA6kWT_h77aqB-rv66vQ6WhSkA/edit?usp=sharing

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Leeya met with the County Commissioners to propose the petition idea. Check out http://wake.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=2580&meta_id=228687 to watch the recording of the meeting, hear the County Commissioner's discussion on this, and hear Ms. Cheryl Williams (descendant of Oberlin Village) inspiring speech about the request.