03/14/2026
Limits of Freedom, a traveling exhibit developed by UNC Greensboro Department of History, will be on display in the James Library from March 16 through April 3.
Limits of Freedom explores the lives of enslaved and free African Americans in Guilford and Rockingham Counties from the colonial period through emancipation.
Their experiences, from service in the Revolutionary War to work along the Dan River, illustrate the lived reality of people during a time of slavery. Drawing on archival records, maps, and oral history, the exhibit highlights the central role African Americans played in shaping the nation—despite being denied the very freedoms the country proclaimed.
Part of the America 250 NC initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the exhibit encourages visitors to reflect on the contradictions between liberty and slavery and to engage with local history in meaningful ways.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to visit. The library is open 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, and 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays.
Also, please join us March 30, at 2 p.m. for a curator talk with Dr. David McKenzie and Jada Denny of UNCG. Denny is an alumna of Rockingham Early College High School.
