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Tuesday, 05 August 2025
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Written by Aly Hansen
July 25 marked a momentous day for the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction. The foundation for the museum announced building would begin soon at the location picked out on Arsenal Ave. The location is important; it was here that Fayetteville’s arsenal was located during the Civil War, and remnants of the building can still be seen in the area.
Gen. William T. Sherman targeted the arsenal during his Southern campaign.
The Fayetteville area saw its fair share of events during the Civil War, as did much of the state of North Carolina. The museum, however, won’t focus on the battles that were fought in the area, but on the reconstruction that happened after.
“It will be the first and only museum in North Carolina that focuses on an important part of our history. Important and frankly overlooked at this point in time, and that's Reconstruction. It’s the story of our state putting itself back together after the Civil War,” said Pamela Brewington Cashwell, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Brewington Cashwell is proud of Fayetteville, having grown up in the area.
“This is home for me, I grew up here and went to Pine Forest with Kathy Jensen. Fayetteville is important to me, this is an exciting project,” she said.
The museum has had its detractors; not everyone was thrilled with another Civil War museum opening. But Brewington Cashwell and Mac Healy, chair of the N.C. Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction Foundation, are a part of a team of people who believe the stories of the everyday people living in the area need to be told.
The museum’s goal is to collect 100 stories from all 100 counties in North Carolina; 10,000 stories in all. The museum plans to display as many of the stories as they can.
The museum has been a fifteen year project in the making, and the July 25 ceremony marked the next phase of the project.
The planning is finished, according to Healy. The construction is what is coming next, and the project will be a big one. The center will be a 60,000 square foot space with exhibitions, classrooms, a library, an archive and a lecture space. It will also feature a gift shop and cafe.
“The center will be a place not to learn about the great battles of the Civil War, but of the stories of the very diverse people living in North Carolina during this tumultuous time and what they experienced,” said Adam Brakenberry. “It will also be a place where friends can meet for a cup of coffee or ice tea, and where their kids can play in the park.”
Brakenberry represented Vines Architecture, the firm responsible for the design of the building, at the ceremony. The steel structure is expected to be in place by Spring 2026, with a potential grand opening in the Spring of 2028.
In the meantime, The N.C. Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction Foundation will continue to teach school aged children local history and continuing lectures for the public. The Hari Jones Lecture Series is an example of the work the foundation has been doing locally.
Healy was quick to thank so many people for coming together on the project. From the center staff, to cultural resource personnel, and even to Fayetteville and Cumberland County government and leadership, Healy was grateful for everyone coming together to “get the project off the ground.”
“We brought together 30 historians. You can well imagine that 30 historians on a tragic time like the civil war might have different opinions. They have worked together, or apart at times, for the last ten years, building the story. That is all part of the process we have been through,” he said.
“The only way that these sorts of projects work is by everyone working together and pulling in the same direction,” said Brewington Cashwell. “The long history of this project points to the resilience of people in North Carolina.”
(Photo: A photograph of the model of the museum's building shows a landscaped area and part of the building. Photo courtesy of Marc Barnes and Vines Architecture)
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Tuesday, 05 August 2025
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Written by Jamie Bishop
In a powerful step forward for community development, healing, and innovation, the City of Fayetteville has partnered with Dr. Tony Haire to open the WAY2REAL Community Center, a new 10,000-square-foot facility located at 2400 Murchison Road. Designed to be a cornerstone for behavioral change, educational enrichment, and multimedia creativity, the center is already making waves across Cumberland County.
WAY2REAL, which stands for We All Yearn 2 Rise, Excel, Achieve, and Lead, is more than an acronym. It is a philosophy rooted in the transformation of individuals, families, and neighborhoods. The center offers an impressive range of services, including low-cost mental and behavioral health care, STEAM--Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math--tutoring, youth and adult leadership programming, and hands-on training in music production, podcasting, and digital content creation.
"This isn’t just a youth center. It’s a life center,” said Dr. Haire, director of the center. “We’ve created a space where minds can be renewed, creativity can flourish, and families can find resources and restoration all under one roof.”
One of the center’s central missions is to address how people think, especially youth. With Dr. Haire’s background in behavioral therapy, the programming at WAY2REAL is built to challenge and reshape limiting beliefs.
“Everything starts with thought,” said Dr. Haire. “You can’t change behavior until you change thinking. The number one thing we do every day is think, but are we thinking correctly?”
This approach informs not only the counseling and mental wellness services offered, but also the broader structure of programming. Each activity, from creative writing to music composition to robotics, is embedded with the goal of building emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
Among the most unique features of the center are its two multimedia spaces: the Benny Pough Recording Studio and the Mathew Knowles Library and Podcast Studio. Named after leading figures in the music industry, Pough, a music executive formerly with Roc Nation, and Knowles, the father of Beyoncé, the studios serve as hubs for creative expression and entrepreneurial training.
Youth have access to professional-grade equipment and expert mentorship to learn everything from recording music to launching monetized YouTube channels or podcast series.
“For young people, especially those in underserved communities, storytelling and creativity can be an open door to purpose,” said Dr. Haire. “We’re equipping them with the tools to build something of their own.”
Vic Frost, one of North Carolina’s top podcasters, leads technical operations and training in the studios.
“It’s the first of its kind in Fayetteville,” Haire noted. “Our youth can create, produce, and distribute their own stories, music, and messages in a professional setting for free.”
Adults and organizations can also rent the space for commercial podcasting needs, receiving guidance in content development, post-production, and digital monetization. WAY2REAL’s focus on youth is deeply intertwined with its support for families. The center offers parenting workshops, mental health education, leadership training, and digital literacy sessions. Parents are required to sign their children in and out of sessions, reinforcing structure and presence.
“We can’t just transform the kids. We’ve got to work with the adults too,” said Dr. Haire. “We’re teaching parents how to parent again. That may sound simple, but it’s revolutionary.”
The center’s leadership curriculum is grounded in the globally respected John Maxwell philosophy.
“We’re not just offering leadership, we’re offering the best version of it,” said Haire, who is a certified Maxwell speaker and trainer. “And we’re doing it in a way that’s accessible to everyone.”
The facility also houses a fully equipped computer lab and STEAM program launching this fall under the direction of Dr. Felicia Harris. The lab is available to students for academic projects and schoolwork, with support from retired teachers and volunteers. Scheduling is managed through an on-site kiosk, ensuring efficiency and access to consistent programming.
Beyond academics and media training, the center meets basic needs through a robust food and clothing pantry. In partnership with Manna Church and local leaders, the pantry provides food to families weekly and school uniforms to children in need.
Michelle Smith, a Fayetteville resident and volunteer, oversees the clothing program with a personal passion.
“She came to me in tears and said, ‘This is what I’m called to do,’” Haire said. “And she’s done it with excellence. Every shirt is pressed. Every garment is wrapped. That’s dignity.”
Manna Church delivers regular pallets of food to the center, and beginning in September, the center will host monthly food giveaways.
WAY2REAL is not an island; it’s a network. The center works closely with Fayetteville Technical Community College, Cumberland Nursing Academy, and regional workforce development agencies. Army recruiters and public-school representatives also maintain a presence, providing career and education pathways for students and young adults.
“This is about bringing everything under one umbrella so that our families don’t have to go to five different places to get help,” Haire said. “We’ve created one ecosystem of opportunity.”
In addition to the physical offerings, WAY2REAL introduces youth to long-term planning through a visionary exercise called “The History of Your Future.” Students are asked to imagine themselves in the year 2040, identify their dreams, and reverse-engineer the steps needed to achieve them. “When you can see your future, you can change your present,” Haire said.
The center is open Monday through Friday and hosts events and workshops throughout the month. All youth programming is free, and adult services are either free or low-cost depending on the offering.
As Dr. Haire says, “There’s only one of you in 8.2 billion people. That means you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone. You just have to be the best version of you. That’s what WAY2REAL is all about.”
To learn more, volunteer, or get involved, visit www.way2real.life.
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