Wachovia Funds Moton Trip To The NAACP Image Awards

Story by Ken Woodley of the Farmville Herald

Moton Museum president Carl U. Eggleston will be taking the museum's mission to the prestigious NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles on Friday thanks to Wachovia Bank.

"Wachovia Bank applauds the efforts of the Robert Russa Moton Museum in preserving the civil rights history of Prince Edward," writes Wachovia Western Region President I. L. Cockman, Jr. in a February 26 letter to Eggleston.
"Wachovia Bank is aware that Prince Edward...was one of the five cases in the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education, ruling separate and unequal educational facilities are unconstitutional," Cockman writes.

"I hope this opportunity," he said of the NAACP Image Awards, "will allow you to further tell and educate attendees and others of the upcoming 50th anniversary celebration in Prince Edward...and the ongoing efforts of the Robert Russa Moton Museum."

Eggleston believes that is exactly what he will be able to accomplish over the weekend.

"I think it will be a good opportunity," Eggleston said, "to network with individuals about the 50th anniversary of the Brown decision and to tell people about the Moton Museum and invite them here for the 50th anniversary."

Contacts made during the weekend, Eggleston said, may also provide good financial opportunities for the museum's fundraising efforts.

"I'm happy to be able to go and certainly appreciate Wachovia Bank paying the expenses and seeing the importance of what happened," Eggleston said.

The corporate sponsorship was critical.

"We don't have a budget to take care of that type of venture," Eggleston said.