Mecklenburg commissioners discuss future of historic Latta Plantation after canceled Juneteenth event

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – The Mecklenburg County Commissioners are meeting Tuesday night and getting an update on the status on the Historic Latta Plantation.

Though it used to be a historic site bustling with around 40,000 visitors a year, it has sat vacant for months.

The closures came as a result of scandal and outrage from the community due to a planned Juneteenth Event. The event was called, “Kingdom Coming,” and highlighted the experience of a slave owner on the run after the people he’d enslaved were set free.

“It brings back a lot of hurt. And it rubs us the wrong way. And in so robbing us the wrong way, you want us to be right. And I want everybody to be treated fairly and respected,” Commissioner Vilma Leake said in the June 15th BOCC meeting.

After strong community and public official pushback, the event was cancelled and the Historic Latta Plantation closed its doors.

The county announced it would not be renewing their contract with the company who managed the site.

On Tuesday night, County Commissioners will find out what happens next. FOX 46 spoke with a Latta Nature Reserve employee who has some speculation. She thinks the Parks and Recreation Department will put together a new team to manage Latta Plantation. According to a presentation scheduled for Tuesday night’s BOCC meeting, the site needs at least $312,000 in improvements.

FOX 46 reached out to the Parks and Recreation Department Director, Lee Jones, for an interview but did not get a response.