Excellent piece, Alex. The Anglo-Saxon identity's dominance in NC history is curious given that many of us descended from Celts in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I guess the Celtic identity was mostly oppressed by the Anglo-Saxon English who controlled early colonization and looked askance at Scottish clans in America, preferring to promote a melting pot identity. The re-discovery of Celtic roots, music and spirituality in things like the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain and the Scottish Culture and History Festival in Laurinburg I guess are relatively recent phenomena. You are certainly correct that NC is far more diverse and tolerant than it was in 1972. (The population has doubled since the early 70s.)
Excellent piece, Alex. The Anglo-Saxon identity's dominance in NC history is curious given that many of us descended from Celts in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I guess the Celtic identity was mostly oppressed by the Anglo-Saxon English who controlled early colonization and looked askance at Scottish clans in America, preferring to promote a melting pot identity. The re-discovery of Celtic roots, music and spirituality in things like the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain and the Scottish Culture and History Festival in Laurinburg I guess are relatively recent phenomena. You are certainly correct that NC is far more diverse and tolerant than it was in 1972. (The population has doubled since the early 70s.)