Why Wake County is dropping the Cameron name from its largest regional library

The Cameron Village Regional Library is no more.

Now the branch located at 1930 Clark Ave. will be known as Village Regional Library.

Wake County leaders voted Monday to drop Cameron from the name of Wake County Public Library system’s largest regional branch. The decision follows the surrounding shopping destination’s decision to rebrand itself as the Village District instead of Cameron Village.

“Wake County embraces and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Wake County Commissioner Shinica Thomas. “We want all residents to feel comfortable and respected when they visit any of our buildings.”

The shopping center was built on land that once held enslaved people and was named after the Cameron family, which was one of the largest holders of enslaved people in North Carolina before the Civil War.

“Reintroducing this destination as Village District aligns with the collective values of our neighbors, patrons, and merchants,” Chris Widmayer, vice president of investments for Regency Centers, which owns the shopping center, said in a release Thursday.