The Harnett County Public Library, in collaboration with the Paul Green Foundation, is proud to announce the upcoming installation of a commemorative bench honoring the friendship between Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Green and childhood friend Rassie McLeod. The installation will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at the Harnett County Resource Center and Library, 455 McKinney Pkwy, Lillington, NC 27546.

Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, author, and educator Paul Green and his childhood friend, Rassie McLeod—a boy whose life ended too soon, but whose early friendship with Paul Green “sparked a trailblazing body of work for social justice that continues to inspire change decades after their lifetimes.” 

The library invites the community to join them for the dedication ceremony and be part of this meaningful addition to our community. The library currently houses the Paul Green Collection in its Local History Room and displays a bust in his honor.

The bench, donated by the Paul Green Foundation, will be placed on the porch outside the library’s main entrance. The dedication ceremony will include speakers from the Paul Green Foundation and a reading of an original poem written for the event by the NC Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green. Guests will also get the chance to meet members of Rassie McLeod’s and Paul Green’s families.

Following the dedication ceremony, please join us in the Harnett County Resource Center & Library Training Room for a reception with light refreshments generously donated by the Paul Green Foundation and organized by the Harnett County Friends of the Library.

As part of the reception, the Harnett County Library will be showing the PBS documentary “The Playmaker: The Story of Paul Green” (http://www.theplaymakerfilm.com).

This documentary takes a deep dive into the life, creative work, and social justice advocacy of the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Paul Green. A native son of Harnett County, North Carolina and a champion for racial equality, Green went to Broadway and back with a dream that someday he could write a new ending for the Old South.

Viewer discretion is advised: “This film contains depictions of racial violence, discrimination, and outdated terminology which some audiences may find upsetting.”

Schedule:

12:00 p.m. – Dedication of the Paul Green & Rassie McLeod Memorial Bench in front of the Main Library

12:30 p.m. – Reception with light refreshments in the Training Room

1:00 p.m. – “The Playmaker: The Story of Paul Green” PBS Documentary Screening in the Training Room