Parklife CEO Brian Castle Joins Judge Beverly Scarlett on WCHL to Talk About America 250 Project

Last week, Parklife founder & CEO Brian Castle joined Judge Beverly Scarlett of Indigenous Memories on 97.9 The Hill WCHL with host Aaron Keck to talk about the two organizations’ recent groundbreaking collaboration, Common Ground in Orange County. 

The interactive digital timeline, launched earlier this summer, uncovers the often overlooked histories of indigenous and enslaved communities in Orange County, North Carolina. Made possible through a grant from America 250 NC, the project challenges familiar narratives of freedom and independence ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. 

Through photos, videos, drone footage, and scholarly insights, Common Ground in Orange County encourages us to reflect on whose freedoms were won, and whose were denied, during the American Revolution and beyond. The project grew out of research into Indigenous burial mounds predating European settlement and an enslaved cemetery at the historic Hardscrabble Plantation. These sacred sites became anchors for a digital exhibit that amplifies stories too often erased from mainstream history. 

For Parklife, being part of this project has been an honor and a responsibility. 

“We’re very grateful to Aaron Keck for giving us the chance to share about this work with his audience,” Brian said. “And we’re especially thankful to Judge Scarlett and Annie Newton of Indigenous Memories for trusting Parklife to help bring this to life. Collaborations like this remind us why storytelling matters, to preserve history but also to create space for recognition and healing.” 

This isn’t the first time WCHL has highlighted Scarlett’s work. Last fall, she appeared on Aaron Keck’s Talking Culture to discuss her book, Sheer Resilience: An Untold Story of a Free Community of Color in Orange County. That conversation helped lay the groundwork for broader discussions about untold histories in our region, conversations that now continue through Common Ground in Orange County. 

The America 250 NC initiative, led by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is supporting endeavors like this one in communities across the state. By funding local perspectives, the program ensures that the nation’s semiquincentennial isn’t just a celebration of familiar stories but an exploration of complex, inclusive histories. 

At Parklife, we are actively committed to inclusion. Our work on Common Ground in Orange County reflects that commitment, showing how creativity and community partnerships can come together to illuminate the past in ways that shape a more just future.

You can explore the full interactive timeline at the Indigenous Memories website. And if you missed the conversation on WCHL, check it out below!