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Founded in 1891 as the State Colored Normal School, Elizabeth City State University was established to train African American teachers and quickly became one of North Carolina’s leading teacher education institutions. As the needs of students and the workforce evolved, ECSU expanded beyond education, becoming a four-year teachers college, then a state college, and finally […]

By Amy Beth Wright Johnica Rivers is an eighth-generation Texan, a journalist, a writer, and a curator. In 2017, after seven years as a travel writer, a project about the revolutionary Black artist, feminist, and activist Elizabeth Catlett, led her to the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. “I was looking for a way

Edenton African American History Begin your day with a serene journey to Edenton, a picturesque town that embodies the rich tapestry of African American history and culture in the Outer Banks. As the sun casts its first light, visit either Hayes Farm or Kadesh AME Zion Church, where you’ll delve into the historical significance of

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a popular vacation destination known for its stunning beaches, wild horses, and rich history. But did you know it is also home to a vibrant and diverse African American community? The NC Black Heritage Tour, a collaborative project between nine NC counties, celebrates the contributions of African Americans

By Amy Beth Wright Reba Green-Holley retired as Gates County’s Extension Director in 2014, but she hasn’t stopped working for a moment since. Extension programs are established by university land grants and bring on-campus research to locals, “improving the quality of life in the community at-large,” says Green- Holley. In North Carolina, North Carolina State

On February 6, 2024, Rick Kinner, of Corolla, along with other members of the Outer Banks Stamp Club, presented the Historic Jarvisburg Colored School with two framed Black Heritage stamp collections of African American leaders, entertainers, sports figures, writers and historical figures. These collections are hanging on the wall of the School’s visitor center for

“The whole story needs to be told, and it’s a privilege to be part of that process:” An Interview with Karen Hayes, Site Manager of Somerset Place State Historic Site The Somerset Place State Historic Site in Creswell was once one of North Carolina’s largest antebellum plantations. More than 861 enslaved people worked on the

By Amy Beth Wright The Kadesh A.M.E. Zion Church, at the heart of the Edenton, North Carolina community since the turn of the century, has urgently needed restoration since September of 2003, when Hurricane Isabel battered eastern North Carolina. Hannibal Badham, Sr., a formerly enslaved carpenter, built the church in 1897, with Tiffany stained glass

“Defiant people entirely undermined and left the racist and brutal modern world. They created a social and economic world of their own. This was the civil rights, occupy, and labor movements all rolled into one and made inspiringly manifest for more than two hundred fifty years. I marvel at it every day.” —Dr. Daniel Sayers

“My research, work, and scholarship are about how African Americans create community—how they use institutions to get autonomy and self-definition and self-manifestation to create spaces of freedom.” —Dr. Melissa N. Stuckey, Assistant Professor of History and Social Sciences at Elizabeth City State University By Amy Beth Wright Dr. Melissa N. Stuckey’s work as a professor