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 Charlotte Griffin has been the mayor of Bear Grass, North Carolina, population 84, for more than 20 years. In 2010, as part of the board of the Roanoke River Partners’, a nonprofit organization that has developed a paddling and camping trail and an economically thriving cultural heritage corridor along 146 miles
An Interview with Perquimans County Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Hoffler By Amy Beth Wright Tell us a little about your path to public service. How did it begin? My mother and father were originally from Hertford and moved to New York in 1936, during the Great Migration. I was born there in 1940. They moved
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