About the African American Heritage Guide
Welcome to Black Durham – where the past meets the present, and African American stories continue to unfold with grace, dignity and pride.
May this guide offer you moments of understanding, connection and celebration as you embark on this unforgettable exploration of African American heritage in the Bull City.
Black history is Durham's history, and this guide knits together the stories of those who shaped the city's earliest days with the voices of today. Through narrative storytelling and first-person accounts from the perspectives of more than a dozen local writers, poets and artists, this guide begins a conversation meant to inspire curiosity and the desire to learn and experience more of Black Durham.
Let the guide take you through a host of experiences with Black Durham, starting at the beginning with Durham's three state historic sites. Move forward in time to Durham's Black Wall Street, and hear the stories of the businesses and the prominent figures who worked to build a thriving Black community in Hayti. Find out more about Durham's important role in the Civil Rights Movement and see the sites of protests and the fight for progress. Through all of this, you will get to know the activists and organizers who made their mark on history. Finally, in the present day, learn about and visit Black-owned businesses, get to know artists and musicians, share moments of joy at Black-owned venues and places that celebrate and support Black artistry and culture.
Meet the Project Lead
Discover Durham staff worked closely with 2023 NC Piedmont Poet Laureate Dasan Ahanu to select stories and recruit local artists to build a guide that thoughtfully represents Durham's Black community and history. Dasan's leadership shaped this guide into a community-driven collaboration that introduces visitors to Durham's vibrant, diverse, welcoming and fiercely proud Black culture and history. Hear Dasan talk about the process in our podcast episode about the guide.
Dasan Ahanu – Poet, Cultural Organizer, Performing Artist and Scholar
| A self-described introvert with a very public profession, Dasan Ahanu is a Southern writer and performing artist who uses storytelling to deepen our understanding and awareness of what’s happening around us. Dasan is a visiting lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill, an alumnus of Harvard University’s Nasir Jones Fellowship, and the 2023 Piedmont Laureate for poetry. He has published extensively, performed nationwide, and is the author of five poetry collections. Dasan has been active in poetry slam and is a builder who works with organizations and institutions to develop effective arts strategies that enhance their work in the community. |
| Written Contributions to the Guide: |
| Welcome to Black Durham - an intro to the guide (below) |
| City of Champions - A Legacy of Black Achievement in Sports |
| More of Black Durham - Including a Conversation About Black Burial Traditions |
| Co-Author: Advocacy & Activism in the LGBTQIA Community |
Step into Durham, North Carolina—a city alive with African American history, heritage, creativity and innovation. Here, the brilliance of the Black community is impossible to overlook. The courage and beauty permeating this place are a testament to the resilience, imagination, and triumph woven into the very fabric of Durham, making its place in the Black South indisputable.
Embarking on a journey through Durham's cultural landscape is to delve into the captivating story of African Americans who have shaped and enriched this community for generations. Durham has stood as a beacon of hope and opportunity for African Americans, providing a platform for them to be, have, and express themselves. The contributions of Black individuals are not just significant; they are the very essence of what Durham represents to the world.
Now, you can't capture that essence in any document or project. What you can do is begin to tell a story that celebrates the indomitable spirit that has overcome adversity and forged a legacy of innovation and cultural significance—recognizing that every corner of Durham bears witness to the enduring legacy of African American impact.
This guide introduces you to Black Durham. From the iconic Hayti Heritage Center to the bustling streets of Parrish Street, once known as "Black Wall Street," you will encounter stories of resilience, achievement, and empowerment that have left an indelible mark on Durham's collective identity. It opens the door to Black Durham, welcoming you in and encouraging you to search for more: this is part documentation and part love letter, a recognition of how exceptional Black Durham is.
The guide was only possible with the fantastic contributors who helped shape it. Their work provides a deeper insight into Durham's African American legacy and presence. The artwork on the cover, the stories inside, the poetry, and the insights came from Black brilliance. I am grateful that these contributors answered the call. We needed to highlight their talent as part of this work. We need to include their voices. I am happy to add them to the conversation about Black Durham.
As you navigate this guide, you will be immersed in the sights, sounds, and flavors of African American culture in Durham. Each section is designed to deepen your understanding of Durham's diverse tapestry and provide an experience that is both enlightening and enriching. This is just the beginning of your journey. There is so much more to discover. So much more to explore. There are resources available, people ready to share their knowledge, and organizations waiting to welcome you. Let this guide be your catalyst to seek them out. Let it ignite your curiosity. Let it be the reason you get lost in all Durham has to offer, to teach you.
By Dasan Ahanu–Project Lead, African American Heritage Guide
Meet the Guide's Contributors
The printed guide includes abridged versions of the stories the guide's writers crafted. There's much more to learn from the full versions of each piece, which are linked below. The writers, storytellers and artists are listed in order of appearance in the guide.
D.J. Rogers - Poet
Born in Raleigh and living in Durham, he discovered a love for spoken word while pursuing a degree in poetry from UNC Chapel Hill. After a career teaching, doing workshops and preparing college students for international competition, he has the honor of being appointed the inaugural Poet Laureate of Durham, North Carolina! His work can be found at FreezeRay Press, Wingless Dreamer Press, Black Nerd Problems and, now, Discover Durham!
Justin Laidlaw - Writer
Justin Laidlaw is a writer, journalist, and multimedia producer born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. He currently works as a staff reporter at the INDY writing stories about local government and culture. Justin received his bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism from North Carolina Central University. When he’s not at his desk, you can usually find Justin on his bike, a basketball court or a dance floor.
Ronny Maye - Writer
Ronny Maye is a freelance travel writer from Eastern North Carolina. If she’s not cruising the aisles of Target, she’s walking down the aisle of an aircraft off to the next adventure! She has contributed to publications such as Essence, Fodor's Travel, Real Simple and many more, sharing stories that create space for solo, female, plus size and Black travelers.
Contributions to the Guide:
A Visit to Stagville State Historic Site
Thomasi McDonald - Writer
Thomasi McDonald is a veteran journalist, writer, poet, musician, and actor who lives in Durham, North Carolina. He currently works as a senior writer with Duke University, and loves the work of the late playwright, August Wilson.
Contributions to the Guide:
Louis Austin: The Spiritual Architect of Durham's Black Press
Ayana Hernandez - Writer
A Nutmeg State (Connecticut) native and Tar Heel State transplant, Ayana Davis Hernandez is a lifelong storyteller whose career began in magazine publishing. She is a senior communications and marketing strategist who enjoys her Bull City community's beauty and cultural offerings.
Contributions to the Guide:
Kyesha Jennings - Writer
Kyesha Jennings is an award-winning hip-hop scholar, freelance music and culture writer, and creative content producer for the City of Durham. She is also the proud momma of a feisty and talented three-year-old named Mila.
Contributions to the Guide:
Dr. Margaret A. Brunson, PhD, MPA - Writer
Margaret A. Brunson is a transformative leader and luminary who considers brunch a verb, dance floors sacred, and music one of life’s greatest treasures. Dr. Margaret is the founder and Principal Thought Partner of Illumined Leadership Solutions, a consulting and coaching firm that leads people to and through transformation.
Contribution to the Guide:
Khalisa Rae - Writer
Khalisa Rae is an award-winning author, educator and arts administrator based in Durham, NC. She is the author of two books, including her debut collection, Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat from Red Hen Press 2021. She is the winner of the Appalachian Arts and Entertainment Award and multiple poetry prizes. As a former journalist, her articles appear in Blavity, Jezebel, Catapult, LitHub, Bitch Media, NBC-BLK, and others. Her poetry can be seen in Southern Humanities Review, Electric Lit, Pinch, Rumpus, Callaloo, Hypertext, Rust & Moth, PANK, among countless others. She is the esteemed co-founder of Griot and Grey Owl Blk Southern Writers Conference in Durham and the new Theater and Literature Director at the North Carolina Arts Council. Her YA novel in verse, Unlearning Eden, is forthcoming.
Contribution to the Guide:
Kimberly McCrae - Writer
Kimberly McCrae holds an M.Div from Union Theological Seminary, in the City of New York, with a concentration in Theology and the Arts. She’s an entrepreneur, Womanist scholar, international poet, performer and spoken word artist, infusing her art with social justice advocacy/activism. She hosts a monthly gathering of Black women (The Ministry of Black Women's Self-Care), a global community of Black women centering Black women’s well-being individually and in community.
Contribution to the Guide:
Bruklyn Miller - Writer
Bruklyn Miller is a filmmaker rooted in Durham, North Carolina. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Meredith College before moving to South Beach, Miami, to study filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. While attending the academy, she directed 'Celestial,' a short film that won the Grand Prize at the 2020 Miami Film Festival. Returning home, Bruklyn became a community organizer and photographer for Skate Forward, promoting safe spaces for underrepresented skateboarders, and wrote a short documentary for The BLK Originals and The LA Rams. Her work, inspired by Black literature and social justice frameworks, aims to challenge societal norms and envision new possibilities, focusing on stories about the Black and Queer community and collective liberation.
Contribution to the Guide:
Monét Marshall - Writer
Monét is a performer, director, producer, cultural organizer and creative consultant whose work sits at the nexus of equity, creativity and community-based practice.
Contribution to the Guide:
Jaki Shelton Green - Poet
Jaki Shelton Green, ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina appointed in 2018, is the first African American and third woman appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate and reappointed in 2021 by Governor Roy Cooper. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Jaki Shelton Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Additionally, she received the George School Outstanding Alumni Award in 2021. Additionally, she has been recognized on the Forbes Magazine 50 Over 50 Lifestyle List for 2022.
Contribution to the Guide:
L Jámal Walton - Artist
Comics have fascinated L Jámal Walton since he walked into an old country store just outside Vanceboro, NC, and bought his first comic. He drew his first art story at the age of 12 and self-published his first comic “Madness” before graduating from high school. He has lived in Durham, NC since 1993 where he continues to make comics both for himself and for others. He is a web programmer, graphic designer, illustrator, and artist.
Guide Contribution: Cover art and illustrations throughout the guide
See the Guide
View the digital version of the printed African American Heritage Guide.
Request a Print Copy
Request a copy of the African American Heritage Guide, and we'll mail it to you free of charge.
Read More of Durham's Black Stories
Find more blogs and stories about Durham's Black history and community.
Contribute Your Story
This Guide is an ongoing project, growing to incorporate more stories of Durham's Black community for visitors to experience. If you would like to be a part of this project, please let us know!
Building the Guide
The team behind this guide worked hard to build a proud representation of Black Durham for locals and an introduction to newcomers. It is intended to spark a conversation locally and help inspire visitors to explore more of Durham.
To start, we wanted to hear from Durham's Black community. We sat for listening sessions with more than a dozen leaders of the cultural institutions, businesses and organizations included on these pages. We dreamed big about where this project could go and talked about what we could include in this first iteration to make everyone involved proud.
From these listening sessions, we prioritized stories that illustrate Durham's character through visitor-friendly sites and attractions. We then worked with the contributors listed above to tell these stories through their eyes.
Our aim is for this to be a proud representation of Durham – one that conveys our city's importance in Black history and helps visitors see themselves here in our welcoming and vibrant community. We can't wait to see it grow and evolve.
