Many prominent Black people we recognize — from civil rights activists to athletes and musicians, have ties to the Triangle and cities across North Carolina.
Black writers like Charles Chesnutt had to contend with a dilemma writers today know all too well: give the audience and editors what they want, or wallow in obscurity.
Kinitra Brooks is the Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in Literary Studies in the Department of English at Michigan State University. Her current research focuses on portrayals of the Conjure Woman throughout history and in contemporary popular culture. She has co-edited The Lemonade Reader (Routledge 2019), an interdisciplinary collection that explores the nuances of
She was mother to one of the stars of African-American art, but she also nurtured an entire generation of artists and civil rights advocates. Now her legacy is finally coming into focus.