Author: Judaea Ingram

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian DURHAM, N.C. - In a garden in North Durham, restoration means more than planting vegetables. It means reconnecting with the land, building community, sharing food and creating space for Black people to slow down and reconnect with themselves and one another. Those ideas came together Sept. 13 at Soul Sanctuary during Black Restoration Day, a community celebration centered around Soil Sanctuary, a garden

By  Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian JOHNSTON COUNTY - On a stretch of land that has remained in one North Carolina family for more than 80 years, history is being preserved in a way that extends far beyond property lines. What began as farmland purchased by the Gooch family in 1944 has evolved into a community gathering place where thousands of people come together each year for rodeos, concerts,

By  Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian JACKSONVILLE, FL - The Charlotte Crown closed out the inaugural UPSHOT League season with a championship, overcoming a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Jacksonville Waves 81-76 on Aug. 29. The championship game at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, was played in front of a large and energetic crowd as the league crowned its first champion. The atmosphere remained loud throughout

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian RALEIGH, N.C. - Black history is often preserved through photographs, documents and artifacts, but a new exhibition at North Carolina State University is looking beyond individual objects to focus on the communities and stories behind them. "Community Stories: Sustaining North Carolina Black Heritage" is currently on display at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design in Raleigh, bringing together historical photographs, contemporary images,

  By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian DURHAM, N.C. - For generations, Hayti was a place where Durham's Black community built a life of its own. Black-owned businesses lined its streets. Churches and schools served residents. Entrepreneurs created institutions that provided jobs and financial services. The neighborhood became one of the most prominent centers of Black business and culture in the country. Today, much of that community looks different.

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian DURHAM, N.C. - August is more than the final stretch of summer for Black communities gathering across Durham. It is also a time to remember generations of resistance, reflect on Black history and imagine what comes next. That history will take center stage as Black August in the Park returns to Durham for its 10th annual celebration Aug. 28-30. The weekend will bring

  By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian Fireworks burst across the sky last month as Americans celebrated Independence Day. For many, the crackling explosions meant joy, tradition, freedom. For a 31-year-old Haitian woman living in Florida, they sounded like something else entirely: the gunfire she spent years trying to survive. Before she fled Haiti in 2021, falling asleep to gunshots was routine. Violence was the background noise of her

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian Months after the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, newly freed Black North Carolinians faced a difficult question: What would freedom truly mean? For more than 100 Black leaders who gathered in Raleigh in 1865, the answer was clear. Freedom had to include education, political representation, equal protection under the law and the ability to fully participate in society. Their demands became

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Draped in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s signature crimson and cream colors, adorned with strands of pearls and the founding year "1913" across its doors, NASCAR's first-ever Delta Sigma Theta-themed show car turned heads at the sorority's 2026 South Atlantic Regional Conference in Charlotte. The custom vehicle marked the first activation of its kind between NASCAR and a Divine Nine organization. Designed by Camilla Wilkins-Bowens, a NASCAR

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian RALEIGH, N.C. - From neighborhood markets to award-winning restaurants, Black-owned businesses have long been a cornerstone of North Carolina's economy and culture. As August marks Black Business Month, communities across the state are recognizing the entrepreneurs whose businesses continue to create jobs, preserve culture and invest in local neighborhoods. Black Business Month, established in 2004 by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick