By Judaea Ingram
Special To The Carolinian
RALEIGH, N.C. – History is often remembered through major events and well-known figures. At the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, a new exhibition instead turns the spotlight on the bookstores, family businesses, neighborhoods and everyday people whose perseverance helped shape Black life across North Carolina.
Opening July 2 and on view through Feb. 27, 2027, Community Stories: Sustaining North Carolina's Black Heritage presents a series of vignettes exploring spaces of dignity, belonging, safety and imagination within Black communities. Through historical photographs, contemporary images, artwork and artifacts from community partners, the exhibition examines how generations of Black North Carolinians preserved culture, built thriving communities and created opportunities despite systemic barriers.
Rather than following a traditional historical timeline, the exhibition weaves together stories of resilience, entrepreneurship, creativity and family to show how ordinary spaces became extraordinary centers of community life.
Among the featured installations is Freedom Books: A Legacy of Resistance, curated by NC State University professor Ajamu Dillahunt-Holloway. The vignette explores the history of Freedom Books, Raleigh's first Black bookstore, founded in 1984 by Ajamu and Rukiya Dillahunt.
More than a bookstore, Freedom Books served as a gathering place for political organizing, discussions on racial justice and meetings for Black Workers for Justice. The exhibition also highlights the role of the Dillahunt family's daughters, Dara, Kemba and Safiya, who helped operate the business after school, demonstrating how community leadership and activism often begin within families.
The exhibition also celebrates The Otey Family Legacy, honoring generations of women whose influence extended well beyond the sewing table.
Rooted in Raleigh's historic East Hargett Street business district, the Otey-Kay sisters became respected seamstresses whose craftsmanship served both Black and white debutantes during segregation. Their work represented more than fashion. It reflected entrepreneurship, excellence and a commitment to serving the community despite limited opportunities for Black-owned businesses. Today, descendants of the family continue that tradition of civic engagement and public service.
Another featured vignette, A Tour in Color, spotlights historical researcher and public service leader Demetrius Hunter, whose work uses genealogy as what he calls "restorative storytelling."
Hunter's research traces family histories, including his own ancestors connected to the former Spring Hill plantation, now the site of Dix Park. Through guided tours, historical research and his work with the Black Farmers Hub, he connects audiences to Black neighborhoods, agricultural spaces and businesses throughout the Triangle while restoring stories that have too often been overlooked.
The exhibition also examines travel during segregation through Oasis Spaces: North Carolina 1933-1966, a traveling exhibition curated by the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission.
Centered on The Negro Motorist Green Book, the display explores the statewide network of Black-owned hotels, restaurants and businesses that provided safe places for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era. Historical photographs paired with contemporary images demonstrate how these "oasis spaces" fostered both safety and economic opportunity while strengthening Black communities across North Carolina.
Another section highlights North Carolina Freedom Park, the state's first park dedicated to the African American struggle for freedom.
Designed by the late architect Phil Freelon, the park features five walkways leading to the Beacon of Freedom, a 45-foot illuminated sculpture. Along its pathways, visitors encounter the "Voices of Freedom," a collection of quotations from influential Black North Carolinians whose contributions helped shape the state's history. To commemorate the park's significance, the exhibition includes portraits by photographer Samantha Everette featuring Freedom Park caretakers and members of the Freelon family.
Complementing these stories are works from the Gregg Museum's permanent collection, including a handmade guitar by Freeman Vines. The instrument reflects the exhibition's broader themes of creativity, craftsmanship and cultural expression that have sustained Black communities across generations.
Although each vignette focuses on a different chapter of North Carolina history, together they paint a broader portrait of perseverance. They reveal how bookstores became centers of activism, family businesses fostered economic independence, genealogy reclaimed forgotten narratives and public spaces continue to honor the ongoing pursuit of freedom.
At a time when conversations about history and cultural preservation continue across the nation, Community Stories: Sustaining North Carolina's Black Heritage offers an opportunity to reflect on the people and places that shaped North Carolina long before their stories appeared in textbooks. Through photographs, artwork and personal narratives, the exhibition reminds visitors that history is not confined to museums or archives. It lives on in neighborhoods, families and communities that continue to inspire future generations.
Community Stories: Sustaining North Carolina's Black Heritage is on view through Feb. 27, 2027, at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design on NC State University's campus in Raleigh. Admission is free and open to the public.
