New Children's Book Highlights NC African American Heritage

A new children's book on North Carolina's African American history has been released. It highlights arts, culture, history, and social justice in the state.

In the illustrated board book My N.C. from A to Z, each letter of the alphabet represents African American people and places rooted in North Carolina. 

Some of the people and topics — arranged alphabet style — are “A” for Anna Julia Cooper, who was born into slavery but was a scholar and is considered one of the mothers of black feminism. Or “B” for Black Wall Street, which refers to historic Parrish Street, an area in downtown Durham that was a hub of African American business.

Author Michelle Lanier says the book could be beneficial to the adults reading it as well.

“Not only do these people's names and these places become a part of that young person's understanding of themselves, and where they call home, but their family members who may not know about these stories will start to grow more curious, and my hope is that it will become an intergenerational exchange,” she says.

My N.C. from A to Z was published by the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission and the North Carolina Office of Archives and History.