February of 2020 saw the conclusion of a two year secret project that I am so happy to be able to tell you all about now.

I was commissioned by the African American Heritage Commission of North Carolina to create the images for Michelle Lanier’s “My N.C. from A to Z.” The book is focused on North Carolina history, specifically highlights black North Carolinians. It follows the traditional ABC-book format of “A is for Apple, B is for Ball,” but uses the same letters to highlight notable black NC events, places, and traditions. So now A is for Anna Julia Cooper and Abraham Galloway, and B is for Black Wall Street! Illustrating the book led to the creation of more than 26 pieces; many of them are 12x24, but there are a few super sized ones, like I is for Ice Cream and U is for United States Colored Troops. All of the paintings are available for sale, as well as prints and associated merchandise

The book will be distributed across the state, is a part of the North Carolina State Library collection, and will be distributed as a braille book as well.

My N.C. from A to Z is distributed by UNC Press, in association with the NC Office of Archives and History and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. 100% of the proceeds from the book will go into a fund to support more projects like this in the future!

The painting for I is for Ice Cream was the first piece created for the book. The directive for the creation of that piece was that it focus on the moment of victory for the protestors instead of the pain that had to be endured during lunch counter sit ins like the ones at Royal Ice Cream (19575) and Woolworth’s (1960) protests. The characters in the illustrations and those honored are all black. The writer and the illustrator are black. In all places that a black vendor could be used to create this book and associated materials, they were. Black historians were consulted; once we began doing interviews for the book they were filmed in libraries with historically black populations; the print materials were produced by a black design firm; the catering for the preview and the launch events were by the same great team of black women. Isn’t that magical?

To have been under the guidance of the specific team that I had for this project was yet again a blessing. I was incredibly fortunate. I got to work on my first major project as an illustrator in a group of people who handled me and my work with respect and kindness. Over the course of two years I built a family connection with the four women who were my coordinators. Michelle Lanier, who became my sister in this time, is the person whose vision brought us all together; her background as a folklorist and her commitment to telling and protecting black stories makes the birth of this project make perfect sense. As both the founder and the former director of the African American Heritage Commission, Michelle has built a world of practices that honor blackness both personally and publicly. With Michelle transitioning to a new role as director of Historic Sites for North Carolina, her successor Angela Thorpe has hopped in the Executive Director saddle with the same brilliance in action, and dedication to honoring these stories. She s both fierce wit and for such a vital commission, and is thanklessly doing a phenomenal job to show up for. Sheilah Carroll was the design and print coordinator for the project, but was lovingly referred to as the fairy godmother—anything we asked for she could make happen! Kyma Lassiter was the person who made sure all the right things were moving in the background, contributor of so many beautiful and creative ideas, and ultimately also the wrangler who kept us (or at the very least me!!) all on track. I always say that it was all pulled together to a group of wonderful, powerful black women, plus Sheliah (because Sheilah is not black, but she is both wonderful and powerful!) and I mean that. thank you, team 💛