What We're Reading in July

"Wilmington’s Lie" by David Zucchino 

It took the unfathomable pain felt by people of color during the last year, and the ensuing movement to rename buildings and streets in our communities, for a key piece of North Carolina’s history to be revealed to me. 

I am a proud North Carolinian, living here all but four years of my life. But only recently have I learned about the horror of the Wilmington massacre and its impact on Black Americans. I associated Wilmington with the beach, and the film industry, but was ignorant of its past as a prosperous mixed-race community in the years following the Civil War. 

As a UNC graduate who still spends many weekends in Chapel Hill, many prominent names from the November massacre are familiar to me. "Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy," is a compelling account which earned New York times writer David Zucchino a Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction earlier this year.  

I’ve resolved to learn more about of the important history and events that shape institutional racism in our state and country. StepUp invests in training for all of us staff and the volunteers so we can effectively support many cultures and the barriers faced. This education aids our ability to meet families where they are, and develop the skills to build stability. 

It’s also important for us to also seek critical information on our own. What recommendations can you share to help us learn?
- Nancy Bromhal, StepUp Ministry Development Director 
 

“Seek first to understand, than to be understood.”
– Steven Covey