Rural

Honoring Legacy: Nathan Johnson Talks To 89-Year-Old Ms. Willie Mae

89-year-old Willie Mae grew up in Bolton, North Carolina – a small, predominantly African American town of about 600 people located in rural Columbus County, North Carolina. Today, 15-year-old Nathan Johnson sits down with Willie Mae to talk about her life as a way to honor the legacy of Black elders in Bolton. What advice…

Read More

A Brief History of Eastern North Carolina’s Hog Industry

How did we get from small farms, like the one in Charlotte’s Web, to factory farms? In this episode of CAFO’s & Communities, we explore the history and politics of eastern North Carolina’s hog industry – from the late 19th century to today. Produced by Lee Miller, Kayla Guilliams, and Laura Bratton in collaboration with…

Read More

The Communities

“We were just sitting on the porch like normal on a beautiful Saturday. And then we heard this tractor, and then all of a sudden this animal waste was coming everywhere and it was stinking like nothing we had ever experienced,” says Elsie Herring of Wallace, North Carolina. Herring is one of many eastern North…

Read More

Shaping Identity Through Art

Art is a powerful tool for personal growth and shaping one’s identity. With the growing accessibility of digital art and graphic design, more and more artists have the opportunity to use art for change, and represent their identity through that art. Host Antoine Williams talks with Jacinda Aytch, a graphic designer and illustrator residing in Greenville,…

Read More

Where I Come From: Part 2

Welcome to Where I Come From. We are a group of young women going on a journey about our lives in Columbus County, North Carolina. We documented our process, and today we’re sharing about objects that remind us of where we come from. Where I Come From is a project of Coastal Youth Media in…

Read More

Where I Come From: Part 1

Welcome to Where I Come From. We are a group of young women going on a journey about our lives in Columbus County, North Carolina. We documented our process, and we’re starting off by sharing a little bit about the places and people we come from. Where I Come From is a project of Coastal…

Read More

NC Farmer Feeds Community

“Our goal is to feed as many people as possible and not leave a carbon footprint.” Ron Simmons, founder of Master Blend Family Farms and 2018 NC Small Farmer of the Year, talks about how he believes in sustainability and feeding his neighbors during hurricane season. Produced by Caroline Bailey. Music by Chad Crouch. Broadcast…

Read More

Environmental issues disproportionately impact ENC’s low-income communities of color

From hog lagoons to sewage sludge to wood pellet plants, low-income communities of color in Eastern North Carolina experience a wide array of environmental injustices. Naeema Muhammad, an organizer and activist, has been fighting against these injustices for over 20 years and has experienced the emotional toll that comes with such activism. In this episode,…

Read More

Local Filmmaking’s Opportunity

Nicole Triche is a professor at Elon University and director of All Skate, Everybody Skate, a documentary about the 50-year-old Topsail Island Skate Rink located above a rural post office and the woman who runs it all. Triche discusses why documentaries are such a powerful medium and how filmmakers in small, rural areas are increasingly…

Read More

COVID-19 and Farming in North Carolina

Jeremy King, a grain farmer from Ash, North Carolina, tells us how COVID-19 has added a level of complexity to farmers’ workflow across the region. King explains the domino affect that labor shortages, increased demand, lower prices, and changing operations have had on farmers, and he says there is concern among farmers about local mills…

Read More