Historian.
Author.
Filmmaker.
I'm a historian who sees patterns in society to produce work that has artistic merit in words, images, and sound.
I am an award-winning author and filmmaker. I mentor, teach, and collaborate to build bridges both inside and outside of institutions. I convene people to re-imagine commemorative spaces and create media that re-writes old narratives and shapes policy.
My membership in the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi, has shaped my scholarship and filmmaking for my entire career. From a young age my parents instilled in me pride and love for being Lumbee. I was born in Robeson County (aka Lumbeeland), but grew up in Durham, NC. My family made every effort to ensure that I remained connected to our people and our culture. I carry this insider/outsider awareness into my work.
My community shapes my worldview, my research, and my approach to my work.
I seek to find the humanity in the mundane. I look for historical meaning in documents like pensions, wills, court records, and land deeds. I use oral history to see beyond the bureaucracy to the person or people behind the document. With this lens, I can shift and shape narratives about our past, present, and possible futures.
I find new meaning in historical documents by making the official and impersonal, personal.
My scholarship is much more than what I put on paper. I am an organizer, instigator, and change-maker who brings ideas to life. I embrace complexity and move beyond binaries to reclaim our shared identity.
I embody change and produce radical ideas in a grounded way that create impact.
For my full bio and CV, please visit my faculty page at Emory University.
