It only takes about an hour to drive from NC State University to Princeville, a crossroads community in eastern North Carolina. But despite Princeville’s historical significance as the oldest town in the United States to be founded by Blacks, its story remains largely unknown in Raleigh and elsewhere. Two professors of landscape architecture at NC State worked to correct that— part of a larger effort to help Princeville and other resource-strapped communities in eastern North Carolina grapple with recurring flooding. We wanted to share that story. We took readers to Princeville in a 16-page cover story so they could see the impact that NC State’s Kofi Boone and Andy Fox, as well as other professors and a handful of graduate students, are having on the community. Our hope is that readers came away with a deeper understanding of the people who call Princeville home, and the challenges that they are trying to meet, as well as the different ways that a university like NC State can help.
From the Judges
The story flows well, good prose. Enjoyed bringing the region to life in a refreshing way, especially with one judge being from NC and unfamiliar with much of this history.
