Discover the Women of Color Transforming a North Carolina Town into a Hub of Diversity and Culture

You might breeze past a modest highway sign on an ordinary road in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Yet, if you pause to explore, you'll uncover that this is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered an early version of his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech at a local high school, just months prior to the March on Washington.

Once a thriving center for cotton, railroad, and tobacco, this city—just an hour from Raleigh and the birthplace of Thelonious Monk—is now embracing the trend of Southern towns revitalizing their historic sites. However, what truly stands out in Rocky Mount is the diverse group of women leading this transformation. Keep reading to meet six inspiring women of color who are turning Rocky Mount into a vibrant destination celebrating diversity.

Our House

While fewer than 1 percent of hotels in the U.S. are owned by Black women, Rocky Mount's latest inn is co-owned by three. Kristin Kitchen (left), founder of Sojourn Heritage Accommodations, and fellow B&B owner Melanie Graham (right) met at a conference in Rocky Mount and discovered a charming 1901 home that captivated them. They later invited Metris Batts-Coley (center), former manager of a Sojourn Heritage property in Miami, to join them. Their nine-room guesthouse, Avent on Falls, opened its doors this past October.

Kitchen states, "Despite the significant racial divides that persist in our community, remnants of a past shaped by slavery and tobacco, Rocky Mount has a unique bond that is unparalleled. We aspire to honor the city's rich African-American legacy by collaborating to enhance our community and share our narratives."

A New Page

Etaf Rum, a Palestinian-American writer and a New York Times best-selling author, has strong ties to Rocky Mount, having moved there at 19 and later teaching at a local college. In 2019, she launched Books & Beans, a café-bookstore located in Rocky Mount Mills—an 82-acre venue for entertainment, dining, and residences on the grounds of a renovated cotton mill. "It was vital for me to amplify the voices of women, minorities, and people of color through a varied selection of books," she explains. "I hope visitors leave with something that shifts their view of the world around them."

Natural Beauty

In 2006, Kimberly Clayton Thigpen started crafting shea-butter soaps to assist a family member with eczema. After three years, she launched an online store, and three years later, she opened a physical location, Bath Place, in the Douglas Block, Rocky Mount's historically Black business district. "At that time, many thought downtown wasn't worth revitalizing," she recalls. "I viewed it as brimming with character and couldn't envision my business anywhere else." The Bath Place offers chemical-free bath products such as lip balm, lotion, candles, bath bombs, and salt scrubs, all handmade on-site.

Making Space

"When people think of craft beer, they often picture a white guy with a beard and flannel shirt," says Briana Brake. "That’s a misconception." After losing her job at a software company, Brake began home brewing as a pastime. A recommendation from another brewer led her from Durham to a brewing incubator at Rocky Mount Mills, where she launched the Afrofuturist-themed Spaceway Brewing Co. in 2018, becoming one of just two Black women brewers in North Carolina at that time. "I aim to raise awareness in the brewing community that Black people are here and have unique contributions to make to this industry," she asserts.

This story was originally published in the July 2022 edition of Dinogo with the title "All for One."