BLACK IN 828

Celebrating Our Community. Preserving Our Stories. Creating Our Future.

Black in 828 is a student-led storytelling initiative created through My P.E. Kids Film & Media Academy. We teach young people filmmaking, interviewing, journalism, and digital storytelling, then help them use those skills to document Black life throughout Western North Carolina’s 828 region.

Our students share the stories of Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, community leaders, and organizations. Through interviews and community features, they introduce audiences to the people whose creativity, work, and contributions help shape our region.

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BLACK IN 828 × LEGACY

Their Memory = Our History.

LEGACY extends this work through documentary films and oral histories that preserve the experiences of elders, families, and the people connected to meaningful local places and institutions.

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These stories explore schools, neighborhoods, churches, workplaces, and gathering places—as well as everyday memories of friendship, first jobs, music, laughter, and community life. Interviews, family photographs, archival materials, and selected animation help bring those memories to new generations.

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Families take an active role in preserving their own history. Our Sylvia Greene feature was produced by her family, including her great-grandchildren. Young filmmakers recorded and interviewed their aunt, connecting hands-on media learning with the stories of their own family.

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Young Storytellers. Lasting Connections.

Black in 828 gives students practical experience behind and in front of the camera while helping them discover the history and possibilities within their community. Elders and families share their knowledge, businesses gain visibility, and young people develop the confidence and skills to tell stories of their own.

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Together, we are creating a growing collection of Black Appalachian stories that families, neighbors, and future generations can watch, learn from, and celebrate.

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