“The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans” is a one-man presentation and performance that honors Black freedom fighters and veterans with North Carolina connections who have struggled for freedom, liberty, and equality for more than 400 years. Their sacrifices, resistance, and resilience have contributed to American democracy, even as they were denied full citizenship rights. By listening to their stories in this production, we can gain a deeper understanding of our nation’s founding ideals and draw hope to continue the work of making those ideals a reality for all, together.

The show was written and is performed by Dr. Sonny Kelly, founder of Legacy Heirs Productions. The play’s development was commissioned and funded by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ America 250 NC initiative and produced by Carolina K-12 at Carolina Public Humanities, UNC-Chapel Hill.