meredith emery

(2019) handmade paper, ink, binder’s board; edition of 3

This documentary project was made in collaboration with residents of Princeville, North Carolina. Located in the eastern part of the state, Princeville is believed to be the oldest town incorporated by freed slaves in the United States. Flanking the Tar River, Princeville is also located in a 100-year floodplain that has suffered critical impacts from the effects of hurricane flooding since its establishment over 150 years ago. In 2016, the town was devastated by Hurricane Matthew, which continues to displace many of the town's residents from their homes.

I created a handmade book containing the transcription of an interview conducted with a Princeville resident. Together, we investigate how issues of environmental racism and the local impacts of climate change influence the discrete ways in which people make meaning and develop identity. The book was bound in paper made from and dyed with plant fibers collected along the Princeville dike, a retaining barrier along the Tar River meant to keep flood waters from coming into Princeville during major storm events.

Copies of the book were given to the town and the interview participant for their reflection and use. This work was created with support from the John Hope Franklin student documentary award at Duke University, the John and June Allcott Fellowship at the UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL) at NC State University.