Shoresides

08/04/2026

Black communities have long been central to rural life in the South, shaping culture, economy and civic life across generations.

In North Carolina, nearly half of Black residents live in rural counties. That reality reflects a deep history that stretches back to the founding of the country and continues to shape where people live, work and build community today.

Too often, these stories are missing from how rural America is portrayed.
In this episode of Rural Narratives, Layna Hong talks with Aallyah Wright, Mississippi native and rural issues reporter for Capital B, about what reporting on Black rural communities reveals about the South, history and the fuller story of America.

Guest: Aallyah Wright, rural issues reporter at Capital B

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rural-narratives/id1880038177

01/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Ahoskie, North Carolina at Freedom Theater for an evening of story circles, listening, and connection. We’re grateful for everyone who showed up and shared their experiences, and especially thankful to our community connectors, Cat Parker and Weyling White, for helping hold this space.

One story that stayed with us came from a public health worker reflecting on the first day COVID vaccines became available. They arrived unsure if anyone would come, and instead saw a long line of cars with people streaming in all day. “I’m not used to being thanked for our work,” they shared, “but people were thanking us for being there.” It was a powerful moment of pride and a reminder of what communities can do together to keep each other safe.

This gathering is part of a larger Narrative Arts initiative across rural North Carolina, using story circles and community listening to explore how trust in public health is built, lost, and repaired.

31/03/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out in Burgaw last night, listened deeply, and shared your own stories about public health and wellness. We’re grateful for everyone who helped create such an honest and powerful community conversation, and especially thankful to our community connectors, Day Camposeco and LaCretia Munn.

This event grew out of Narrative Arts’ story circle process, where people speak from lived experience, listen across difference, and help surface truths that too often go unheard. Last night’s conversation touched on historic mistrust, community care, health, and the power people have to shape change together.

This gathering is part of our larger 24-month rural North Carolina initiative exploring how trust in public health is built, lost, and repaired through community listening, shared narrative, and collective power. We’re honored to be in this work with communities across the state.

25/03/2026

What does public health actually look like in Hertford County?

It looks like how far you have to travel to get care.
Who you trust when something goes wrong.
And whether the systems meant to support you are visible in everyday life.

We’re bringing our rural health listening project to Hertford County, sharing stories from residents and opening space for conversation around access, trust, and lived experience.

Join us for an evening of audio storytelling and community dialogue.

All are welcome.

25/03/2026

Across rural North Carolina, public health isn’t experienced as policy — it’s experienced as transportation, access, and whether systems actually show up when people need them.

We’re continuing our rural health listening project in Pender County, bringing together community voices to share real experiences with care, trust, and accountability.

Join us for a multimedia event featuring stories from local residents and a chance to connect around what public health looks like on the ground.

All are welcome. Come listen. Come share a meal.

25/03/2026

We’re excited to share the first three episodes of Rural Narratives, a new podcast from Narrative Arts.

This series explores how story, organizing, and trust shape the public systems rural communities rely on every day — from health departments and social services to disaster response and local access to care.

Across these opening episodes, we ask:

Who gets to shape the story of rural communities?
What does it take to build power around the systems that affect daily life?
How is trust built — or lost — in the public institutions people depend on to stay healthy?

Featuring Dee Davis, Makani Themba, Mik Moore, Down Home North Carolina, Helen Holden, and Jason Elleby.

If you care about narrative, public health, or rural communities, we hope these conversations are useful.

Listen to the first three episodes here:

Non-Profit Podcast · Rural Narratives is a podcast about public health, power, and storytelling in North Carolina’s rural communities. In this series, we explore how trust is built, how narratives take shape, and how com…

19/03/2026

Life expectancy data can tell you where a crisis exists. But what does that crisis actually look like in people’s daily lives?

In this Shoresides episode, we focus on the community surrounding Portia Mills Hines Park, where life expectancy is the lowest in Wilmington, and talk with Dr. Mayra Galeano, chief medical officer at MedNorth Health Center, about what it means to provide care close to that reality.

She shares what it looks like to serve the community up close at a clinic open to everyone, including Black and Latino residents and others, where patients do not need insurance to receive care.

This episode is part of our effort to report on the links between health, place, and community in coastal North Carolina.

Listen: https://shoresides.org/podcast/dr-mayra-galeano-on-viewing-wilmingtons-life-expectancy-gap-up-close/

Learn more about MedNorth Health Center: mednorth.org
Learn more about the Coastal Journalism Hub: coastaljournalism.org

06/03/2026

Public health begins long before someone walks into a clinic.

Across eastern North Carolina, residents are sharing stories about housing, transportation, schools, jobs, and trust in institutions — the conditions that shape health in daily life.

Through story circles and community listening gatherings, Narrative Arts is helping bring lived experience into public health conversations across the region.

“We need to see you in the community working with us,” one participant said.

We wrote about what we’re learning.

Read the full story:

How story circles and community listening gatherings are bringing lived experience into public health conversations across eastern North Carolina.

02/03/2026

Last week in New Hanover County, Narrative Arts convened a community story circle to explore a simple but powerful question:

When have the conditions around you shaped your health or wellbeing?

What emerged was not a list of personal struggles — it was a map of systems. Participants spoke about how schools, housing policy, economic pressure, and institutional trust shape health long before anyone enters a clinic.

Health does not begin in the exam room.

It begins in the public environment.

This gathering is part of our 24-month health narrative initiative across eastern North Carolina.

Read more: https://narrativearts.org/structural-determinants-of-health-in-new-hanover-county/

Hosted at Dreams of Wilmington in partnership with community connectors Brandon Cagle and Rachel Bodkin-Fox of IRL Communications.
Photos by Day Compesco.

Last week in New Hanover County, Narrative Arts convened a community story circle and asked participants to reflect on a simple question:

27/02/2026

“There is that great proverb… until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” — Chinua Achebe

Last night in Whiteville, the lions had the mic.

Columbus County residents shared their lived experiences around public health — and local health leadership showed up to listen.

That’s how change begins.

27/02/2026

Through the window at Penn’s Diner, you could see something rare:

Neighbors, health leaders, journalists, and organizers sitting together — quietly listening.

The audio came from our first Story Circle earlier this month, where residents spoke candidly about stress, access to care, housing, and what health really means in Columbus County.

Public health starts with trust.
Trust starts with listening.

27/02/2026

Last night at Penn’s Diner in Whiteville, we did something simple and powerful.

We put on headphones and listened to 20 minutes of Columbus County neighbors talking about public health.

No speeches.
No panels.
Just community listening to itself.

Local public health leadership joined us not to present, but to hear.

This is what community-informed health looks like.