What if history could come alive through art, movement, and storytelling? That is the vision behind Beverly Scarlett’s upcoming graphic novel about her ancestor, Sallie Ray Harris, a central figure in the history of Free People of Color in Orange County, North Carolina.
Designed for children and young audiences, Sallie Ray Harris: A Graphic Novel makes complex history more accessible through visual storytelling. The project explores Sallie’s strength, perseverance, love, and devotion to family and heritage while highlighting the agency of women whose stories have too often been minimized or erased.
For young readers, history can feel distant when it is presented only through textbooks and timelines. Graphic storytelling offers another way to connect with the past. Through original illustrations and motion-enhanced digital storytelling, Sallie’s story becomes something readers can see, experience, and discuss.
The project builds on Beverly’s book, The Harris Family of Orange County, North Carolina: 318 Years of Black-American Indian Culture, expanding Sallie Ray Harris’ story into a format designed to foster intergenerational learning and understanding.
Beverly Scarlett, founder of Indigenous Memories, has dedicated her work to preserving and sharing the histories of Indigenous people, Free People of Color, and Maroon communities in North Carolina. Through research, public history, education, and storytelling, she works to ensure these stories are not lost.
Blue Ridge Collaborative (BRC) is proud to partner with Beverly to develop and produce both print and digital versions of the graphic novel. Our role combines creative production with strategic guidance to ensure the story remains rooted in Beverly’s historical research and creative vision.
BRC is supporting the project through:
This graphic novel is more than a single publication. It is the first step toward a larger vision of transforming Sallie Ray Harris’ story and other ancestral histories into animated storytelling experiences for broader audiences.
By centering education, representation, and lived experience, the project demonstrates how creative media can make overlooked histories accessible to new generations.
Want to see the story behind the project? Check out the video about the graphic novel. You can also learn more about the project and donate to support its development. Every contribution helps bring this important story to life and ensures more young readers can discover the people and histories that shaped their communities.
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