We are working with a terrific group of community advisors to develop our projects, programs, and exhibitions for family, youth, and adult audiences. Learn more about them below.
Lucretia Berry
Lucretia is the visionary founder of Brownicity, whose mission is to foster education designed to inspire a culture of justice and belonging. A former college professor, her research, experience, and accomplishments intersect curriculum & instruction, multicultural education, and instructional technology. A wife in an interracial marriage and mom of 3 multiethnic children, she brings personal and professional experience to serve the public sector with her books, Hues of You – An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In (2022), What LIES Between Us – Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing (2016) Teaching for Justice and Belonging – A Journey for Educators and Parents (2022), TED Talk (2017), courses, and coaching which quell fears and inspire hope. Her learning-centered approach is inspirational, appreciated, and celebrated.
Stacey Brown
Dr. Stacey has 28 years of experience working in the field of education. As the Director of Learning and Development of the Action for Equity in History and Civics, she leads the 3-year U.S. Department of Education project that provides professional learning for teachers to create a sense of belonging for underserved and underrepresented students in AP U.S. History and Government and Politics classes. She is passionate about education and she has dedicated her career to increasing equitable spaces to that students can thrive in accomplishing their personal academic and professional goals.
Caroline Grego
Caroline Grego is a historian of and from South Carolina who studies the histories of labor and the environment during Jim Crow. She earned her Ph.D. in history at the University of Colorado Boulder and has been an assistant professor of history at Queens University of Charlotte since 2019. She is the author of the award-winning book Hurricane Jim Crow: How the Great Sea Island Storm of 1893 Shaped the Lowcountry South (UNC Press, 2022).
Cindy Kistenberg
Dr. Cindy Kistenberg, Professor of Communication and Theatre, has been at Johnson C. Smith University since 2006. Her academic passion involves using art as a means of social change, and she has published a book and several articles on the topic. She is a faculty leader for the Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium, a collaboration between JCSU, Queens University of Charlotte, and Johnson and Wales University, which is a year-long program designed to train students to lead social justice initiatives on campus and in their communities.
John O’Connor
John O’Connor is the Manager of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room. He holds a Master of Science, Information Science (MSIS) and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from UNC Chapel Hill. John provides leadership and oversight of archives and special collections at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Prior to working for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, he served as the Scholarly Communications Librarian at Boston College, Educating Stewards of the Public Information Infrastructure (ESOPI) Fellow at UNC Chapel Hill, and Program Support Assistant for Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) at the Library of Congress. In his free time, John enjoys cooking, hiking with his dog Maple, and trying to keep up with his toddler, Jack.
Anthony Willis
Anthony Willis, known as Smiley, is the founder of Smiley Vizion, LLC, Your Partner in Personal Growth, where he is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to achieve personal and professional success. As a motivational speaker, delivering uplifting messages about redemption, positive decision-making, and understanding the consequences of our actions, he draws on his experiences to educate audiences about the criminal justice system, inspiring them to rethink societal approaches to justice and support for returning citizens. Smiley is a reentry specialist, helping individuals reintegrate after prison, and a certified Peer Support Specialist, aiding those with addiction and mental health issues. He also serves as the Program Coordinator at the Urban League of Central Carolinas, where he helps underprivileged communities find employment and build better futures.
