Black Wall Street, Gladys Knight, an Afropolitan Bookstore + More in Durham, NC

Y’all. Durham, North Carolina, showed us the best time this week!

We pulled into town with our walking shoes on for a downtown + Black Wall Street tour, complete with interactive murals and the most incredible Black Durham stories. One of our favorites was hearing how M&F Bank, founded in 1907, opened for business over 100 years ago to serve the Black community—and they’re still doing this work today! M&F Bank is North Carolina’s oldest Black-owned bank and the second oldest minority-owned bank in the United States.

Also, Marvin Gaye’s iconic I Want You album cover? It was created by Durhamite and bonafide renaissance man Ernie Barnes. The original piece, called “The Sugar Shack,” is now owned by Eddie Murphy and was inspired by Ernie’s experiences at Black-only dance nights right at the Durham Armory!

After our tour, we fueled up at Pure Soul, one of Durham’s best vegan and Black-owned eats! The vegan “pulled NC BBQ” was unimaginably spot on. The vegan “shrimp,” too! We especially loved the crisp kale salad and collards, and we definitely loved the warm customer service and vibrant atmosphere.

After lunch, we checked into our first actual bed and breakfast stay Morehead Manor. Filled with traditional southern charm, Black art, and even photos of the owners’ ancestors, this Black-owned B&B goes above and beyond. Daily homemade breakfast, hospitable owners, comfortable beds, a range of outdoor seating options, the bocce court… Morehead Manor truly feels like home away from home.

After resting up a bit and knocking out a little work, we wrapped up our first evening at Goorsha for dinner. From the sambusas, to the shrimp awize, to the vegan sides with injera, we felt every drop of fresh, locally-sourced goodness down to our toes, y’all!

We’ve got so much more to share from our time in Durham, so stay tuned!

Have y’all ever visited the “Bull City”?