Olivia Lin: Naturally Inspired

“The longer I’ve been here and the more history I learn about Durham, the more I appreciate how rich the community of resistance and hope is in this place.

“Not as many people from my experience know that Stagville exists. More people know about Black Wall Street. But I was at Stagville doing a pilgrimage, and I learned that the people living in Stagville went on to build Black Wall Street. And those people went on to build Durham today. Understanding that history, I thought, oh my God, these people have had so much resistance and so much strength, and what we see in Durham today is a result of that. So, I think that’s really beautiful.

“The Eno? I just love being here. I think it’s beautiful. It’s a lot greener and more peaceful than the area I grew up in. I grew up in a suburb in Chicago — so very neat and manicured. Yeah, I love that it feels... hmm... it feels a lot freer here.”

Olivia was interviewed and photographed at the Eno River State Park, a 4,312-acre North Carolina state park in Durham and Orange Counties, which helps to preserve over 14 miles of the Eno River and surrounding lands.