in their words
THE AUTHO R WA S N AME D TH E B E ST
S E RIOUS CO LUMNIST OF 2 0 1 1 B Y T H E
N ORTH CA RO L INA
P RE S S AS S O C IAT IO N.
Finding Your Own NorthStar
HE IS THE CO -
P RODUCE R O F “ G O D
OF THE OPP RE SSE D,” AN UP COMING
DOCUME NTA RY F IL M
ON BLACK L IB E RAT IO N THE OLOGY A ND IS T H E
AUTHOR O F “ P RE AC H A’
MAN “ AN D T H E SE QUE L “BACK S LID E .” H E H A S
LE D CON G RE G AT IO NS IN MIS S OURI A ND
N ORTH CA RO L INA .
B Y CA RL W. K E NNEY II
N
NENNA AND PHIL FREELON AND their son, Pierce, purchased an old church to fulfill a lingering dream. They call it NorthStar Church of the Arts. There’s power in that name. The slaves looked for the North Star to locate the direction to freedom. They more than likely sang freedom songs to inspire their escape. They probably danced once they crossed the Ohio River. You can’t talk about black life in America without discussing the arts. They form a complex union with spirituality and the quest for freedom that shapes the collective identity of black people. That identity has influenced how Americans sing, dance and use other arts to express the joy of freedom. “NorthStar Church of the Arts is a place where spirituality and the arts are commingled,” says Nnenna, a multi-Grammy nominated jazz singer. “Creativity is a gift of
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the spirit, and its expression is one of the ways that we can explore our connection to the arts and [to one another]. NorthStar celebrates human kinship, love and diversity. Those who gather at NorthStar for our services reflect what community really looks like, and it gives me great hope for our future.” Nnenna’s journey as a jazz artist and the path of her husband, Phil (who led the architectural team in the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, among many other notable, local projects), have deep roots in Durham. “We both had a strong desire to create a sustainable legacy of art and design in our beloved adopted hometown,” Nnenna says. “NorthStar is both a place and a grand idea that arts and spirituality are co-joined. … We are excited by the possibilities for NorthStar to be a place where [people of] all faiths, no faith and the spiritually curious can be in community and conversation.” NorthStar is located at 220 W. Geer St. in the former Ephphatha Church, a Gothic Revival church constructed in 1930. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. NorthStar represents a space where the past, present and future collide to tell stories expressed through the arts. There is monthly programming that coincides with Third Friday events, as well as special programs like movie screenings, live music, photography exhibits and poetry readings on any given day.