Meet the Women of Color Remaking One North Carolina Town Into a Destination That Celebrates Diversity

"Palestinian-American writer Etaf Rum, a New York Times best-selling author, has deep roots in Rocky Mount; she moved to the area when she was 19, eventually going on to teach at a nearby college. In 2019, Rum opened the café-bookstore Books & Beans in Rocky Mount Mills — an 82-acre entertainment, dining, and residential campus on the site of a restored cotton mill. "It was important for me to give a voice to women, minorities, and people of color through a diverse selection of books," she says. "Perhaps visitors can even leave with something that changes their perspective on the world around them." - Travel + Leisure Editors