Announcing the W. Hodding Carter III Editor and W. Hodding Carter III Imprint

Chapel Hill, NC – March 19, 2025 –The University of North Carolina Press announced today the creation of a new imprint and a new editorial position endowed in the name of W. Hodding Carter III. Carter was a fierce advocate for justice and accountability as a journalist, soldier, diplomat, and professor. He finished his career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a staunch supporter of UNC Press.

Hodding Carter (1935–2023) was a child of the American South who soared into national and international spheres while never losing touch with his heritage. During his life he was a journalist, a US Marine, a civil rights activist, a diplomat, a public relations specialist, and not least of all, a teacher and mentor.

The Carter imprint will provide new resources to support trade books about America and the world. It is the second trade imprint supported by endowed funds at the Press, following the launch of the Ferris and Ferris Books imprint in 2019.

Debbie Gershenowitz has been named the inaugural W. Hodding Carter III Executive Editor by Spangler Family Director John Sherer. Sherer commented, “In my three decades of publishing, I’m hard-pressed to think of an editor who embodies Hodding’s deep grounding in values and passion for ideas more than Debbie. Her track record of acquiring and successfully publishing books that challenge America’s place in the world make her the perfect person for this role.”

Gershenowitz added, “The pen is mightier than the sword for our authors, just as it was for Hodding, who knew how powerful words could be in the fight against injustice in America. To add Hodding’s name to my title is an honor beyond measure.”

The first book acquired for the imprint is an ambitious and timely volume on the long, violent story of policing of Black people by white people in the United States, written by Gautham Rao, associate professor of history at American University. 

Rao commented, “I wanted to try for a press with big distribution because this is a book about the history and legacy of white supremacy, and I wanted to speak to as many people as possible. Not only was the Hodding Carter name the perfect one for this book, but this was an offer that competed with anyone in the publishing industry. It was one of the happiest days of my life to sign on the dotted line, and I’m incredibly proud and humbled that mine will be the first book in this incredible initiative.” 

This initiative is one of several tied to the Press’s 2022 centennial to enhance UNC Press’s ability to attract and retain expert staff, pursue leading scholars, and publish exceptional content. With a celebrated past and a remarkable present, UNC Press is poised to define its next hundred years with confidence and ambition with the creation of the W. Hodding Carter III Editor and W. Hodding Carter III imprint.