“Ann Miller Woodford sees beauty everywhere she looks: in her mountains of Western North Carolina, in nature, in family, in music, in faith, in truth. And she has captured that beauty—without ignoring the anguish—in her long-awaited book, When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina. The book is more than history, one seven years in the making. It’s the story of life itself. And it’s certainly worth your time and attention.” – Phil Hudgins

Having traveled and worked across the United States, Ann built an exciting business and art career in Los Angeles, California. She then returned to western North Carolina and founded One Dozen Who Care, Inc. the area’s first 501(c)3 organized by Black women. Intent on nurturing seeds of change, Ann has always had a personal goal to improve understanding between races, religions, youth, and adults. 

Ann saw a need to strengthen the African American heritage in far western North Carolina. She researched, documented, and captured the powerful personal stories of the lives of the seemingly invisible African American people of the region. In her book, When All God’s Children Get Together, Ann endeavors to “make the invisible visible.”