2026 Writers Discussion Series
Jaha Nailah Avery (UNC Law ’13), Lawyer, author and reporter
March 26 | 3:30 PM | Stone Center

Jaha Nailah Avery is an African American woman and proud Southerner, whose family has roots in North Carolina stretching back over 300 years. Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, she received her law degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied constitutional and civil rights law. She spent several years in the startup tech space before embarking on her professional writing career, and her work can be found in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest. Raised primarily by her grandparents, Jaha has always had a strong sense of identity and heritage and has a deep appreciation for history and oral tradition. An avid traveler, she has traveled across Africa, Europe and Asia. She is a beginner harpist and is currently trying her hand at composing. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a Diamond Life member of the NAACP. Her aim is to always document, celebrate and preserve the stories of Black people, communities, and history.