Redhawk Publications began as a bold experiment in 2018, inside Catawba Valley Community College, when historian Richard Eller published Polio, Pitchforks, and Perseverance and proved the appetite for deeply rooted Appalachian and Western North Carolina stories. Today, under Eller as Founder and Executive Director and Patrica Thompson, Publishing and Managing Editor, Redhawk has published well over 200 titles, including documentary projects, regional histories, poetry, and instructional works, standing as CVCC's hidden gem and the premier publisher.
Notable community projects include Newton: Then and Now, Hickory, Then and Now, and a visual history of Henry River Mill Village, a filming location for The Hunger Games. Redhawk has also brought nationally significant stories to print, including the memoir of Dr. Clarence Jones, attorney to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beyond publishing, Redhawk creates cultural impact through projects such as the documentary and companion book celebrating Hickory's undefeated "Untouchables" football team, an effort that helped inspire a citywide celebration and the 2021 proclamation of Untouchables Day. Through ongoing creative-writing and screenwriting classes, Redhawk supports emerging writers while the Beyond the Page initiative explores new media formats for telling powerful stories.