Princess Sarah, a former actor and dancer from West Virginia who learned that she is African royalty, will be honored at the 2023 NBCC.

Her story is nothing less than remarkable. Her extraordinary journey has been featured on CNN, GMA, NBC, BBC among numerous other outlets worldwide, which trended No. 1 globally in over 60 countries.

And having spoken with her, I can tell you she is a delightful, intelligent, energetic and joyful presence that will capture all of your hearts at the NBCC–with her story and genuine spirit.

Here is the short version Princess Sarah’s evolution (she will share in detail the full scope of her story at the NBCC): Her parents, an African father from Sierre Leone and white mother, gave up up for adoption as a new born. She was raised by a white family in West Virginia, where she thrived in school and college at HBCU West Virginia State.

She hired a private detective to learn about her parents. The findings changed her life when it was learned her father was member of the royal Mende family–and she was a princess.

Sarah, who was an actress and dancer in Hollywood, eventually contacted her dad, who was overjoyed. Ultimately, because of her grandfather’s status in Sierre Leone, Sarah became Princess Sarah. She embraced the acknowledgment and has done remarkable work to help the country of her heritage.

She shared the story of reuniting with her birth family in A Princess Found: An American Family, an African Chiefdom, and the Daughter Who Connected Them All, coauthored with Tracy Trivas and published by St. Martin’s Press. A Princess Found is now being adapted into a major motion picture for Disney Studios by award-winning filmmaker Stephanie Allain.

She is an internationally known thought leader, TEDx speaker, artist and educator whose work addresses biracial and cultural identity and raises awareness of issues impacting Sierra Leone.