Black Oral HIstories of Beaufort County

Odyssey for Democracy
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Stories told by those who lived them––our hidden history unveiled

Episodes

  1. Oct 9

    “They called me Miss Sunshine” A look at the life of Jerome Seldon

    83-year-old Jerome Seldon was born and raised in Washington, North Carolina. Growing up in a loving family, she credits that upbringing for preparing her for her life journey as a Black woman. As a school teacher for over 30 years, she became known by many of her peers and fellow workers as Miss Sunshine. It was a job she loved dearly, and she feels she touched many lives along the way.

  2. Sep 18

    Growing up in Aurora, North Carolina

    Cornelius Dudley was born at his home on March 4, 1941 in Aurora, North Carolina. He was the seventh of eleven siblings. He grew up on a farm where the cash crop was tobacco. He and most of the Black children were known as rainy-day students because, when the weather was nice, you could find them working out in the fields. When the family home caught fire, all but three rooms were destroyed. But they made do with the remaining three rooms, where 14 members of his family lived for the next four years. He saw racism at an early age when a cross was burned in their front yard.

  3. Aug 4

    Growing up where everyone took care of everyone. Life memoreis from Delores Slade

    Born in 1950, Delores Slade grew up in the small community of Maple Grove, near Washington, NC. A place, she says, where everyone seemed to get along and would take care of each other. On the days when there was a church service, it was like old-time religion. “The windows were up, and you could hear singing and clapping all over the neighborhood. It was all very spiritual.”

  4. Jul 22

    What did we do to get this? Ira Harris reflects on his life during forced desegregation

    Ira Harris was born and raised in rural Franklin County, NC, on his family’s farm. As a child, he learned firsthand the realities of racism. He and his friend Henry were forced to attend an all-white school by a Jim Crow School Board in an attempt to show Blacks were inferior to whites during desegregation, and to stop the effort. Harris shares in painful detail the daily verbal abuse and beatings from white students, which included an attempted drowning in the school’s bathroom. In a system designed for failure, he often found himself in “Black detention,” which meant either being locked in an empty classroom all day or a dark closet.

  5. Jul 4

    The life journies of 106-year-old Lillian Boyd

    Lillian Boyd was born in Washington, North Carolina, in 1919. At 106, her life experiences have been many. She and her four siblings grew up in a loving family where their parents always made sure there was food on the table, and they never went wanting. As a child, she worked in the tobacco fields, where you might find her sitting under a big tobacco leaf to get out of the sun. Racism was not a stranger. As Boyd said, “They didn’t like us and sometimes treated us like animals, so we didn’t like them much either.” That changed when she worked for many white families in Washington over the years, and even helped to raise one family’s child.

  6. Jun 19

    The life journey of 84-year-old Helma Witchet

    84-year-old Helma Witchet was born and raised in the small rural community of Blounts Creek, NC. The daughter of sharecroppers, she learned firsthand the rigors of growing and harvesting tobacco. Witchet attended the Ware Creek Rosenwald School, one of six Rosenwald Schools in Beaufort County, through the 5th grade. She attended NC A&T in the 60’s, marched with protestors, and can proudly say that the Reverend Jessie Jackson was one of her classmates. Witchet went on to become a teacher and then a high school counselor for 31 years in Houston. She credits her parents’ emphasis on education for her successes throughout life.

  7. Jun 12

    A life of service that has touched counteless lives along the way. 91 year old Ethel Bryant shares her life story.

    Ethel Bryant was born in Washington, North Carolina, on October 21, 1934, to Joseph Henry and Ethel Bryant. Her father was the offspring of a slave owner in Windsor, North Carolina, and was enslaved as a child. Bryant was a member of the first graduating class from P.S. Jones High School in 1952. Her experiences with racism were different than others because of her lighter complexion. As a lover of music, Bryant became an accomplished singer, organist, and pianist, going on to lead numerous choirs and conduct workshops in North Carolina and the Bahamas. Bryant credits the day she accepted Jesus Christ into her life with changing her trajectory, leading to many years of service caring for and helping those in need.

  8. Jun 5

    From the child of tennant farmers, to civil rights protestor, to school teacher. Meet 85 year-old Gladys Johnson

    Born in 1941 in Edgecombe County, NC, Gladys Johnson proudly says she is “85 plus.” She grew up working on her father’s farm, who was a tenant farmer, along with her other ten siblings. She marched with civil rights protestors while a student at Fayetteville State University in the 60’s and then went on to have quite the career as a school teacher. She shares her life story and her experiences with racism along the way.

  9. May 6

    An eductor and pastor, Joneice Carroll reflects on life’s challenges of being Black and a woman

    Joneice Carroll was born in Washington, NC, in 1954. She credits her tight-knit family for preparing her for the challenging road ahead as a Black woman. Racism was no stranger to her as a child and throughout her adult life. And despite these challenges, she became a teacher for 34 years and, for the last 26 years, has served as the pastor of the Beebe Chapel CME Church. Her mantra over the years has been, “We all want the same. We want to be seen, we want to be heard, and we want to be valued.  There is no color for that. There is no distinction for that. We have a ways to go, but I think we are headed in the right direction.”

  10. May 1

    “How did I get here? Charles Oden reflects on his life’s journey

    At 83, Charles Oden has touched many lives. Growing up just east of Washington, NC, he recalled as a child playing in the dirt, sand, and mud, and working his father’s tobacco field. Little did he know that he would go on to spend 40 years in education, many of which were as a middle and high school principal. So to answer his own question, “I got here by the grace of God and many good role models. Oden’s story is part of the Black Oral Histories of Beaufort County. blackoralhistories.blubrry.net

  • 10 Episodes

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Stories told by those who lived them––our hidden history unveiled

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