Black Oral HIstories of Beaufort County

Black Oral HIstories of Beaufort County


Latest Episodes

Fannie Willis: “Music Ministry is my Passion”
July 29, 2025

Fannie Willis was born in a small rural area just east of Washington, North Carolina, in 1956. She grew up in a large, tight-knit family. One of their common threads was their love of music. At a youn

Terry Sneed Brown: A Trailer Blazer in his own right
July 22, 2025

Terry Sneed Brown was born in Washington, North Carolina, in 1951. A time when the racial divide in this small rural Eastern North Carolina community was very evident. From being kicked off an all whi

The Life Journies of First Cousins Shirley Tyre and Preddy Stilley
July 17, 2025

Born in the early 40s, first cousins Shirley Tyre and Preddy Stilley come from humble beginnings in rural Beaufort County near Blounts Creek, North Carolina. Their families were sharecroppers, and eac

God has been good to me: Emma Howard reflects on her first 94 years
July 01, 2025

It has been a pretty amazing life for 95-year-old Emma Howard. Born in 1930 in Belhaven, NC, she has spent her life touching the lives of many and trying to make a difference in the world. As a teache

Blanche Gibbs: If you can’t go back home where can you go?
June 03, 2025

Blanche Gibbs was born in Washington, North Carolina, in 1951. She credits her life experiences as a child for laying the foundation for who she is today. From experiencing segregation firsthand, to h

Georgia Smallwood: Learning life lessons at a young age.
May 16, 2025

Born in Martin County, North Carolina, Georgina Smallwood grew up on a farm. Her father was a sharecropper, and she and her siblings helped to work the fields. It wasnt an easy life, but they always

The life story of James H. Smallwood
May 07, 2025

Born and raised in Beaufort County, North Carolina, James H. Smallwood continues to live on what remains of the ancestral piece of property that his great-grandfather purchased in 1871. As a child, he

“Someone has always been looking over me.” The life story of Bishop Frederick Hopkins
April 30, 2025

75-year-old Frederick Hopkins lost his father at the age of three. He credits his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother for their tireless hours in molding him into the man he has become. He play

Florence Lodge: A true trailblazer
April 22, 2025

At 88 years of age, Florence Lodge has spent a life questioning, and if something needed changing, she was always there. This meant helping others and trying to make positive changes in the world. Sh

Betty Randolph: Seeing the world on both sides
April 08, 2025

Betty Jean Barr Randolph was born in the small rural town of Greelyville, South Carolina, in 1942. As she said, If you were Black, you were human, but you may not have had the same experiences as oth