Mary Lawrence Perkins-Williams Papers

Circa 1950s-1998, undated
Manuscript Collection #730
Creator(s)
Perkins-Williams, Mary Lawrence
Physical description
1 Cubic Feet, 4 archival boxes, consisting of personal files, photographs, videocassettes, newsletters, agendas, minutes, membership lists, publications, photocopies, and clippings.
Preferred Citation
Mary Lawrence Perkins-Williams Papers (#730), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
Access to audiovisual and digital media is restricted. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Personal files created by Pitt County, North Carolina, native Mary Perkins-Williams relate to the Pitt County Black Assembly (1979, 1983), NAACP Legal Defense (1980), regional development (1977-1979), minority issues, and fair housing. Audio-Visual Materials include photographs of scrapbook images (ca. 1950s) documenting both abandoned and active Pitt County, North Carolina, African American public schools. Also included are seven videocassettes documenting a grant-funded oral history project completed in 1994 entitled Growing up African-American in Pitt County.


Biographical/historical information

Mary Perkins-Williams was born in Pitt County, North Carolina, the youngest of five siblings. Her parents were Mary and the Reverend Jasper Perkins, both farmers. Perkins-Williams was a graduate of Bethel Union High School, North Carolina Central University (BS) and the University of South Carolina at Columbia (MS). She is the mother of two children, Klarissa Tyree Barnes and Eric Tyrone Williams, and grandmother of seven. She has been a member of Fleming Chapel Original Free Will Baptist Church for many years.

Perkins-Williams served as a faculty member at East Carolina University in Joyner Library from 1970-1998. Having been very involved for years in public service, her current positions as of 2016 include Regional East Director of the North Carolina African American Caucus, Regional Director of Pitt County Board of Social Service, member of the Greenville Fair Housing Task Force, Chair of Greenville 1 Precinct, and Pitt County Commissioner, representing District 2.


Scope and arrangement

The papers consist of three series: Printed Materials, Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials. These items document regional and local community issues related to minority and women's social issues. The issues concern fair housing, voter registration, education, political activities, planning and development and employment. Printed Materials include circa late 1970s through early 1980s newsletters, agendas, minutes and membership lists. Some of these organizations include the North Carolina State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee, Eastern Carolina Black Conference, Greenville Fair Housing Task Force, Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, Greenville Energy Program, North Carolina Consumer Council, North Carolina Democratic Black Caucus, North Carolina Council of Women's Organizations and Pitt County Black Assembly. Also present are records from the Pasico Norfleet, Jr. Auxiliary Post # 160 (Greenville), American Legion.

Other Printed Materials consist of regional African American publications and clippings. Of particular interest is a 1961 publication of The Pitt County Teachers Association. This item offers many names and images of past African American Pitt County educators and board members, as well as statistics on African American Pitt County schools during the early and mid-1900s. The publication was produced for a program at South Ayden High School, Ayden, North Carolina, held on October 6, 1961. The program was held to honor former superintendents of Pitt County schools spanning 1883 to1965.

Audio-Visual Materials include photographs documenting Pitt County, North Carolina, African American public schools. The images depict both abandoned and active African American school houses. The photographs are prints made from an original scrapbook. Included with the photographs is a photocopy of the original scrapbook, circa 1950s (notes in container list are taken from this photocopy). Other related materials present are seven videocassettes documenting a grant-funded oral history project completed in 1994 by Mary L. Perkins-Williams and Mary Boccaccio. The project is entitled Growing up African-American in Pitt County. For access to the tapes, please consult staff.


Administrative information
Custodial History

September 25, 1996, 1 cubic foot; Personal files, including records on Pitt County Black Assembly (1979, 1983), NAACP Legal Defense Fund (1980), regional development (1977-1979), minority issues, and fair housing. Donor: Ms. Mary L. Perkins-Williams.

September 8, 2003 (addition 1), 144 items; Photographic prints (undated) of Pitt County, North Carolina, Public Schools Donor: Ms. Mary L. Perkins-Williams.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Ms. Mary L. Perkins-Williams

Processing information

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Processing completed by Dale Sauter, January 26, 2016.

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.


Key terms
Personal Names
Williams, Mary Lawrence Perkins
Corporate Names
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Pitt County Black Assembly
Topical
Discrimination in housing--United States
Public schools--North Carolina--Pitt County--Photographs

Container list
Box 1 Folder a Newsletter of the North Carolina State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (1981–1982)
Box 1 Folder b Eastern Carolina Black Conference letter, goals, meeting minutes and organizational chart (1980)
Box 1 Folder c Pasico Norfleet Jr. Auxiliary Post # 160 (Greenville), American Legion—Procedures and member lists. Also includes correspondence, areas of concern, charitable endeavors and drug abuse prevention. Other items document meeting attendance, procedures, ceremonies, fundraisers, membership workshops, notes, agendas and Poppy Days. (1978–1983)
Box 1 Folder d Greenville Fair Housing Task Force—Includes minutes, reports, mission statements, publications and federal documents from Economic Development Administration (Department of Commerce), Directory of Approved Projects, Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, and New Hanover County, North Carolina. (1980–1982)
Box 1 Folder f Greenville Education—Materials consist of newsletters, reports, correspondence from Greenville City Schools and to Community Schools Advisory Council Members and a merger feasibility study on Pitt County and Greenville schools prepared by Research Triangle Institute. (1980–1983)
Box 1 Folder g Eastern Carolina Health Systems Plan (1979–1984)
Box 1 Folder h North Carolina Consumer Council—Includes newsletters, agendas and articles. (1979–1980)
Box 1 Folder i Pitt County Assembly—Includes correspondence, community issues, publications and clippings. (1979)
Box 1 Folder j Pitt County Adolescent Sexuality Council—Includes correspondence, minutes and an agenda for one meeting. (1980)
Box 1 Folder k North Carolina Council of Women's Organizations—Materials consist of articles of incorporation, job descriptions, and a report on the Minority Concentration Issue by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. (1959, 1971)
Box 1 Folder l Democratic Party—Includes abortion resolution drafts, federal reports, correspondence with East Carolina University regarding scholarship for Lee Wright and materials related to nuclear energy, freeing political prisoners and Fleming Chapel, A.ME. Zion Church. (1977–1980)
Box 1 Folder m North Carolina General Assembly—Contains bill entitled Balanced Growth Policy Act and a report on towns in Bertie County, North Carolina. (1979)
Box 1 Folder n Search for Chairman of the State House Ninth District Executive Committee—Includes correspondence and resumes. (1983, undated)
Box 1 Folder o Local voter registration files—Material includes correspondence, press releases, clippings, procedural manuals and ephemera. (1980, undated)
Box 2 Folder a North Carolina Democratic Party—Files include rosters, platforms and agendas. (1979–1980) | North Carolina Democratic Black Caucus—Includes rosters, minutes, clippings and reports. (1979–1980)
Box 2 Folder b Political party comparisons—Includes rosters, correspondence, agendas, minutes and notes, mostly produced by the Pitt County Black Assembly. (1979–1981)
Box 2 Folder c Pitt County Black Assembly—Consists of correspondence, forms, constitutions, voter registrations, studies, reports, legal documents, agendas and minutes. (1975–1981)
Box 2 Folder d Regional church and missionary outreach materials. (1977, 1982, undated)
Box 2 Folder e Black Participation in Regional Planning and Development—Contains agendas, reports, articles, rosters, correspondence and registrations. (1979–1980)
Box 2 Folder f Regional African American publications—Includes Digest of The Pitt County Teachers Association, offering many name and images of past African American Pitt County educators, as well as statistics on African-American Pitt County schools. (1961–1967)
Box 2 Folder g Mid-East Commission, Washington, North Carolina—Materials include Manpower Services Directory, Performance Summary on the Human Resources Development Program by the North Carolina Community College System and newsletters. (1975–1979)
Box 2 Folder h Grant details, including proposal. "Growing up African-American in Pitt County"—Consists of proposal, Program for service of Mrs. Bessie Ward Harris, correspondence, oral history questions and press releases. (1994–1998)
Box 3 Folder a Publications related to human resources development programs in North Carolina and the local community of Pitt County—Consists of brochures, reports, directories, notes and publications related to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, Home Economics extension office and North Carolina Department of Commerce. (undated)
Box 3 Folder b Residential enumeration information sheets, Greenville. (1979)
Box 3 Folder c Clippings related to regional African American life. (1969–1978, undated)
Box 3 Folder e Item 162 Negative images of photographs
Box 3 Folder e Item 163 Photocopy of original photograph scrapbook with handwritten notes