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
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.
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.
Gift of Ms. Mary L. Perkins-Williams
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Processing completed by Dale Sauter, January 26, 2016.
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.