Black Oral HIstories of Beaufort County

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 [https://blackoralhistories.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Helma-Witchet2-web-225x300.jpg]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.

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, [https://blackoralhistories.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ethel-Bryant-202x300.jpg]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.

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. [https://blackoralhistories.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gladys-Russell-Web-218x300.jpg]

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 [https://blackoralhistories.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Joenice-Carroll5-225x300.jpg]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.”

“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 [https://blackoralhistories.blubrry.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Charles-Oden3-225x300.jpg]