How 813 Schools Were Built in Rural Black North Carolina During the Jim Crow Era

It took a strong team with the right tools. Led by educator, scientist, founder of Tuskegee Institute, Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, President and key entrepreneur in the growth of Sears-Roebuck, the Rosenwald Fund was established. It was a remarkable philanthropic partnership that helped construct over 800 Black schools across North Carolina during the 1910s -1930s providing seed grants and state-of-the-art architectural plans. Local Black communities more than matched those grants. Nearly a dozen schools were constructed around New Bern in Pamlico and Craven counties

Come learn about this nearly lost chapter of our history on Sunday February 22 at 2pm at Orringer Auditorium at Craven Community College in New Bern. Dr. Tom Hanchett will present “The History of Rosenwald Schools in North Carolina and Craven County”. Tickets are available on Jan. 13th from www.NewBernHistorical.org or by calling 252-638-8558 or in person at the New Bern Historical Society at 511 Broad St. They are $10 for all and reservations are highly recommended. For groups of 13 or more, please call the office at 252-638-8558 to book with the group rate.

Dr. Tom Hanchett is noted for his documentary work. His article in the North Carolina Historical Review, “Rosenwald Schools and Black Education in North Carolina,” helped kick off the nationwide rediscovery of this important story. Dr. Hanchett earned degrees at Cornell, University of Chicago, and UNC Chapel Hill and is well known as a community historian in Charlotte, NC. Find his Rosenwald research at www.HistorySouth.org. -more-

The mission of the New Bern Historical Society is to celebrate and promote New Bern and its heritage through events and education. Offices are located in the historic Attmore- Oliver House at 511 Broad Street in New Bern. For more information, call 252-638-8558 or go www.NewBernHistorical.org or www.facebook.com/NewBernHistoricalSociety.