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The AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE CENTER presents the AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY.

The AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY is filled with remarkable and important stories of our shared heritage and culture.

Some people only hear these stories of African American families, businesses,

churches and schools, and leaders during community events, reunions, or dinner with family.

It's time to assure these stories live into the future.

The AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY is easy to access. Scroll through and click-on any Episode. Some interviews and stories are new - others were archived on reel to reel tapes, cassettes, DVD's, CD's, videotape, movie reels and film.

Now these stories can move out into the world of educators, students, community leaders, researchers and decision-makers.

If you have more to tell about these people, places and events, or others

impacting African American heritage and culture in our region contact us Contact us. The AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY is ready to grow.

Feb 2, 20231 min read

St. Joseph's Missionary Church and School

On November 30, 2022, historian Bernard George interviewed fellow New Bernian Rick Fisher about St. Joseph's Missionary Church and School....

Oct 11, 20221 min read

The James City Crockett-Miller Slave Quarters

Ben Watford, founding President of the James City Historical Society discusses the James City Crockett-Miller Slave Quarters with Nelson...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

St. Peter's AME Zion Church, New Bern

Joseph George, Arthenea Mann, Dorothea Williams, Samuel Coombs, and Earl Murphy discuss the history of St. Peter's AME Zion Church with...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Pleasant Hill Neighborhood - the founding five families

Retired educators Mark Best and Nancy Allen join Alderman Barbara Best in February 2020 to share stories about the first five families...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

The Neusiok, NC's "Mystery Tribe"

Often referred to as North Carolina’s “Mystery Tribe", the Neusiok people lived south of the lower Neuse River within Eastern North...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

George Henry White: slave, attorney, politician, educator

An attorney and politician born into slavery, George Henry White was elected to the US Congress and served from 1897 to 1901. He was the...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

St. Cyprian Episcopal Church of New Bern

Funded by negro parishioners of Christ Church, St. Cyprian’s is one of twenty historically Black Episcopal Churches in NC. Originally a...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Mark Twain's "Aunt Rachel"

Mark Twain’s “Aunt Rachel”, written in 1874 as “A True Story Repeated Word for Word As I Heart It”. This story is based on a NC...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

The Tuscarora Tribe

An agricultural tribe related to the Iroquois, the Tuscarora inhabited the NC Coastal Plain and lived in villages scattered throughout...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

The Tuscarora War

The Tuscarora tribe first settled in coastal North Carolina about 800 AD and was the dominant tribe in this region. The Tuscarora may be...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

James City

James City was established during the Civil War. It was founded as a resettlement camp for freed, fleeing and never enslaved people....

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Walter Jones Bellamy

Walter Jones Bellamy is widely known as a professional basketball player. As a player for Indiana State, he was a four-time NBA All-Star....

Oct 11, 20221 min read

John Thomas Barber

John Thomas Barber was raised in Jones County, North Carolina and educated at Shaw University. JT Barber was a highly respected and much...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

The First Provincial Congress

The First Provincial Congress was the first such gathering anywhere in the original thirteen colonies held in defiance of British orders....

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Blanche Rivers

Blanche Rivers was a member of New Bern's Rivers family. She served the Rivers Funeral Home as its treasurer for over 80 years. She was...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Kitty Green Stanly, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern

Kitty Green Stanly was born into slavery and emancipated by John Caruthers Stanly whom she married in 1805.With her prominent husband,...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

John Caruthers Stanly

John Caruthers Stanly was a freed slave who was trained as a barber and invested earnings in plantations, land, and buying his wife and...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Alfred Barfield

One of New Bern’s “Forgotten 29”, 16 year old Alfred Barfield sat down at lunch counters during segregation and asked to be served. AAHC...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

Tuscarora King Hancock

King Hancock was a famous leader of the of the Tuscarora tribe of North Carolina. He resisted the encroachment of settlers on his land...

Oct 11, 20221 min read

William Henry Singleton

Born into slavery near New Bern NC, he gained freedom and served in the US Colored Troops during the Civil War. AAHC ORAL HISTORY LIBRARY...