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Living Library

The equipment and production for these videos in our collection of ‘Living Library’ interviews were made possible by an NC CARES/Humanities Relief Grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. We can’t wait to preserve more local history memories. The North Carolina Humanities Council, www.nchumanities.org, is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Yvonne Parker. She has vivid memories of the history of Guy Parker’s BBQ in Goldsboro, NC that she owned with her late husband, Mr. Guy Parker. Her stories were fascinating and we learned all about the restaurant, the secrets to its success and her family. She and Guy met when they were both working at Scott’s BBQ and they went on to open their own restaurant. Their first location was on Pine St. in the old Holloway’s BBQ building and then as the business grew, they opened their iconic location on George St. where the old sign hung for decades. Mrs. Parker hadn’t seen the sign in years and to see her face light up when she came into the museum and first saw it was a joy. Enjoy this wonderful interview! Thank you to Mrs. Parker and her family for making this interview possible.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Ernest Lofton to preserve his stories and experiences. In part 1 of this interview, we talk to Ernest Lofton about his start in photography, beginning with several part-time jobs in his teenage years. Mr. Lofton shared his memories of Little Washington and working downtown as a 12-year-old in Nelson’s photo studio. This journey led him through several job fields, including retail, photography and even fire fighting. He has done it all! Enjoy part 1 of this wonderful interview! Thank you to Mr. Ernest Lofton for making this interview possible.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Ernest Lofton to preserve his stories and experiences. In part 2 of this interview, we talk to Ernest Lofton about building his photography business and the changes in photographic technology over the years. Enjoy part 2 of this wonderful interview! Thank you to Mr. Ernest Lofton for making this interview possible.
We were able to restore and edit an old phone video interview with the late Mrs. Delores Hayes that we had feared was unusable. Mrs. Hayes was a beloved and award-winning teacher. She tells us in this interview about her early days in college and about her late husband, Dr. Lonnie Hayes, who was the first black surgeon at Wayne Memorial Hospital. She relates the difficulties of segregation and desegregation of our local schools and tells a story of her grandmother, who grew up as a slave. Mrs. Hayes meant a great deal to many students over the course of her long career and she dedicated her life to community service. We are so happy to finally be able to share this interview with you. Enjoy this wonderful interview!
We had the pleasure of interviewing Deborah Jones for our 2021 Black History Exhibit, “Fighting for Freedom: the 135th USCT, Black Soldiers of the Civil War”. The exhibit will explore one of the United States Colored Troop infantry divisions that was organized in Goldsboro, North Carolina on March 27, 1865. In this interview with Deborah Jones, a 135th descendant, she talks about her ancestor and how she learned about him and his service in the 135th USCT. Enjoy this wonderful interview! Thank you to Deborah Jones for making this interview possible.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Meggett for our 2021 Black History Exhibit, “Fighting for Freedom: the 135th USCT, Black Soldiers of the Civil War”. The exhibit will explore one of the United States Colored Troop Infantry division that was organized in Goldsboro, North Carolina on March 27, 1865. In this interview with Elizabeth Meggett, a 135th descendant, she talks about her great grandfather and the history she was told growing up about his life and his service in the 135th USCT. Enjoy this wonderful interview! Thank you to Elizabeth Meggett for making this interview possible.
We had the pleasure of filming a 135th USCT Soldiers reenactment by the 135th USCT Research Team for our 2021 Black History exhibit, “Fighting for Freedom: the 135th USCT, Black Soldiers of the Civil War”. This exhibit will explore one of the United States Colored Troop infantry divisions that was organized in Goldsboro, North Carolina on March 27, 1865. Enjoy this wonderful reenactment! Thank you to the 135th USCT Research Team for making this reenactment possible.
We had the pleasure of filming a 135th USCT Widows reenactment by the 135th USCT Research Team for our 2021 Black History exhibit, “Fighting for Freedom: the 135th USCT, Black Soldiers of the Civil War”. This exhibit will explore one of the United States Colored Troop infantry division that was organized in Goldsboro, North Carolina on March 27, 1865. Enjoy this wonderful reenactment! Thank you to the 135th USCT Research Team for making this reenactment possible.