In the early 20th century, educational opportunities for Black children across the rural South were deeply unequal. Across many Southern states, including North Carolina, African American students often attended schools that were underfunded, poorly constructed, and without basic resources. In many cases, children would meet in fields, churches, old homes, and cabins that lacked electricity, heat, or running water, just to have the opportunity to learn.
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“When did slavery end in the United States?” is a tough question to answer. Most people point to one of three dates: Emancipation Day on January 1, 1863; the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865; or Juneteenth on June 19, 1865. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation provided a pathway to freedom for enslaved African Americans in Union-occupied areas of Confederate states like Beaufort, Elizabeth City, Plymouth, and New Bern in North Carolina.