PROJECT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project, more than anything, is rooted in community. From the filming of each interview, to the scanning of city records, to meeting with local officials and historians, every aspect of this work required the efforts of people who are invested in documenting, honoring, and celebrating Black history in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The 4th Ward Neighborhood Association was the driving force behind this project’s conception and launching. Their commitment to their neighborhood was central in understanding the importance of this work, both to the members of their community who came before them, and to leave a legacy for generations to come. Members of the association who contributed to this project include:
Rosa Rand | President
Clara Meekins | Vice President
Ikeya Kearney Williams | Secretary & Treasurer
Octavia Rainey | Historian & Project Consultant
Johnny Blaylock
Ralph Chambers
Camilla “Rosetta” Curtis
Ruthie Davis
Wanda Dempsey
Teresa Hayes
Louis “Skip” Mayo
Barbara Evans Lucas
Roy McLaughlin
Furthermore, graduate students and staff from North Carolina State University were integral in the collection of interviews and material for the project. Their willingness to take on this project wholeheartedly was an immense help. These contributors include:
Brody McCurdy | Oral Historian & Researcher
Haley M. Kinsler | Oral Historian & Researcher
Lydia Elrod | Documentarian
Stephen Black
Rebecca Cantor
Danica Cullinan
Neal Hutcheson
Griffin Lowry
Jeannene Matthews
R. Tapia
Asha Thurman
Dr. Walt Wolfram
A number of volunteers and staff with the City of Raleigh, Wake County Register of Deeds, and the State Archives of North Carolina were immensely helpful in lending their expertise and time to the oral history team. These contributors include:
Ken Bowers, Planning and Development Deputy Director, City of Raleigh
Dylan Bruchhaus, Senior Planner, City of Raleigh
Tammy Brunner, Wake County Register of Deeds
Ernest Dollar, Executive Director, City of Raleigh Museum
Ian Dunn, Processing Assistant, State Archives of North Carolina
Tiesha Mosely, Community Engagement Manager, City of Raleigh
Ralph L. Puccini III, Deputy City Clerk, City of Raleigh
David Serxner, Commissioner, Raleigh Historic Development Commission
And a deep thanks to all of those who contributed to this project, including every person who called the Fourth Ward their home. Though not every resident’s story may be listed here, it is certain that every single person who ran a business, volunteered at a church, and shared community with their neighbors made the community what it is. Their lives will permanently shape the City of Raleigh, and it is for their legacies that we are immensely grateful.
IMAGE CREDITS
The images used for this site were collected from a variety of archives and other digital repositories that were generous in making their content accessible to the public. We also thank the News & Observer for giving us permission to use some of their images. The credit for each image from these repositories may be found here:
Home
1959 Raleigh Chambers of Commerce Map of the City of Raleigh | Courtesy of the North Carolina Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Description of Urban Renewal Process | From the 1971 Raleigh Redevelopment Commission Annual Report, courtesy of the City of Raleigh
Clara Meekins and her family at a wedding party in 1958 | From the General Negative Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina | Image copied courtesy of Clara Meekins
About
Photo of West South Street | From the General Negative Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina | Image copied courtesy of Clara Meekins
Washington Graded & High School | From the General Negative Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
Resident Stories
Aerial of South Downtown Raleigh circa 1954 | From the Conservation and Development Photograph File, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
Interview Pages Headers
Octavia Rainey | Theresa Hayes & Camilla Curtis | Ralph Chambers, Johnny Blaylock, & Ikeya Kearney Williams | Teresa Hayes & Camilla Curtis | Ruthie Davis | Roy McLaughlin
Aerial overlooking Walnut Terrace, Washington School, and part of the 4th Ward neighborhood circa 1950 | From the Conservation and Development Photograph File, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
Community Photos
Royal Crown Truck in front of building on 11 Hunter Street | From the Albert Barden Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
The Fourth Ward Archive
1971 Raleigh Redevelopment Commission site map for the urban renewal project in 4th Ward | Book 1971, page 306, courtesy of the Wake County Register of Deeds
The Fourth Ward Virtual Tour
Old Washington School | From the Albert Barden Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
Contact Us
Delois “Lois” Marie Johnson and Clara Meekins on West South Street circa 1956-57 | From the General Negative Collection, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina | Image copied courtesy of Clara Meekins
Site Footer
Aerial of South Downtown Raleigh circa 1954 | From the Conservation and Development Photograph File, courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina
RESEARCH
A variety of research resources were vital in compiling the historical documentation included here. These include:
Cauthen, C. (2023). Historic Black Neighborhoods of Raleigh. The History Press.
Larson, K. (1983). A Separate Reality: The Development of Racial Segregation in Raleigh, North Carolina, 1865-1915. [Masters Thesis, North Carolina State University].
Mattson, R. (1988). The Evolution of Raleigh's African-American Neighborhoods in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Simmons-Henry, L., & Edminsten, L. H. (1993). Culture Town: Life in Raleigh's African American Communities. Raleigh Historic Districts Commission.