Video Reflections

Learn more about the impact each educator had on the lives of their students and the community they served. These interviews were filmed inside the Williston Auditorium at the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science.

Videos by Paul Charles

Skip to Videos
  • hankins66 copy.jpg

    Lethia Sherman Hankins

    Retired educator and Wilmington native Angela Hankins Metts discusses the life and legacy of longtime New Hanover County educator and community activist Lethia Sherman Hankins.

  • dorothy_b_jackson(johnson)53.png

    Dorothy Bailey Jackson Johnson

    Author, community strategist, and educator Bertha Boykin Todd discusses the impact of North Carolina Education Hall of Famer Dorothy B. Johnson.

  • lowe53.jpg

    William Grady Lowe

    Bertha Boykin Todd discusses how William Grady Lowe influenced his students while teaching at Williston.

  • odell53.jpg

    B. Constance O'Dell

    Bertha Boykin Todd speaks about how Williston Glee Club and Concert Choir director B. Constance O'Dell helped to elevate those programs.

  • Rogers46.jpg

    Fred J. Rogers

    Curator Michael S. Williams discusses the work of Principal Fred J. Rogers during his time at Williston.

  • Ernest+A.+Swain%281950%3F%29+copy.jpg

    Ernest Adison Swain

    Curator Michael S. Williams talks about the legacy of longtime New Hanover County educator Ernest Adison Swain and the responsibility he felt to be a role model.

  • Todd67 copy.png

    Bertha Boykin Todd

    Angela Hankins Metts discusses the impact that Bertha Boykin Todd has had on students and the community for 70 years.

  • Screen Shot 2022-04-25 at 8.00.34 PM.jpg

    David Clarke Virgo

    Curator Michael S. Williams talks about how D.C. Virgo arrived in Wilmington and hit the ground running to continue the legacy of strong Black educators in the Port City.

  • Washington55 copy.jpg

    Booker Tecumseh Washington

    Bertha Boykin Todd talks about the first principal she worked for — B.T. Washington — upon arriving in Wilmington in 1952.

  • williams66.jpg

    Lucille Simon Williams

    Bertha Boykin Todd discusses the life and work of fellow educator L.S. Williams who was known for being a disciplinarian and having high expectations for her students.

 

Video Extras

 

"Committed" educators: Longtime Wilmington educator Bertha Boykin Todd discusses the importance of the "committed" educators at Williston Senior High School.

A "reflection" of themselves: Wilmington native and retired educator Angela Hankins Metts explains the importance of educators being a reflection of the students they serve.

Speak Outs: Angela Hankins Metts talks about how her mother, Lethia S. Hankins, and Bertha Boykin Todd helped the Wilmington community navigate desegregation.

The book order: Bertha Boykin Todd discusses a book order that she was denied when she worked at Williston Senior High School.

"Old" English: Bertha Boykin Todd reads part of The Canterbury Tales while discussing how well educated the students she served were.

A unique experience: Angela Hankins Metts talks about her educational experience growing up in the Port City.

Best in NC: Curator Michael S. Williams talks about how D.C. Virgo and other educators helped to make Williston Industrial among the best in the state in 1927, according to the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools.

No training: Bertha Boykin Todd discusses how none of the educators were given training on how to navigate the desegregation of schools.