| Dr. Wilmoth Annette Carter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1916-05-27)May 27, 1916 Reidsville, North Carolina, US |
| Died | April 1, 1993(1993-04-01) (aged 76) Raleigh, North Carolina, US |
| Occupation | Sociologist |
| Spouses | Never married |
Dr. Wilmoth Annette Carter was an American sociologist, professor, and academic administrator. She was a prominent faculty member at Shaw University, where she served as vice president of academic affairs from 1978 to 1986. Carter is known for her contributions to the study of African-American culture and urban sociology, as well as her dedication to education and civil rights.
Early Life and Education
Wilmoth Annette Carter was born in Reidsville, North Carolina, in 1917. She received a Rosenwald grant and studied under the renowned sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois at Atlanta University, where she developed her interest in African-American studies. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from Shaw University in 1937 and later obtained her doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1959.
Academic career
Carter spent most of her professional life at Shaw University, where she taught sociology and headed the division of social sciences. She later served in various administrative roles, including vice president of instruction, vice president of research and evaluation and finally senior vice president of academic affairs in 1978, a position she held until 1986. Known for her strict but supportive teaching style, Carter mentored students who went on to prominent careers as college presidents, politicians, and community leaders.
Her research focused on the experiences of African Americans in the urban South, particularly the business district on East Hargett Street in Raleigh, North Carolina. Carter authored three significant works:
The Urban Negro in the South (1961)
The Urban Negro in the South is a sociological study that explores the economic, social, and cultural experiences of African Americans in Southern urban environments. The book builds on Carter's graduate research at the University of Chicago, originally titled "Negro Main Street of a Contemporary Urban Community."
The study focuses on the concept of "Negro Main Street," exemplified by East Hargett Street in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a critical site for examining African American economic and social life. Through an analysis of business patterns, consumer behavior, and the spatial dynamics of segregation, Carter illustrates how urbanization and systemic discrimination shaped African American communities.
Organized into five parts, the book examines the historical growth of Black-owned businesses, the impact of discriminatory practices on consumer spaces, and the cultural and ideological reflections within urban Black neighborhoods. It also delves into the broader social changes influenced by urbanization and racial ideologies.
Dr. Carter's work provides a comprehensive analysis of the intersections between race, economics, and urbanization in the mid-20th-century South, making it a foundational text in African American urban studies.
The new Negro of the South; a portrait of movements and leadership (1967)
Dr. Carter presents a comprehensive examination of the ongoing struggles for justice, political equality, education, and social freedom faced by African Americans. She argues that the so-called "new Negro" is not a new phenomenon but a continuation of a long history of resistance, dating back to the early days of the United States. The Civil Rights movement, according to Dr. Carter, did not start in 1960 with the sit-ins but was rather a new phase of a persistent, multigenerational fight against injustice. She also addresses the challenges of keeping the civil rights movement nonviolent, especially as it gained wider participation. Carter notes that while the "black power" movement might inspire some, its more militant rhetoric risks alienating both sympathetic whites and moderate Black leaders, and could ultimately undermine the very goals it seeks to achieve.
Shaw's Universe (1973)
A socio-historical study of Shaw University that remains required reading for all first-year students.
Raleigh's Roots: An Oral History from Raleigh's African American Communities (1985)
Wilmoth Carter's work as an educator and advocate for preserving African American history and culture influenced and supported preserving the histories of African American communities, like the Raleigh's Roots project, and emphasized the importance of oral traditions, storytelling, and community memory. In 1985, Raleigh’s City Council requested the Raleigh Historic Properties Commission to study the city’s historic African American communities. The aim was to address the underrepresentation of these neighborhoods in Raleigh’s historical narrative. As the city’s advisory body on historic preservation, the Commission undertook the project, collaborating with the State Division of Archives and History to document the architectural and cultural significance of these communities.
The project was initiated amid Raleigh’s rapid growth as part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle and ongoing downtown revitalization. Historically, urban renewal efforts of the 1960s had led to the loss of many historic properties, sparking a preservation movement. However, African American neighborhoods faced unique challenges and remained underrepresented in preservation efforts.
To guide development sensitively, the Commission proposed an architectural survey with an oral history component to document the tangible and intangible heritage of Raleigh’s African American communities. The African American Studies Committee was formed to oversee the work. Oral historian Lynn Hudson, a former researcher with the Southern Oral History Program at UNC Chapel Hill, was hired as a consultant in 1987.
The project received funding from organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. More than 25 oral history interviews were conducted to capture personal and community narratives. The architectural survey was planned to complement these efforts, ensuring a comprehensive documentation of Raleigh’s African American heritage.
The project emphasized the importance of preserving oral traditions and integrating them into the city’s broader historical framework. Led by Project Director Terri Myers, the initiative has paved the way for future studies and continued advocacy for the preservation of Raleigh’s African American communities.
Civil Rights Advocacy
Dr. Carter was a strong advocate for the civil rights movement and served on the mayor's advisory committee during the picketing of stores in Raleigh that refused to serve Black patrons. During the height of the civil rights movement, Carter supported her students' activism, even administering final exams to those jailed for protesting segregation.
"Retired political science professor Carl Devane said Dr. Carter taught her students to understand their academic pursuits in the context of life outside the classroom. Mr Devane recalled a time, during the height of the civil rights protests, that Dr. Carter gave a final exam to several students in prison after they had been arrested for entering a segregated restaurant in Raleigh."
Her efforts underscored her belief in applying academic principles to real-world struggles for justice and equality.
References
- ^ Eli Shiffer, James (April 1, 1993). "Wilmoth A. Carter, noted Shaw sociologist, dies". News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina.
- "North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004" (Document). North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics.
- "EIGHT TAR HEELS GET ROSENWALD AWARDS". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. May 17, 1946. p. 10.
- "Shaw Appoints Three Chairmen". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. July 28, 1966.
- "Shaw Officials Appointed". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. July 8, 1974. p. 24.
- "Two Shaw University educators will be honored by a former student". Dec 3, 1980. p. 27.
- Vaden, Ted (August 25, 1979). "Recession or not, state's economy is slumping". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC.
- Daniels, Jonathon (June 3, 1962). "The Southern Way on Hargett Street". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. p. 27.
- Carter, Wilmoth A. (1961). The Urban Negro in the South. Vantage Press. ISBN 0598546898.
- Green, Katy (November 19, 1967). "The Negro Now and the Future". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. p. 69.
- Raleigh's Roots: An Oral History of the African American Communities in Raleigh (Report). Raleigh Historic Properties Commission. 1987.
- "Raleigh's Roots: An Oral History from Raleigh's African American Communities -- Program". North Carolina Memory. Raleigh Historic Properties Commission. February 24, 1991.
- "Advisory Body Can't End Negro Protests". News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. p. 38.