Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use

No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Mary E. Mebane Papers #4359, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Robert Byrd of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, in 1984 and from Mary E. Mebane in 1988 (Acc. 83114, 84106, 84108, 84158, 88084, 88093).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• African American women authors.
• African American women--North Carolina--Biography.
• African American women--North Carolina.
• African Americans--North Carolina--Biography.
• African Americans--North Carolina--Social life and customs.
• Durham County (N.C.)--History.
• Mebane, Mary E., 1933-
• Salisbury, Harrison E. (Harrison Evans), 1908-1993.
• Women authors, American--North Carolina--History--20th century.

• Mary E. Mebane Papers at the Houghton Library, Harvard University

Mary E. Mebane (1933-1992) was an African American woman writer, born in Durham County, N.C., the daughter of a farmer and a factory worker. She received her B.A. in English and music from North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University) in 1955 and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She taught English and composition classes at North Carolina College, South Carolina State College, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is best known for two autobiographical volumes: Mary (1981), which discusses growing up in the South during segregation and her struggles with her family and the black community around her, and Mary, Wayfarer: an autobiography (1983), which recounts her years as a high school teacher, college instructor, Ph.D. candidate, and professor. In 1982, she was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The collection contains correspondence, writings, and other papers of Mary E. Mebane. Correspondence primarily relates to the publication and success of Mebane's books. Among the correspondents is Harrison E. Salisbury, editor of the op-ed page at the New York Times to which Mebane was a frequent contributor. Writings are published and unpublished works by Mebane, including articles that were intended for publication in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly publications; short stories; works on singer Millie Jackson; and several incomplete writings. The collection also contains Mebane's will; two photographs of her; items relating to book tours, readings, and writers' workshops she attended, including Yaddo; awards she received, including the Coretta Scott King award; biographical information; applications for fellowships; class and teaching materials; typescripts of short works by others; and other items.