Arts & Culture

Arts and Culture. African-American Cultural Trail Greenville-Pitt County. Johnny Wooten impacted tens of thousands of students and community members during his thirty-year career as a music educator and performer. Wooten also played a pioneering role in desegregation of East Carolina College through the musical performances he participated in during the late 1950's following the ECC Board of Trustees' decision to allow African American entertainers on campus., The latter decision was prompted by the unexpected appearance of an African American musician as part of a Dave Brubeck concert in early 1958. While the line had been crossed, the Brubeck concert presented desegregation in unexpected and unofficial ways: one of the band members had fallen sick, resulting in a substitute musician who happened to be African American. Student response to the surprise development on stage was overwhelmingly supportive, encouraging the Board of Trustees to approve, officially and publicly, of African American performers on campus., (captions) , Annual Greenville Grooves African American Music Festival featuring Carroll V. Dashiell. , Billy Taylor (1921-2010) Jazz pianist, composer, recording artist, educator, and broadcaster. , John Outterbridge (1858-1942). Plastic Artist. , Johnny Wooten (1932- 2020). Muslc educator and performer. , Images courtesy of Special Collections, East Carolina University