Everette Brown

The love of education for Everette Camille Roberts Brown incorporated facilitating learning, acquiring knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits into her multifaceted roles as educator, wife, mother, community servant and devoted member of Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church.  Everette came into the world as an inquisitive, vivacious, and purposeful soul guided by her loving parents, the late Alonza L. Roberts and M. Capitola Richardson Roberts in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on October 13, 1923.

In 1931 the family moved to Sumter, South Carolina and was drawn to the progressive, socially conscious, and biblically-based Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church.  She and her older sister of two years, the late Florea, grew up in the church and with their parents embraced the church vision of leadership, social development and service to the needy.  Everette’s strong religious foundation enabled her to develop an unshakable faith that enabled her to excel.

She graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1939 and salutatorian of her 1943 class at South Carolina State College. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in English, with a minor in Social Studies and became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Intrigued with the pursuit of social, spiritual, and physical development ignited by her church, and fueled by her AKA sisterhood, in the fall of that same year she received a Bachelor of Science in Library Science from Atlanta University.

Two years later she married Huroy Howard Brown on December 30 and together they became parents of four aspiring and conscientious children: Huroy Howard Brown, Jr., Hakiim Ofori Sabur (formerly Alonza Lawrence Brown), Samuel Franklin Thomas Brown, and Evetta Camille Brown Vaughn.  Her devotion to her family mirrored that of her parents as she stretched and encouraged them to reach their highest potential.

Ten years later in 1955, Everette received a Masters of Science in Education from South Carolina State University. Her drive to improve her environment resulted in securing two scholarships to update her library skills. In 1963 Mrs. Brown received an eight-week scholarship to study at the State University of New York at Albany.  The following year she secured a position as an itinerate librarian for Sumter School District 17.  The first year she was home based at Winn School and divided her responsibilities between Moore School and Saltertown.  The second year Mrs. Brown was home-based at Moore School with afternoon duties at Saltertown.  The third-year she was assigned as librarian at Moore.  Everette received a second scholarship to the University of Missouri at Columbia to continue her skill development to continue to improve the library systems and infrastructures of school libraries.  However, the phasing out of black schools resulted in a transfer in 1972 to Lemira.  Following retirement in 1985, Everette volunteered as a reader to first grades at Alice Drive and Lemira. 

Mrs. Brown re-activated with the AKA Sorority and joined Eta Zeta Omega Chapter in 1964 and served as Basileus twice and as Cluster Coordinator of 7.  She gave the chapter 40 years of active service before she decided to maintain her life membership only.  She has received numerous awards and plaques recognizing her 78 years of outstanding service with the AKAs.

She also returned to Mount Pisgah this same year and has been a Sunday School teacher, Brownie Girl Scout Leader for 15 years, Quarterly Conference Secretary, Steward President of Booster Club 1989-2004, Class Leader, Sanctuary Choir, Mass Choir, Stewardess Board No. 3 and Lay Organization Secretary.

Mrs. Brown holds a life membership in NEA-R and SCEA-R, and has served as president of the local chapter and as District Director 7.  In 1985, Sumter School District No, 17 acknowledged Mrs. Browns’ 38 years of service to the youth of the community and her lasting influence on the lives of many boys and girls who came under her guidance.  In 2006, Lemira initiated School Districts 2 and 17 to recognize Mrs. Brown’s contributions through a Sumter County Council Proclamation declaring November 16, 2006, as Everette Brown Literacy Day.

On September 15, 2016, her companion, Huroy H. Brown of 70 years died quietly at home just two months after she had been honored in the 2016 Boule in Atlanta for being a Diamond Soror.

Mrs. Brown thoroughly enjoyed poetry and developed a diverse repertoire of value-based childrens’ poems which she recited often to her children and all youth with whom she interfaced. She loved to travel, entertain, cook and explore new ideas.  She persevered with a champion's heart from days of segregation through early periods of integration and did her part as a stellar role model to help usher in the era of equal opportunity for all.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Florea Geneva Roberts McCullough and her daughter Evetta B. Vaugh.  She leaves to cherish her memory 23 great-grandchildren, and 2 great, great-grandchildren.  Her 13 grandchildren include Maryam Dorcely, daughter of Huroy Jr.; Jamila, Khalid, Faruq, Aleema, and Nasiim, children of Hakiim; Capitola, Marion, and Kadijah, children of Evetta; and Jason, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Timothy, children of Sammy.  Daughters-in-law are Shakura, wife of Hakiim and Joyce, wife of Sammy.  

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