Bio
Shelly A. Middleton, MA: Despite being a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ms. Middleton has called North Carolina home for 39 years. She is the proud mother of two extraordinary girls and, a very proud graduate of Bennett College where she earned a BA/S in History and Social Sciences. Ms. Middleton completed graduate work at North Carolina Central University where she earned an MA in History and has been accepted into the PhD, Education program at Capella University. While attending North Carolina Central University, Ms. Middleton led the Earlie E. Thorpe History Association of Graduate Students in the Department of History. Under her leadership, she instituted bi-annual symposia, in which the graduate students presented current research topics to both peers and professors. Additionally, she spearheaded a one-day forum, commemorating the tragedy of 9-11, entitled, “Revisiting 9-11: At What Cost Will America Win the War on Terrorism?” This forum engaged History professors from three prestigious universities in the triangle area to introduce topics, to probe meanings, and discuss the ramifications to American life post 9-11. After completing her graduate studies, Ms. Middleton began her higher education, teaching career as a History Professor at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC. In 2016, Ms. Middleton became a certified trainer at the Center for Teacher Excellence which has given her the opportunity to conduct teacher trainer seminars for public and private school systems and to offer credit hours for educators seeking recertification. Her thesis project, entitled “The Life and Times of The Negro High School: A History of the James E. Shepard High School, Zebulon, North Carolina., represents her passion for the history of Negro education and its significant presence in twenty-first century America. In addition to research, Ms. Middleton currently serves as the organizer/ advisor of the Timber-Wolf History-Mystery Detective Club at Timber Drive Elementary in Garner NC and, in 2016, Ms. Middleton was contracted to direct the Washington Terrace Oral History Project for DHIC, a non-profit affordable housing agency located in Raleigh, NC.
Research Interests
The Black experience in Negro High Schools during Jim Crow. The evolution of the Black community in the post reconstruction period in Raleigh, NC.