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A crowd of about 60 people attended Pea Island Preservation Society, Inc.’s special Black History Month program at College of The Albemarle – Dare on February 22 to celebrate and also learn more about the inspiring story of Keeper Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Station lifesavers.

In January 1880, Etheridge, who grew up enslaved on Roanoke Island, became the first Black person in the nation to command a U.S. Lifesaving Service station. The Pea Island station functioned for 67 years until Herbert M. Collins, in March 1947, closed and locked the doors of the station for the very last time.

Staffed primarily with Blacks, Pea Island surfmen are credited with performing some 600 rescues. The most famous was an October 11, 1896, rescue during a hurricane of everyone on board the shipwrecked E.S. Newman. It was not until one-hundred years later, in March 1996, that Keeper Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers were posthumously awarded the U.S. Coast Guard’s Gold Lifesaving Medal for that daring and heroic act.

Founded in 2009, the goal of the Preservation Society, known as PIPSI, is to uncover and share some of the events overshadowed by the more popular history the area is known for. A number of descendants of the Pea Island lifesavers still live on Roanoke Island and other areas of the Outer Banks today. Saturday’s event also provided an opportunity to raise awareness of the PIPSI and its continued efforts to promote that history to a larger audience.

Serving as emcee with a slight touch of musical flair, PIPSI secretary Coquetta LaVerna Brooks said “We’re not trying to negate anybody. We do want to lift up and share another story and make sure their story never dies.”

Although to date the focus has been on Etheridge’s life, there are other stories to be told.

Enter Elijah York and his media production company based in Asheville, The Standard Picture Company. York worked with PIPSI to produce the three short videos shown during the presentation to increase awareness of this little known American history.

“The Pea Island story is more than an Outer Banks story,” said Joan L. Collins, PIPSI outreach and education director. “It’s a national story.”

Near the end of the presentations, it was announced that while known for his association with the Wright Brothers’ first flight efforts history, the late Darrell Collins was founder of the non-profit Pea Island Preservation Society and has been elevated to president emeritus status.

After viewing each of the three videos, guests were asked to discuss content and provide any personal feedback thought appropriate. Following the afternoon session, guests were invited to participate in “one-on-one” on-camera interviews with York.

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