The Black Teachers Beach
Bear Island, Hammonds Beach
Swansboro, NC

After the Native Americans were killed and then run off this land, after many years and many events, it ended up in a white doctor's possession. He wanted to keep it preserved in it's natural state and was convinced to leave it to the Black teachers of NC.

Early in the 20th century, Dr. William Sharpe, a neurosurgeon of New York, came to Bear Island to hunt. His love of the island prompted him to acquire it for his retirement. Sharpe intended to will the property to John Hurst, his longtime hunting guide and friend, but Hurst persuaded him to donate it to the North Carolina Teachers Association, an organization of African American teachers.

In 1950, the group assumed the deed to Bear Island and attempted to develop the property. Limited funds and the island's remoteness rendered their efforts unsuccessful. In 1961, the association donated the island to the state of North Carolina for a park. Initially planned as a park for minorities, Hammocks Beach State Park opened for all people following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.