UNC celebrates 75th anniversary of 'Tobe'

In 1939, a black boy in rural Hillsborough asked his white neighbor why he didn’t look like the kids in his storybooks. This question inspired that very neighbor, Stella Gentry Sharpe, to write a book called “Tobe.”

UNC is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the historic book, which was published by UNC Press in 1939. The Wilson Special Collections Library hosted a panel discussion Tuesday night and introduced the exhibit, called “Where is Tobe? Unfolding Stories of Childhood, Race and Rural Life in North Carolina,” which features the original photographs from the book and the stories of the people depicted in them.

Sharpe’s book became one of the first accurate portrayals of black people in American children’s literature, complete with photographs by Charles Farrell of life in African-American communities.

Benjamin Filene, director of the public history program at UNC-Greensboro, found the book’s photos in the archives of Wilson Library roughly six years ago. Intrigued by the discovery, Filene researched the impact of “Tobe” on the local African-American community. He said it was important for African-Americans to see themselves in literature and be able to identify with characters.

“It was significant in a couple ways,” Filene said. “It was trying to offer a dignified portrayal of hard-working, upright, family-minded African-Americans. Connected to that, it was imagining black readers.”

Filene contacted various community members from the town of Goshen who were connected to the story. Once interviews were compiled and paired with photographs, he invited them to discuss the impact of “Tobe” at the panel.

“The community at that time was about seven country miles from the city of Greensboro. I remember my mother told me that Goshen was a land of plenty,” said the Rev. Ernestine Gray, who was 8 when Farrell used Goshen to capture Tobe’s story.

Gray said Goshen was a place where people benefited from plenty of schools, friendly neighbors, church congregations and homegrown food.

“I will always remember how close-knit our community was,” said Goshen resident Mary Shoffner Anderson-Booker. “We always took care of each other.”

Community was a strong discussion point for the panel and is also evident in the images that represent “Tobe.”

This positive portrayal of African-American life was revolutionary in children’s books.

“It was transcending some of the habits, laws, ways people were thinking,” Gray said. “I don’t think we knew it then, but it was a changer. It was an overcomer.”

The exhibit features letters between Farrell and the press. Nearly 200 alternate photos are also on display, as well as a history on children’s literature. Clips from Filene’s interviews with community members and people involved in the book are also playing for visitors.

“This book did not instantly change or solve this problem. It seems that every generation has to re-fight this fight,” Filene said.

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