Woman, 93, granted a library card 73 years after being denied because she was black

theGRIO REPORT - Thursday, 92-year-old Pearl Thompson arrived at the Cameron Village Regional Library to much fanfare as she finally received her library card 73 years later.

TheGrio Staff

Jul 6, 2015

In 1942, Pearl Thompson, who was studying at Shaw University, went to the library to check out a book that she was required to read for her class.

Unfortunately, the library told her that she could not get a card because of her race, and she had to stay in the basement of the library to read the book because she could not take it home with her.

But on Thursday, Thompson arrived at the Cameron Village Regional Library to much fanfare as she finally received her library card 73 years later.

Watch Pearl Thompson finally receive her library card here (VIDEO)

Ann Burlingame, deputy director of Wake County Public Libraries, said she was thrilled when Deborah Thompson reached out to her about getting a library card for her mother after all these years.

“I just feel like this woman was denied access to a library and a book,” Burlingame said. “I just wanted the opportunity to rectify that, not just for her but for us as the library system.”

The celebration of Thompson’s card that took place at the library is a fitting bookend to a life filled with learning and love. After graduating from Shaw, Thompson went on to teach, trying to get as many African-American students to be able to read as she could.

When there was no space available for her to teach, she would set up shop on her own.

“I tried to expose them to everything I knew,” said Thompson, who is now 93.