A first-year student, Ja’Khari Bryant is a Morehead-Cain scholar who plans to enroll in Carolina’s School of Nursing. He’s also majoring in human development and family science in the School of Education and serves as concert manager and sings baritone for the Clef Hangers.
His hometown of Trenton, 17 miles west of New Bern, is still recovering from flooding after 2018’s Hurricane Florence. Bryant’s family moved out while their house was rebuilt. Others couldn’t rebuild and left.
Editor’s note: Tar Heels come from communities of all sizes, some of them tiny. In the Small Town Spotlight series, Carolina students share photos of meaningful places and people back home.
Bryant lived in Trenton until his junior year in high school, then attended the School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina.
Below, Bryant shares photos and thoughts about his hometown.
I grew up on First Avenue. It’s the only home that I’ve ever known, and most of my family live on this road. When people think about Trenton or the Haiti community that I live in, they think of First Avenue. Every year we host a Haiti Day and invite everyone who grew up there to come out with their families and spend time with one another. That’s like home.
During the Christmas season, the Town Hall and downtown are decorated. When the town hosts the annual parade, Santa’s in there and everyone can go in and get their pictures taken. I went to the parade when I was little. Later I was in the parade, which was fun.
My family gets together each year for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Usually we gather at my granddad’s house. Sometimes we play games. Sometimes we sit around and tell stories and joke and enjoy family time. I’m here with my cousin Diamond; her mother, Iana Martin; my uncle Johnathan Bryant; aunt Ashley Bryant; my mom, Anyotta Bryant; my grandma Angela Bryant; and my brother Marques.
This is at Brock Mill Pond. A mill has been there since the 1700s. They have Christmas events, like opening on the night of the parade and having apple cider. They’ll have a hayride from downtown to the mill pond. It’s just a fun place to go.
This is me with my mom. She’s my best friend. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, and after chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, has been cancer free for almost three years. She’s also a graduate of Strayer University.
This is King’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. From this church, you can see St. Stephen’s Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ. Both churches played a significant part in my upbringing. The church is where I started singing. I had family that attended each church. If you were to ask my mom where I was, she’d say, “At whatever church door is open.”
Downtown on Jones Street, there’s Town Hall, an antique store and a chiropractor’s office and a restaurant called 1784 Cafe, named after the year Trenton was established. The tallest building there is Realo drugstore. In one building, barber students from the Trenton campus for Lenoir County Community College give haircuts.
I don’t eat at Aggie’s often, but when I’m back, it’s a must. If you return when Aggie’s isn’t open, it’s like, “I had no purpose to come home.” Even if my brothers come for Thanksgiving or Christmas, they’re like, “I know we’re going to eat, but I’m going to Aggie’s first.”
I took school field trips to the Jones County Courthouse, in a health science class, just to learn more about ethics. I’ve also taken kids from summer camp to the courthouse so they can see the inside and meet the people there. They got to sit in the courtroom.