The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Tuesday, June 30, 2026
While the P.I. Island Life-Saving Station, staffed by an all-black crew led by Richard Etheridge, achieved notable successes, it also became a symbol of persistent segregation within the service. Black watermen were often relegated to this station, with limited opportunities for advancement even after the service transitioned to the Coast Guard.
“But in other ways, it just led to more segregation. Dave Zoby says, over the years, all black watermen, no matter how talented they were, were sent to work at the P Island station. And then were just stuck there.”
“And in 1915, when it became the Coast Guard, they still had this one black station there along the coast of North Carolina. And most of the Coast Guard was segregated. And you didn't have that much mobility. And many of the men at P Island, the surfmen, could have could qualify, could be both some mates, should be able to go on and become officers. They weren't able to do it.”
“The P Island Life-Saving Station kept operating with an all-black crew until 1947, when it was decommissioned. The building was dismantled.”