Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join our team! Public Radio East is hiring a Financial & Development Associate.

The High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, will soon have a new temple

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD")

NINA SIMONE: (Singing) Please don't let me be misunderstood.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Michel Martin.

The high priestess of soul, Nina Simone, will soon have a new temple. In 2017, four Black artists bought Simone's childhood home in Tryon, N.C., to save it from demolition. Earlier this week, artists inspired by Simone's music, with some support from tennis star Venus Williams, raised close to $6 million to transform it into a cultural center. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.