The Moment
Carrie Everett, Miss North Carolina 2024, and a history-maker as the first Liberian American and first student from a Historically Black College or University to win the title, has died at 22.
Her family announced her passing on April 6 in posts on her official Instagram and on the family’s GoFundMe page, calling her their “beautiful nightingale” and praising her courage through treatment. The Miss North Carolina Scholarship Organization also issued a statement offering condolences and honoring her advocacy for students at HBCUs.
Everett, a Seattle native and vocal performance major at North Carolina Central University, had been publicly battling metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma, according to the family’s fundraiser updates.
The Take
Some pageant stories are all rhinestones and runway walks. This one is about a young woman who turned a crown into a classroom, and then, heartbreakingly, into a reminder of how fragile and fierce life can be at once.
Everett didn’t just represent a state; she cracked open a door. As the first HBCU student to hold the Miss North Carolina title, she told CBS 17 after her 2024 win that she wanted to be “the first but not the last,” signaling to other students that the opportunity was truly theirs, too. That’s not fluff; it’s pipeline-changing representation. Think of it like swapping a tiara for a bullhorn; she used visibility to make the stage bigger for the next woman stepping onto it.
Her passing at 22 is devastating. But the mark she left, centering scholarships, urging goal-setting, pulling more seats to the table, is the kind of legacy pageantry at its best can amplify. The culture takeaway? When pageants remember their purpose is access and opportunity, not just sparkle, they matter. Carrie made sure of that.
Receipts
Confirmed:
- Family confirmed Everett’s death on April 6 in an Instagram post and on the family’s GoFundMe page (both official family channels).
- The Miss North Carolina Scholarship Organization released a public statement of condolence on April 6, noting her advocacy for HBCU students.
- Everett was Miss North Carolina 2024, the first Liberian American to hold the title, and the first winner while enrolled at an HBCU; these details have been noted by the state organization and her campus community.
- She studied vocal performance at North Carolina Central University and earned a talent award and scholarship at the Miss America competition, per family and pageant communications.
- The family’s GoFundMe updates identified her diagnosis as metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma and described periods of initial response and later treatment changes.
Unverified/Reported:
- The exact date of diagnosis beyond “summer 2025” was not specified in publicly shared family posts available to readers.
- Whether she completed a move to an out-of-state treatment facility before her passing has not been confirmed in public statements.
- Media descriptions calling the cancer “rare and aggressive” are characterizations; no separate medical statement with that wording has been published to the public by her care team.
Backstory (for Casual Readers)
Everett won Miss North Carolina in 2024 while a sophomore at North Carolina Central University, an HBCU in Durham. Her win was notable on two fronts: she was the first Liberian American titleholder and the first student from an HBCU to wear the state crown. She studied vocal performance, competed in Miss America (earning a talent award and scholarship), and often spoke about using the program’s resources for education and professional growth. Her message to younger students was simple and big: this path is for you, too.
What’s Next
Expect details on memorials or celebrations of life from her family and the Miss North Carolina organization in the coming days. North Carolina Central University may also share campus remembrances. Keep an eye on official channels for any scholarship or foundation efforts established in her name, a fitting tribute given how strongly she championed access and education.
For those moved to help, look for verified posts from her family before donating or sharing fundraisers. In moments like this, clarity and care matter as much as condolences.
What part of Carrie Everett’s message about opening doors, especially for HBCU students, do you hope becomes her lasting tribute?
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