Eva Viola Barnett
Eva Barnett provided much more than beauty and aesthetic services at her successful salon on West Rosemary Street in Carrboro. She provided guidance to clients, gave assistance to those less fortunate, and was a role model for young women. Born and raised in Carrboro, Miss Eva opened Eva’s Beauty Shop in 1970 at 704 West Rosemary Street in the Midway neighborhood. The salon is the oldest Carrboro business owned by an African-American woman and the second-oldest African-American-owned enterprise in town. Her achievement as a pioneering businesswoman earned recognition from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for her “non-traditional entrepreneurial success” in 2010.
Miss Eva’s work ethic is the stuff of legend. She was known to rise before sun-up and put in a full day at the salon, not locking up until everyone had been taken care of. Her good nature ensured that the shop was not only where you got your hair done, but also a place for
lively conversations about scripture and the issues of the day. She was famously skeptical of credit cards, never using one herself nor accepting them at her salon. She is well-known and loved for her generosity, her honesty, her integrity and her willingness to listen. A woman of deep and abiding faith, she has always endeavored to do unto others “as thou would have done unto you and to me.” Outside the salon, Miss Eva did just that. A life-long member of the Second Baptist Church, Miss Eva participated in mission work, sang in the choir and served for many years as the church secretary. Through community service, she pursues activities that show her faith in action. She is
a regular visitor to nursing homes, providing companionship as well as hair styling. She also visited the “sick and shut-in,” providing
some food, perhaps a little tidying, and a good dose of Bible study. Asked about her longevity, Miss Eva says: “I eat right, get rest, treat people right, read the Bible daily and pray often for others as well as for myself.”
For her service to the community and the example she has set for women in business, we are proud to induct Eva Viola Barnett into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.
Miss Eva’s work ethic is the stuff of legend. She was known to rise before sun-up and put in a full day at the salon, not locking up until everyone had been taken care of. Her good nature ensured that the shop was not only where you got your hair done, but also a place for
lively conversations about scripture and the issues of the day. She was famously skeptical of credit cards, never using one herself nor accepting them at her salon. She is well-known and loved for her generosity, her honesty, her integrity and her willingness to listen. A woman of deep and abiding faith, she has always endeavored to do unto others “as thou would have done unto you and to me.” Outside the salon, Miss Eva did just that. A life-long member of the Second Baptist Church, Miss Eva participated in mission work, sang in the choir and served for many years as the church secretary. Through community service, she pursues activities that show her faith in action. She is
a regular visitor to nursing homes, providing companionship as well as hair styling. She also visited the “sick and shut-in,” providing
some food, perhaps a little tidying, and a good dose of Bible study. Asked about her longevity, Miss Eva says: “I eat right, get rest, treat people right, read the Bible daily and pray often for others as well as for myself.”
For her service to the community and the example she has set for women in business, we are proud to induct Eva Viola Barnett into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.