Neal Thomas

Neal Thomas was born on April 22, 1940, in Raeford, N.C. While working in the timber industry in the late 1950s, Thomas met an elder African American woodworker named Herman Holder, who shared with him the art and skill of making split white oak baskets. At the age of 85, Thomas still can “drop trees on a dime” and fashion baskets with the dexterity and strength of a 20-year-old. Interviewed by various media outlets and film producers, he is especially known in North Carolina.

Thomas has demonstrated at the North Carolina Museum of History on multiple occasions since the 1990s. He is an anchor of the African American Cultural Celebration at the Museum, the largest indoor event of its kind in the United States since 2000. He has been an anchor presenter in the Village of Yesteryear (1999-2023) at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. In 2023, he received the prestigious North Carolina Heritage Award. He still farms in Johnston County, N.C. and is always “looking for some good white oak to work with” throughout the state. 

The recognition from this award will help me to educate people about our forests and white oak baskets. I say to young folks these days and time, they need to learn how to do something like this, too, because ain’t many people know how to do this stuff, and the older, older people are dead and gone. I think it would be good if the young people would take hold and try to learn to do something with their hands. After they done made it, they get joy from it. Ever since I’ve been making the baskets, I get joy out of it, because it’s fluent to me to try to do something like this right here. It’s a blessing from the lord that learned me how to do this stuff right here. I just like to do it because it’s a old craft and stuff.

Neal Thomas, Vaivén, 2008. Bushel and white oak, dimensions variable. Photo by Earl L. Ijames.

Neal Thomas, Two bassinets, 2020. White oak, dimensions variable. Photo by Earl L. Ijames.