Bearta Al-Chacar Powell Photographs 1971-2003, undated

The materials in this collection are in English.

Bearta Al-Chacar Powell was born in Ma’asser El Chouf, Lebanon to Ramiz Al-Shakar and Isabelle Maalouf, the fourth of their five children. When Bearta was five years old, both of her parents passed away and an uncle brought the children to the Children’s Village S.O.S. orphanage in Bikfaya, Lebanon. The siblings lived at the orphanage from 1971 until 1985. During this period, many members of Bearta's extended family died in the Lebanese Civil War. When Bearta turned 18, one of her older brothers, who had married a missionary and immigrated to the United States, helped her and their youngest sister, Nina, immigrate to Henderson, North Carolina.

Bearta attended Vance Granville Community College and then North Carolina State University, where she studied Business Management. Bearta married in 1990 and supported her husband while he completed his doctorate. In 1996, the couple began a family, and Bearta left work to raise her children. She has since become an author, and has produced two books: a memoir about her childhood, The Orphans of War, and Authentic Lebanese Cuisine: From Our Homes to Yours.

This collection contains the transcript of an oral history of Bearta Al-Chacar Powell conducted by Dr. Akram Khater as well as photographs from Bearta's childhood in Lebanon.

This collection is arranged in the order it was received.

The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.

[Identification of item], Bearta Al-Chacar Powell Photographs, KC 0038, Hoda Z. Nassour and Herbert R. Nassour Jr., MD, Archive of Lebanese Diaspora

KCLDS Archive Reference Book Collection 1895-2023, GR 0001

Gift of Bearta Al-Chacar Powell, 2014 October (Accession No. 2017.017).

Processed by Khayrallah Center staff. Finding aid content contributed by Claire A. Kempa and updated by Allison Hall, 2023 November. Finding aid created by Allison Hall, 2023 November.