Former Miss North Carolina, Carrie Everett, Dies of Cancer

By Cash Michaels –

The first Miss North Carolina winner to ever attend an HBCU, Carrie Everett, died Easter Sunday after a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer. She was just 22.

Ms. Everett, the fourth Black woman to win the title since 1937, won the crown in June 2024 during her sophomore year at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. As a vocal performance major known for her “vibrant spirit and dedication to her dreams,” the Seattle native had planned to graduate NCCU in 2027.

NCCU Chancellor Dr. Karrie G. Dixon issued a statement in tribute by saying: “Carrie selected NCCU because of the university’s music program—she enjoyed singing gospel music—and regularly graced NCCU occasions with her beautiful singing voice. Her ambition, grace, tenacity and talent will be deeply missed.”

It was while visiting family in Seattle in July 2025 that Ms. Everett was diagnosed with metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma, a rare but aggressive form of gastric cancer.

“This is happening for a reason, and God has allowed me to use my voice to give a voice to others,” Carrie said while undertaking chemotherapy and other treatments, vowing to fight the cancer as hard as she could, while also continuing to give back to the community.

Sadly, late on April 5, while in Seattle, Ms. Everett lost her battle against the cancer that was robbing her of her young beautiful life of promise.

The Miss North Carolina Organization issued a statement saying, “Carrie forcefully utilized the platform offered by the Miss North Carolina title to encourage students in historically Black colleges and universities to take advantage of the scholarship and professional opportunities afforded by the Miss America program. She also challenged minority and socially marginalized students to focus on goal setting and personal development, setting their sights high. Her untimely passing silences a strong voice for social justice but her impact will continue to live on in the lives she touched.

In 2024 when she first won the Miss North Carolina title, Miss Everett said, “I can be the first but not the last,” referencing being the first contestant from an HBCU crowned. “I want young women from all over the state and throughout the country attending HBCUs to know that this opportunity is for them.”

When the former Miss North Carolina won in 2024 as Miss Johnston County, a statement from the pageant read, “It is easy to see how the judges fell in love with Carrie. “…she is dynamically confident, kind, witty, talented and has the kind of superstar personality one can only wish for in a titleholder and sister.”

Ms. Everett took the pageant by storm with her stirring rendition of Jennifer Holiday’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the award-winning Broadway musical Dreamgirls.

But Carrie Everett was more than just a captivating singer. As a rising sophomore in 2024, she promoted her “We Need Equity to Build Communities” community service imitative during the Miss NC competition.

“When I registered to compete this year, I only had $40 in my pocket,” she said at the time. “That is the reality of many young women in this country. I believe in the Miss America Opportunity, what it has done  and what it continues to do for many young women like me. With this title, I am empowered and ready to facilitate a new culture of equity within this brand.”

Carrie Everett never was crowned Miss America as she once dreamed, yet her family and friends say her legacy of empowerment and equity continues to inspire.

“The family is spending time together as they celebrate her memory,” Carrie’s family said in a statement. “They ask that you continue to pray for them [and] celebrate her memory.”