History of Homes

"...there was a movement in the town among the parents to change the name of the school because they didn't like their school children going to a training school. Training school has a negative connotation. And even when I would go back that first year or so and my friends would say, 'Where are you…

"When I came out of service, the first thing I said to her [Euzelle Smith] was I want a car. I want to buy a new car. She said to me, 'I want a house.' I said, 'Ok, I’m going to build you a house, and I’m going to buy me a car.'" - R.D. Smith The interviewees share their experiences with living in…

"...you can have the biggest, beautiful house or the smallest house but if it don’t have the elements to make it a home, it’s just not a home. It’s just a house." - Keith Edwards Keith Edwards has lived at the same address on McDade St. in Northside since she was born but now resides in a different…

Ms. Elaine Norwood discusses her life-long residence in the Northside, relationships with neighbors, changes in the neighborhood, and race relations in Chapel Hill. The changes in the neighborhood are due to the elderly dying out, and the next generation not keeping the houses in the family. For…

"So there would not be a University if there had not been the Blacks in this community to help build the University." - Kathy Atwater In the beginning of the interview, Ms. Atwater describes the history of her home, growing up in her neighborhood, and the significance of keeping her home in the…

"All of this was Black, all of this. All the way down Gomain was Black...All of the people who lived here weren’t nothing but Black." - Gracie Webb In the interview Mrs. Webb discusses her neighborhood and describes how the house that she grew up in was demolished by the state in order to build a…

"We didn’t come here, [we've] been here." - Velma Perry In the interview Ms. Perry discusses the early history of the Northside community going back to the founding of the University and the introduction of slaves to the area. She then goes on to describe her family history, including her…

"...one thing that I have learned from being a community organizer is that if you can channel it the right way, it’s good. Even if it’s ugly, even if it hurts when it comes out, if you do something positive with it then you can make a good change." - Dolores Bailey Bailey describes the family…

"And you know, when we would have a parade, you know, because we were black...we were always in the back! But they always saved the best for last, and we were good!" - Janie Alston The interview includes the history of the Hargraves family: her great-grandfather, Jerry Hargraves had a role in the…

"Yeah, we the longest living on this street. We lived here longer than anybody." - Joseph Fearrington The interview begins with Mr. Fearrington's stories of how he came to Graham Street, then navigates back to earlier years of his life on the farm. Significant time was given to his experiences in…

"I feel like home is where you feel comfortable. If you can walk in somebody else’s house or knock on the door and they just let you in, that’s considered home." - Chelsea Alston Chelsea Alston shares her experiences as a youth leader in the community. She describes the changes of the community over…

“Something I’ve been thinking about lately is that I think of myself as a student that’s here for four years. I think of my contributions, both negative and positive to this area and people who live here, as a temporary thing. I think that’s really problematic, because I’m a temporary student, but…

"...people in the community got together and said we need this facility. - Nate Davis Nate Davis remembers that during his childhood, the Hargraves Community Center as a safe space to hang out and play sports with friends, and now, after years of working first part time and then full-time for the…

"Hargraves used to be my home away from home." - Minister Willis Farrington This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Life History Series. Minister Willis Farrington, an associate pastor at S. Joseph CME Church, grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He grew up going to St. Joseph…

“Well, I feel like it’s a big issue of whether or not businesses should have a social component in their mission. And I think that ideally, it’s best for business to have that element. And so, I feel like it’s responsible for businesses to take community input into consideration.” - Paige In this…

"I get emotional sometimes, because when I look back and see how good things have been even though the struggles or whatever - I have no regrets, but some of it is really emotional, but I’ve done good." - Norma Bell In this interview, Norma Bell describes her wedding experience and her…