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Northside News Volume II, Edition 3

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Northside News Volume II, Edition 3

Citation: “Northside News Volume II, Edition 3,” From the Rock Wall, accessed September 13, 2026, https://fromtherockwall.org/documents/northside-news-volume-ii-edition-3.

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In this Document

Kathy Atwater

"There would not be a University if there had not been the Blacks in this community to help build the University." - Kathy Atwater Kathy Atwater is a native of Chapel Hill and has lived in the Northside Community all of her life. Having retired from the State of NC after 30 years of service, Kathy…

Regina Merritt

 Gladys Pendergraph Brandon

Velma Perry

"About a hundred and thirty years there: the same house. People live in it [laughter] right now!" - Velma Perry

More to explore

Collection: The Northside News

The Northside News is our monthly "print link." Delivered hand-to-hand to more than 1000 households in Northside and Pine Knolls, 6 local churches, dozens of local businesses, Northside Elementary, and Hargraves each month, the Northside News connects neighbors around issues and opportunities of…

 Kathy Atwater - On home, community, and Northside

"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…

 Lifetime resident and community scholar, Kathy Atwater, speaks at the culminating dinner of the Civil Rights in Chapel Hill weekend celebration, 2012.  

 Kathy Atwater - On food

Ms. Atwater gives an overview of food access in the community when she was growing up and how her family’s attitudes toward food have developed over the course of her life. Starting with a discussion of her mother’s kitchen and garden, she describes the role of food in her family and in the…

 Kathy Atwater

 A History of Resistance

Ms. Kathy Atwater, long-term Lindsay St. resident, gives a passionate speech on the history of Amity Station development. Her words gave both historical context and emotional power to the issue facing her community and neighbors.

 Wanda Weaver and Kathy Atwater - Speaking about family and the Northside community

"Everybody looked out for everybody." - Kathy Atwater This interview mainly focuses on Wanda Weaver’s mother and father/Kathy Atwater’s aunt and uncle, as well as the past and present dynamics of the Northside community. Ms. Wanda and Ms. Kathy show pictures of their mother and father/aunt and…

 Kathy Atwater - On the kitchen (clip)

Kathy Atwater (KA): My mom always made sure there was food, not just for me and my dad, but for anybody who came by. Monica Palmeira (MP): Really? KA: Anybody that wanted anything, you know hungry or just came to visit, [she] always offered, so I have the habit of if anybody come in can I offer you…

 Kathy Atwater - On gardens (clip)

Kathy Atwater (KA): Right across the street, that’s my grandmother’s house. But the yard behind it. Monica Palmeira (MP): Oh, yeah. KA: People –neighbors would plant– MP: Really? KA: –Plant their vegetables and whatever, and then of course everybody would share. At my home, my daddy had a small…

 Kathy Atwater - Everybody was just family (clip)

Kathy Atwater: Everybody was just family. I mean even in the neighborhood with the families that were in the neighborhood we all looked after one another- nobody was left to themselves. If I did something wrong, of course the neighbors would, you know, tell me “Kathy you shouldn’t do that,” and then…

 Kathy Atwater - On faith

"…People in this community knew the importance of faith especially during the times that they had to do for themselves, maintain their own, work for a little of nothing, but yet still be able to have their own home, be able to send their children to college. Those things. It was their faith." -…

 Kathy Atwater and Mae McLendon - On their school experiences

"...informed me to take this letter home to your mama ‘Cause you are going to Chapel High School next year.’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not’. And they said, ‘Yes you are.’ Cause they hand-picked the Blacks that they would send to Chapel Hill High School." - Mae McLendon In this oral history, Ms. Mae and…

 Kathy Atwater - On Hargraves Center and the A.D. Clark Pool

"You can’t have Hargraves without A.D. Clark Pool. And you can’t have A.D. Clark Pool without Hargraves. They’re just meshed together because it’s just a perfect match. - Kathy Atwater Kathy Atwater recounts her childhood visiting the Hargraves Community Center and the Adolphus D. Clark pool.…

 Regina Merritt - On food bringing people together

In this oral history, Regina Merritt discusses what her life was like growing up on a farm. From the beginning of the interview, it is clear that her grandmother was the centerpiece of her family. She cooked for not only her own family members, but also for anyone in the community who needed food.…

 Regina Merritt and Mary Cole - On land ownership, integration, and racism

“My parents always taught us you know who you are, no matter what you say to me or what you call me, I know who I am. And that stayed with me for years. Because people are going to talk about you, you cannot stop people from talking. They can say what they want to say to you, but you know who you…

 Willis Farrington and Regina Merritt

 Regina Merritt

Gladys Pendergraph Brandon

"I’ve always been told, 'You can be anything you’d like to be. But YOU have to be what you’d like to be.'" - Gladys Pendergraph Brandon Ms. Gladys lives by one of her favorite sayings: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” She runs “Heavenly Groceries/Comida Celestial”, a daily, grocery-style…

 Gladys Pendergraph

 Panel Tension Rises

 Gladys Pendergraph and Lauren Shor

 Adwoa Asare and Gladys Pendergraph with UNC NOW

 Gladys Pendergraph Brandon - Lemonade (clip)

In this audio clip, Ms. Gladys talks to Della Pollock about her approach to living the best life.

 Velma Perry - On the history and future of Northside

"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…

 Velma Perry shares her insight at a Sustaining OurSelves Coalition Meeting in 2011

 Velma Perry - On her family history, political organizing, and working at the Carolina Inn

"I got involved with trying to get people to register to vote." - Velma Perry This interview with Velma Perry captures her time growing up in the Tin Top neighborhood of Chapel Hill. Velma Perry’s mother was one of Luther Hargrave’s and Della Weaver’s nineteen children. She recounts how her family…

 Velma Perry

 Velma Perry

 Velma Perry Tells History

 Shirley Foushee and Velma Perry

 Aleck Stephens and Velma Perry

 Velma Perry at May Day Festival 2013

Ms. Velma Perry at the May Day Festival in 2013.

 Velma Perry and Laura Reeves - On the Carolina Inn

 Velma Perry - Holiday Memories (clip)

Velma Perry tells about holiday dances in Northside.To hear more from Velma Perry, listen to her full oral history "Velma Perry - On the history and future of Northside."

 Velma Perry - On the early history of Northside (clip)

Heather Giuffre: So, I guess my first question for you, Velma, would be how did your family get to the Chapell Hill area? Velma Perry: [Laughter] HG: [Laughter] VP: Well, my family got to the Chapel Hill area back in the 1800 and something. I think they got there mostly in 1840. The University up…

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