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 Katherine Council - On growing up in Chapel Hill and changes in the neighborhood

In Molly Norwood’s interview of Katherine “Mama Kat” Council, Council begins by describing what life was like when she was growing up in Chapel Hill. She describes how open and geographically spread out the neighborhood was, how she was constantly playing with the other children in the neighborhood,…

 Gwen Atwater - On family, faith, segregation, and Frank Porter Graham Elementary School

Gwen Atwater came to Chapel Hill, her husband’s hometown, after he got out of the military. Following a brief stint in customer service and time working in the school district’s administrative offices, she took a job teaching at Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in 1973. She became an FPG…

 Albert and Eloise Williams - On community, faith, race, and being a firefighter

Rev. Albert Williams is the minister at Staunton Memorial CME Church in Pittsboro. He is a lifetime resident of the area and was the first African American firefighter in Chapel Hill and a native son of St. Joseph CME. Mrs. Williams is also a lifetime resident and active member of Staunton…

 Katherine Council and Lillian Alston - On Heavenly Groceries, St. Joseph's Church, and the importance of volunteering

This interview is a part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s A Place at the Table series. Katherine Council and Lillian Alston talk about their time volunteering with Heavenly Groceries. Katherine describes the origin of the food ministry before both women discuss their ties to the community and…

 Katherine Council - On food, cooking, and recipes

In this interview, Mama Kat, a cooking and baking extraordinaire, shares some of her kitchen expertise including tips and favorite recipes. Mama Kat learned how to cook from her parents and grandparents, and now writes down her recipes in cookbooks for others to follow. She discusses how products…

 Doris and DeLeon Bynum - On the importance of community

This interview was conducted for the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Facing Our Neighbors Initiative. The interview focuses almost entirely on the importance of community in the lives of the Bynums. Topics Include: Growing up in area, Mr. Bynum’s experience in the fire department, Lincoln High,…

 Eugene Farrar - On political organizing and community activism

In this interview, Eugene Farrar reminisces on his time as a political organizer and activist. Farrar was born and raised in Chapel Hill. He lived in Baltimore from 1963 to 2001, where he would become involved in political organizing and community activism. The assassination of Martin Luther King…

 Reginald Hildebrand - On his family, genealogy, race, and community

Dr. Reginald Hildebrand is an Associate Professor of African and Afro-American Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is also a member of St. Paul CME Church and an advisory board member of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History. This interview was conducted as part of the Jackson…

 Equashia Mumeen

 Katie Byerly, Hannah Friedman, and Carolina Phillips - On Sustaining OurSelves and being student renters in Northside

“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…

 Nate Davis - On the Hargraves Community Center

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 Center, he is the director. Davis tells the story of Hargraves starting in the 1940s. It…

 Willis Farrington - On growing up in Northside, local businesses, and Northside neighbors

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 CME all his life and has never been a member of another church. In 1975 he…

 Heather Giuffre and Others - On their experiences as white UNC students living in Northside

“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…

 Kevin, Student Renter on Sunset Drive

 Keith, Student Renter on Sunset Drive

 Norma Bell - On her family, marriage, and relatives' businesses

In this interview, Norma Bell describes her wedding experience and her rebelliousness towards perceived unfairness. She describes her personality as being fair, assertive, and opinionated. She also talks about her 44-year marriage to Thomas Bell and their children and grandchildren. Norma’s mother,…

 Braxton Foushee - On the Civil Rights Movement and issues facing Chapel Hill

"So when the demonstrations started in Greensboro, we decided it was time to do it in Chapel Hill, too." - Braxton Foushee This interview provides a background of Braxton Foushee’s involvement in the Chapel Hill area. He shares his experiences as a committee member during the Civil Rights Movement…

 Donna Bell - On her family, career, and Northside

Chronological overview of Donna Bell’s life history; being raised in New Bern, NC; growing up in a single parent home; her undergraduate experience and involvement at UNC; career choices through studying English to working in Social Therapy; her move to Northside in 2001, her first house, her…

Chelsea Alston

Chelsea Alston was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a place where she has deep roots. In 2012, Chelsea graduated from Chapel Hill High School. Her family has lived here for generations, attending St. Joseph’s CME Church for as long as she can remember. She sees herself living in the…

Gwen Atwater

Gwen Atwater came to call Chapel Hill home after moving here with her husband, who had spent his childhood playing in these streets. She began teaching at Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in 1973, where she spent the next three decades engaging with bright, young minds. To this day, she is…

Stephanie Barnes-Simms

Stephanie Barnes-Simms grew up in Baltimore, but her North Carolina heritage runs deep. Daughter of a school teacher and a police officer, Barnes-Simms felt the call to work in community development and moved back to the state for the second time in the early 2000s.

Donna Bell

Donna Bell grew up in New Bern, North Carolina and believes in the power of working hard for a life of which you can be proud. Over the years, her studies and experiences led her to becoming a social worker and therapist. She has also been an active member of Chapel Hill Town Council and currently…

Norma Bell

Norma Bell is a mother and grandmother. She comes from a family that has long provided rich food for the community of Chapel Hill through restaurants like Bill’s Barbeque and Mama Dip’s.

Doris Bynum

Doris Bynum grew up in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Her family farmed peanuts and sweet potatoes, and since a young age she’s known what it means to work hard. She first learned to drive on her daddy’s tractor, and as a child she and her friends would spend evenings playing in the creek that cut…