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 Albert Simms Williams - On his life, family, community, and faith

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. This interview was conducted as part of the Jackson Center’s local life history series. Topics include: childhood…

 Albert Simms Williams - On recognizing strength in community diversity (clip)

Albert Washington

"[My son] went in the Navy first, and when he came out of the Navy, he went to work for us. And I would put him on the hardest thing on the job, and that’s why he’s such a brick mason, such a good mason. Every corner or curve that I had, I would put him on." - Albert Washington

 Albert Washington - On games at Hargraves Community Center (clip)

 Albert Washington - On his business, church, and growing up in Northside

This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Oral History Trust. Albert (Bruce) Washington, III grew up in Chatham County with his mother and in Northside with his father and extended family. He was an only child, but grew up in the context of many cousins, aunts, and uncles who cared…

 Albert Washington - On his work as a builder

“Everything you do, just make it look good and have pride in what you do. And we had a lot of pride in what we did.” - Albert Williams Albert Washington is a former brick mason and Black business owner. He and his business partner, Barry Kelly, have been in business together for 37 years. Over that…

 Albert Williams - I had to be interviewed (clip)

In this short clip, Rev. Williams tells the story of his 1968 interview for a position with the Chapel Hill Fire Department. Albert Williams: I had to be interviewed by a panel of five personnel. They were five chiefs, and five officers from various departments around the state. One of the questions…

 Albert Williams - On building a "tight neighborhood" (clip)

Albert Williams: Neighbors looked out – this was a tight neighborhood– right down that cross from Hargraves Center. Rob Stephens: Yeah Albert Williams: On Roberson's street. And you know, it was tight. We grew up – I grew up – being introduced to white and Black. It wasn’t no big thing even though…

 Albert Williams - On faith

 Albert Williams - On No Black People in Cary (clip)

Rob Stephens: --people? Albert Williams: Yeah, we met them. RS: Is that the family that said they moved out here because there weren't any Black people in Cary? AW: Yeah. Eloise Williams: It’s not a family, it’s just a lady. AW: A lady. She had a grandson, her grandson came down. EW: He was…

 Albert Williams – Don't Wanna Live By No N***** Either

 Albert Williams – He Could Have Called Angels, But He Didn't (clip)

Albert Williams: You know, there's failure in us, but like everybody else, we’ll strive, and even though we should have a higher standard [pause], you know, and really strive to live according to that standard. Rob Stephens: Yes. Albert Williams: But many of us fail in so many ways. We are human,…

 Albert Williams – Rebbish Carrboro (clip)

Albert Williams: Things were segregated. That’s why I’m saying the people in Carrboro don’t know what was going on. When you cross that railroad track at night, that was the white side of town. You didn’t have no business in Carrboro. Rob Stephens: I’ve heard that. AW: Unless you lived out there.…

 Albert Williams – We Need the Human Touch (clip)

Rob Stephens: What’d you think would be most needed in, for the neighborhood – we talked about this a lot, especially in the sessions with you and Brother Revels and Pastor Harrison – but, for the community around Saint Joseph, to really, you know in the midst of all the changes that are going on,…

 Albert Williams teaching 8th graders at Smith Middle School about the civil rights movement, February, 2014.

Albert Williams teaching 8th graders at Smith Middle School about the civil rights movement in Chapel Hill, February, 2014.

 Albert Williams, Troy Harrison, and Lavisha Williams at the Black Church Panel

Alberta Neely

 Aleck Stephens

 Aleck Stephens and Grace MacNair

 Aleck Stephens and Velma Perry

Alice Battle

"There wasn't any question about whether you were going to school or not. There wasn't any question about whether you were going to excel in school. There wasn't any question about whether you were going to college. It was just where are you going to go to college? Where can we afford for you to go…

 Alice Battle - On her experiences in Chapel Hill before integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

 Alice Battle - On Lincoln High School and Black businesses in Chapel Hill

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Alicia Gomez