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 Doris Wilson - On racial inequality, education, and faith

Doris Wilson was born in 1936 in Robeson County, North Carolina and moved to Chapel Hill in the mid 1950s. She has lived in her same home on Church St. in Chapel Hill ever since. In the interview, she discusses the transition to Chapel Hill when she was college-aged and the first times she…

 Deloris Bynum

This portrait of Deloris Bynum was taken at the Northside Festival on April 28, 2018.

Janie Johnson

 Janie Johnson - On food, family, and growing up in Carrboro

Food takes center stage for Janie Johnson. In this interview, she describes in vivid imagery, along with accompanying envisioned smells, the kitchens of her mother and grandmother and all the food that came out of them. Several times, Ms. Johnson mentions how the sassafras tea that her grandmother…

Louis Wijnberg

Born in Holland in 1922 to a Jewish family, Louis Wijnberg and his twin managed to arrive in America before the German occupation of The Netherlands. While in America, he experienced a difficult upbringing away from his family who he did not fully realize at the time were enduring their own struggle…

 Louis Wijnberg - On family and education

Louis Wijnberg was born in Holland in 1922. The interview begins with an overview of his extended family, all Jewish, and what happened to them during the Nazi occupation. A few were able to escape capture due to spectacular acts of bravery including going in to hiding and escaping via ship to…

 Cleo Caldwell - On her family's musical talent, growing up in Northside, and returning to the neighborhood

In this interview, Cleo Caldwell, 53, discusses growing up in the Northside neighborhood surrounded by extended family and, in particular, her cousins who became policemen and civil rights activists. Cleo’s mother and sisters were known for their musical talents—her mother played piano and her…

 David Caldwell, Jr. - On his parents, civil rights, and law enforcement

In this interview, David Caldwell, Jr., begins by discussing past generations of Caldwells that came from Chatham County and lived first on Merritt Mill Road, then Durham, then Northside. His family moved to Rogers Road in 1963 when land became available to African-Americans. A major topic is the…

 Valerie P. Foushee - Speaking about her faith, church, and family

This interview is in association with the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Life History Series. Senator Valerie Foushee, born May 7th 1956 is a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church. She began attending First Baptist at the age of two when her grandmother would bring her and her siblings to…

Ronnie Bynum

"As far as Carrboro, back in the day, at 5:00, 5:30—before it gets dark—you can’t be across the railroad track—by Rise Biscuit. … Why? Because the Klan will hurt you. You gotta fight your way in and fight your way out." - Ronnie Bynum Ronnie Bynum was born in Chapel Hill in 1959 as one of seven…

 Ronnie Bynum - Speaking about racial tensions and his family history

In this interview, Ronnie Bynum discusses his family history, including the career of his grandmother as a midwife and the changes she witnessed on Airport Road, which is now MLK Boulevard. He talks about how much he learned from his grandmother, and how easily it is for the fabric of an extended…

 Shari Manning

Shari Manning discusses growing up in Chapel Hill and her education. She shares her experience with East Chapel Hill High School and her knowledge of Lincoln High School. She also discusses the adversity she has faced, and how she feels underrepresented in the school system and in course materials…

 Walter Durham - On school integration, his childhood, and race

“[Lincoln] was a school that you could go in and… no paper on the school campus. Hallway shines like new money all the time. You could drink out of the commode in the bathroom. And it was kept just that clean.” - Walter Durham Walter Durham discusses growing up as part of a large family on his…

 Hilliard Caldwell - Speaking about the integration of Chapel Hill High School

“As R.D. Smith would tell you, I had a chip on my shoulder. I thought everybody was against me because… I didn’t have the finer things in life. But R.D. saw that chip and he told me, 'One day I’m going to knock that chip off,' and he did. And as a result, I ended up in 1955 getting elected president…

 Hilliard Caldwell - Speaking about his childhood, family, and race

I was president of my student body at Lincoln High from 1955-56. That was the first time that I'd ever ran for an office where people voted for you based on what you stood for. Having experienced that in an all Black high school was the driving point in getting me to want to run for public office…

 Elizabeth Carter - On growing up in Carrboro and school integration

“Because usually it ended up, truly, even though the schools were integrated, the classrooms were segregated, because whites were on one side and Blacks were on the other. Same typical thing, if you think about now, if you go into integrated situations, that people tend to migrate toward people that…

 Raney Norwood - On her childhood, school integration, and race

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…

 Sylvester Hackney - On growing up in Chapel Hill and school integration

“For me, high school was a good experience because I had my friends. We were in this big environment, and we had to stick together. We learned to love each other and care about each other. We didn’t know it, but we were nurturing each other.” - Sylvester Hackney Sylvester Hackney, a native of rural…

 Keith Edwards - On race in Chapel Hill compared to Carrboro

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…

 Judy Nunn Snipes and Gertrude Nunn - Speaking about the Rogers-Eubanks community

“I just have to say it was two proud families that basically loved the land and raised their families and contributed to the economy. There were lots of talents on both sides of the family- there was nothing her brothers couldn’t do.” - Judy Nunn Snipes This interview is part of an SOHP project…

 Howard N. Lee - On his political career, race, and class

This interview is part of a project done from 1995-1997, aimed at understanding how North Carolinians have dealt with post-Great Depression changes. Overarching themes are the realignment in North Carolina party politics and the Republican reemergence, the evolution of African American political…

 Edwin Caldwell, Jr. - Speaking about his family and the University of North Carolina

This interview is part of a project from 1982 onward that focuses on notable individuals connected to the University of North Carolina.

 Doug Clark, Sr. - On growing up in Chapel Hill and high school

Doug Clark, Sr., a musician, was born in Chapel Hill in 1936, where he lived in a close-knit Black neighborhood and attended Orange County Training School, which became Lincoln High School. He reflects on his family life and experiences growing up, such as seeing lines of Black children walk to…

 Diane Pledger - On her education and school experiences

“Education is the key to having more and representing your people and making it to the next level. So, in the whole realm of education, we had to make sure that within the school system, we were getting ours. That we were afforded the opportunity to get ours.” - Diane Pledger Diane Pledger recalls…