Home > Items

Browse Items (2167 total)

Velma Perry

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

 Velma Perry

 Velma Perry

 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 her family history, political organizing, and working at the Carolina Inn

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 has lived in the Tin Top neighborhood for generations, where her father helped…

 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…

 Velma Perry - On the founding of St. Paul AME Church (clip)

 Velma Perry - On the history and future of Northside

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 grandfather’s work as an undertaker and a carpenter who built many…

 Velma Perry and Laura Reeves - On the Carolina Inn

 Velma Perry at May Day Festival 2013

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

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

 Velma Perry Tells History

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Becoming Contractors (clip)

Charles Brooks: My grandfather and my father, they started out as subcontractors and they used to do a lot of work for like JP Co. Force Security Builders. They even did some framing for Tate Construction. In the early 70s my father ended up obtaining his contractor’s license and that is when they…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Differences between Contractors and Subcontractors (clip)

Charles Brooks: Subcontractors usually they are not licensed, especially for like my grandfather and my father, they were carpenters. So, like when I say they subbed that means they would go in once the foundation was put in on a house, they would go in and do all of the framing, do all of the…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Family History (clip)

Vernelle Brooks Jones: Because back, all the way back to my great grandfather who was also a builder. His, he was the first Charles David Brooks. And then my grandaddy was Charles David Brooks II. And onto my dad, Charles David Brooks III and my brother Charles David Brooks IV. And my nephew is…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Family Legacy (clip)

Vernelle Brooks Jones: I would say that you know they were very persistent in their trade. In spite of the lack of funds and lack of opportunities and all the other things that go around that, they ended up being successful builders. And to this day, the legacy of what they did years ago is still…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Giving Back (clip)

Charles Brooks: My father and grandfather, their pricing would always be a lot lower than if they had gone to a larger contractor. So, a lot of people we did work for, we, my grandfather and my father, saved them a lot of money. Vernelle Brooks Jones: So, I will just add to that, that unfortunately…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Segregation (clip)

Vernelle Brooks Jones: I will say, tell a little story about this. My father shared this with us, he always went with his dad wherever he went because he was the one that took up the building aspect of the business. He was browner in complexion, and he said he would go in downtown Chapel Hill to one…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Subdivision (clip)

Charles Brooks: For me, I would say a lot of hard work. Back then if you had your own business you had to put a lot of hard work into it and there was a lot to overcome as far as finances if you wanted to go out and do stuff on your own, it was kind of hard to get the financing to do things, so I…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Working with Homeowners (clip)

Charles Brooks: I mean they would come to my father and grandfather with a set of plans, they would go from there. Sometimes you had to deviate from the plans to save money. But they definitely had to work hand in hand with the owners to find what they had and couldn’t have. They definitely dealt…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles Brooks - Young People Going into Construction Today (clip)

Charles Brooks: As far as young people getting into this right now. You don’t really see a lot of people going into the trades, like becoming plumbers, carpenters. For one thing the pay scale, I mean everything, it’s like everyone wants to do IT work, sit at home, got your computer, making a lot of…

 Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles David Brooks - On their family history and business

"They had a very high reputation in the community. They did excellent work. One thing that my father always said, that when they finished their job, they didn’t have to go back…They did quality work, quality construction." -Vernelle Brooks Jones "I loved just doing things with my hands and then…

Veronita Hargraves

 Veronita Hargraves - On her family's legacy at Hargraves (clip)

Ms. Hargraves explains that she didn’t know her father Billy, for whom Hargraves Center was named. She describes the legacy for her family and her pride in knowing how the Hargraves Center and the pool have impacted the community.