Lillie Atwater - On Glosson Circle
Interviewed by Christine Abernathy on June 2, 2025
"Voting is essential to me, it is. I was not, by law, allowed to vote until I was 24 years old."
- Lillie Atwater
Lillie Atwater reflects on her grandparents, her parents, and her time moving around the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. She recounts her experiences as a high school student, including being class vice president and a member of the women’s basketball team, as well as her hopes to attend college. Unable to afford college, she spent time working in the dietary department of UNC Hospitals before pursuing her career as a nurse. She describes segregation in the hospital where she worked, as well as segregation and prejudice in the town of Carrboro. Mrs. Atwater was also a leader in the community and recounts her experiences of the Civil Rights Movement and what voting means to her. As she prepares to move to Georgia to be near her daughter, she considers what makes a good neighbor here in Carrboro, and her hopes and advice for preserving her Glosson Circle neighborhood for the future.
