Oral History

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

Interviewed by Rachel Glasser on February 12, 2016

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, Mildred Council, went from being a domestic worker to owning her own restaurant, Mama Dip’s. Her mother worked for Roland Giduz as a cook. Her grandfather owned Bill’s Barbecue in Chapel Hill, where her mother worked for some time before working at another food place. Norma wanted to be a childcare worker rather than a cook like her mother. She remembers her mother being the disciplinarian in her family. Her mother reacted strongly when Norma got pregnant as a teenager. The interview ends with Norma’s reflection on her personal growth. She shares how she has grown into a more patient and calm person with the help of her husband. She uses her daughter’s sickness as an example.

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

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Oral history interview of Bell, Norma conducted by Glasser, Rachel on February 12, 2016 at Marian Cheek Jackson Center, Chapel Hill, NC. Processed by King, Cecilia.

Citation: Marian Cheek Jackson Center, “Norma Bell - On her family, marriage, and relatives' businesses,” From the Rock Wall, accessed December 14, 2024, https://fromtherockwall.org/oral-histories/norma-bell-2.

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