Oral Histories

This interview focuses on Handy Campbell’s work and family history and how grew up and learned how to be a mason from his father. His father learned from Handy’s grandfather (Judge Campbell). He described learning how to be a bricklayer as a 6 year old and building a stone house with his father when…

Listen to Minister Robert Lee Campbell, of Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love International Church, talk about the role of pastors as leaders in the community.

"It’s good to talk about what it took to generate economics for the community itself. It was always teaching the new guy on the block. This is what it’s going to take for the future." - Minister Robert Campbell Within his interview, Minister Robert Campbell’s lively spirit and storytelling ease…

Minister Robert Campbell: There were, there were times where there were a lot of brick masons here in Chapel Hill, people of color. The thing is, once you begin to teach skills and then it came, it came a time, and that time did not change back until I will say… around about the later part of the…

Robert Campbell: He was our inspiration. Sometimes sitting around telling the tales about growing up and the things they had to endure – I think it just made him a more persistent and stronger person, and in doing so, to teach his children as well as his grandchildren how to fend for themselves. If…

Robert Campbell: There are several homes, if you take the long journey around. There are some houses on Jones Ferry Road. It all depends on what end of Jones Ferry Road you start on. If you start over there by Terry’s Creek, you’ll see some of his handiwork. But over here in Chapel Hill there’s…

Minister Robert Campbell: My cousin Gloria – my grandfather was teaching us all how to be a part of the work he was doing – she also helped put that wall together. She also made a different mixture of concrete – well, cement – with a mixture of lime in it. There’s a rock in there, it’s huge, and…

Minister Robert Campbell: In the mortar and cement, there’s a certain amount per bag that you mix with sand to enhance and strengthen the mixture. In the cement, you would have more sand in it than you would in the mortar mixture itself. When it comes to the concrete, it would be a mixture of…

Robert Campbell: The first thing is you got to have your plans. You got to have your concept, so that you can basically make sure that you’ll be able to find all the material for that building and how far you might have to ship it. And I will say that fortunately for most of the construction that…

Minister Robert Campbell: My grandfather used to put signatures in his house. You can easily find the one in Mr. Neville’s house. I haven’t been able to find that, but I know what I'm looking for. Those type of things let you see the ability, the craftiness…

Minister Robert Campbell: My grandfather and most of the builders were eager to be tutors and train other people how to do their type of work. It came in handy for us because we didn’t have to look for a summer job – because we already knew what we were going to be doing. We found out to have fun –…

Robert Campbell: He was our inspiration. Sometimes sitting around telling the tales about growing up and the things they had to endure – I think it just made him a more persistent and stronger person, and in doing so, to teach his children as well as his grandchildren how to fend for themselves. If…

Minister Robert Campbell: We did blueprints. It was easy to do the sketches first, because you could say well, this is what we got, do we want the storage room a little bit bigger? So, it gave people the opportunity to change their minds. Do you want the front and back door to be centered, or do you…

Robert Campbell: Going back to constructing some of the houses. Uncle Leo and Uncle Handy and Uncle Bill taught us how to sling bricks. George Barrett: Ok. RC: Sling bricks. Sometimes you could take a flat board, almost like a paddle, you could throw the bricks up and somebody could catch them and…

Minister Robert Campbell: Well, looking at the texture of the craftsmanship of the house you can see, as I said, you know, Handy’s signature and Bill’s signature is that it’s good. I mean, they wasn’t boastful but, it had to be something that not only they were proud of, but the person who hired…

Adwoa Asare: Could you just tell us a little bit about who you are and what you’re involved in with the community? Minister Robert Campbell: Yes. I’m Minister Robert Campbell. I was ordained at Faith Tabernacle in the ’80s. I am the president of the Roger-Eubanks Neighborhood Association, co-chair…

Minister Robert Campbell: The Ministerial Alliance in Chapel Hill and Carrboro have been very instrumental. Through it, the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement was really established. And under the mentoring of Dr. J. R. Manley and Rev. Foushee that was at St. Joseph Church during this time, and…