Oral Histories

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): And during the summertime we’d leave out in the mornings, at 6:30, and we wouldn’t have to be back home until dark. Blanche Brown (BB): Wow. DC: And nobody worried. There was about, oh, maybe 12 others, from teenage down to two, three, four years old. [We were] taking care…

Blanche Brown (BB): So, did you have any brothers and sisters? David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): Three brothers. BB: Three brothers, all boys? DC: All boys, yes. BB: Okay, and I really–I know that your father was a police officer, right? DC: Yes, he was a police officer in Chapel Hill. We’ve all retired out…

Blanche Brown (BB): Now, you were going to school where, for the majority of the time? Like did you go to Lincoln, or did you-? David Caldwell Jr. (DC): No, I went to Chapel Hill High School. BB: Chapel Hill High School, okay. Because you were about, like thirteen when integration was fully phased…

Blanche Brown (BB): So you only spent about a year in Phillips? David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): Last three years. BB: Three years, so that was all of middle school, basically? DC: Mhm. BB: Okay, where was that? Is it still– is it still a school? DC: It’s still up Estes drive. BB: Okay, up Estes, okay,…

David Caldwell Jr. (DC): And in the eighth grade I tried out for basketball, made the team. Blanche Brown (BB): Yeah, I mean you seem like a big guy. I feel like you would be good at sports. DC: Oh, not at all. BB: [Laughter] DC: And I made the team, made the eighth grade team. As a matter of fact I…

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): So finished that, went on through the eighth grade, ninth grade, student council vice president my senior year. Blanche Brown (BB): Oh wow. DC: Finished up, I think my senior yearm I had no intentions of college. My senior year I got called to the office after the…

David Caldwell: The Army, our father was in the military, did about 26 years, first sergeant, field artillery. What else did he do… so anyway after that, I went in. My brother already had gone in, he graduated high school early, went into the Marine Corps. It was some unique stuff, we were playing…

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): By then I was with the sheriff’s department, and worked with them in ‘85, and stayed until 2008, my retirement. Blanche Brown (BB): Wow, you’ve been busy [laughs]. DC: Yeah, and while I was there, I got my second degree from Mount Olive College in Criminal Justice. I got…

Blanche Brown (BB): So sort of backtracking a little bit, your father is featured in the Courage In The Moment book. Have you seen the book? David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): Yes. BB: What was your first impression? DC: Very impressed. Well you remember the picture, the cover of the book? BB: Hilliard…

Blanche Brown (BB): Did you ever, did you ever skip school? David Caldwell Jr. (DC): No. No, no, no. That was, I don’t think we ever got into any trouble. BB: I mean how could you (laughs) DC: Exactly, no we never really got into any trouble it was, you know, the minute you was-- and not just us,…

David Caldwell Jr. (DC): And see back then, there were lots of entrepreneurs in Chapel Hill. I mean Merritt Mill Road, Franklin, Graham, Roberson, I mean there were movies and shoe stores, restaurants, barber shops, pool halls, stores that all these people owned and ran, and there were motels in the…

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): I could say for us, what’s happened is that… It’s nothing, you know with bad water and buzzards and stinky air, you know, what do you tell your kids? “This is going to all be yours someday? You’re going to inherit all of this, this will be yours!” It’s like, “No thank you.…

Blanche Brown (BB): Now, when you were younger, did you ever participate in the marches? David Caldwell Jr. (DC): No we didn’t. He kept us away from all of that. We knew. In the book, as a matter of fact, there’s a picture of one of my mom’s youngest sisters that's in the march that we ran across,…

Blanche Brown (BB): So, what do you see as the next steps as far as trying to work with the companies who are sort of threatening the Rogers Road community? David Caldwell Jr. (DC): Oh gosh, we got so many battles going on. For Rogers Road, we’re looking at a mitigation. There’s a mitigation…

David Caldwell Jr. (DC): Well it’s not just that, its in doing the history of the house, and we’ve traced it through Mr. Hogan, and it is so neat that April, no July 4th like 1845? 1855? the slaves were gathered around outside because Mr. Hogan was sick and everybody else was going uptown to Chapel…

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): So, you know we’ve made our contributions. My brothers and I, we’ve put in, my father, we’ve put in way over a hundred years in law enforcement and close to forty years in the military. So, how much more can a family give? That’s what we’ve done and that’s not counting my…

David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): That’s why I think that these young people that we have now is – how old is children are our future? Forever, [laughs] you know, it’s been around for a long time. And we got to start listening to it, you know, we got to save them. We got to bring them out, let them know…

Blanche Brown: So, as far as the struggle that the Rogers Road community is facing, are there any comparisons or similarities between the Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill, do you think? Or just any thoughts? David Caldwell Jr.: I think the weapons have changed, but the battle still goes on. We…

David Caldwell, Jr (DC).: …so that’s the difference in the fight. Blanche Brown (BB): And it’s interesting, because you were talking about how your family has given so many years of service, but it’s almost like you’re still doing it. Because this is very much…very important type of service. DC: So…

Blanche Brown (BB): Is there anything else you’d like to–we can keep talking but I know you didn’t–I didn’t know if you had something to do or anywhere to be? I just wanted to check in with you. Where you’re at? David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): I am good ‘til about three so if you need more… BB: Oh, okay.…

Blanche Brown (BB): So growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and during such a time of transition, what do you see are the, what are the main differences that you experienced through that transition if any? David Caldwell Jr. (DC): Oh gosh, I guess you're talking about the transition through…

Blanche Brown (BB): And how do you think that is like today? David Caldwell, Jr. (DC): I think it’s changed, more independent. More people that own businesses, their own identities, a lot of respect and a lot of courage–and that’s respect for themselves and a lot of courage and don’t forget that…