Mildred Council

Food is inextricably woven into Mildred Council’s life story. She grew up on a farm outside of Chapel Hill and cooked mostly out of necessity, and her main concerns were cost and practicality. She started learning from her father when she was nine years old, and as she grew up she held different jobs cooking. She worked at Bill’s Barbecue, which was owned by her in-laws, for twenty years, and then opened her own restaurant, Mama Dip’s, which has achieved national fame. Council hasn’t appreciated all of the attention, however: she was invited to cook on CBS, for example, but she “felt funny” about cooking on camera: “you see the money and the power,” she says. Older white folks who come to the restaurant in bus loads often say they like the food because “that’s what the maid cooked,” and that she reminds them of their maids. Now she’s teaching her children about the food business and stresses the importance of community, home life, and education.

"“[I don’t think] that there would be anything that I would have done differently. I really don’t."

- Mildred Council

This interview was recorded in 1994 for the Southern Oral History Program. Mildred Council, born in Chatham County in 1929, is the owner of Mama Dip’s Kitchen in Chapel Hill. She reflects on her family’s history in North Carolina and her childhood working on her father’s farm. Then, she talks about ending her marriage after thirty-two years. Lastly, she explains how she came to start Mama Dip’s and tells of her experiences as a leader in the community. Throughout the interview, she emphasizes the importance of having a good work ethic, being self-sufficient, and helping raise others up so that they can take care of themselves.

This interview is part of a project done from 1993-1998, concentrating on the experiences of women leaders and attempting to redefine leadership to encompass women's efforts in grassroots movements, especially in environmental movements, community development, and self-help organizations.