Paul Caldwell

"‘Cause I can go fishing and I can sit back and get my hook in the water and if I don’t catch nothing, I’m just as happy as I can be. But you’ve got me, my fishing hook, and the sky, and that great big old pond of water, and it’s so quiet."

Paul Caldwell, a lifelong resident of the Northside neighborhood, recounts his and his family’s educational experiences growing up. His early school memories include receiving used textbooks from Chapel Hill High School, fond memories of his teachers, and being raised by the Northside community. Attending Lincoln High School brought about fond memories of playing basketball and attending football games with his friends. After finishing high school, Paul immediately entered the workforce to support his growing family. He worked at a grocery store off of Franklin Street as the first Black cashier for 17 years during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill. Afterwards, he worked as a police officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for decades. Mr. Caldwell instilled in his children the importance of pursuing higher education, promising to always support them while they were in school. He had dreamed of attending N.C. A&T, but his path changed after he started working to support his family. As his children were growing up, he urged them to go as far as possible. He also describes what his children are doing now, describing their accomplishments with great pride. Mr. Caldwell also shares his joy for being a crossing guard for Northside Elementary School for the past 14 years and building relationships with students. The 2023-24 school year was Paul’s final year as the Northside crossing guard. Lastly, he touches on his love for fishing, and how he hopes to do it more during retirement.

“Take one day at a time, don't plan on tomorrow or next week. God gives you one day at a time you take that one day and you thank him for it.”

- Paul Caldwell

This interview was conducted for a special edition of the Northside News on education. The interview begins with Mr. Caldwell discussing his earliest memories of school. He talks about how he attended the Orange County Training School before Northside Elementary and Lincoln High School. He describes his experiences of walking to and from Northside Elementary every day with a big group of kids from his neighborhood. He also describes memories of teachers he had. He talks a lot about his grandchildren, often juxtaposing their schooling experiences with his own, especially with regard to the drastic advancements in technology. He talks about his yard and how he learned to garden. He also reflects on his multiple career paths including working at the UNC Research Center, working for University Housing, being a UNC police officer, and working security for ATM machines. The most notable of his careers was being a UNC police officer. He worked for UNC Police for 27 years, achieving the rank of captain and becoming the first Black captain in the department. He has been a crossing guard for students at Northside Elementary School for 10 years, and he talks about his experiences in this position. Lastly, Mr. Caldwell shares some of his wisdom on how to live a good life.

I had six brothers in all, we had no sisters, and me being the youngest of the six I really had to do a lot of fending for myself coming up because your older brothers can pick on you. But I had one advantage, I could run the fastest, so if I did something I could take off..."

- Paul Caldwell

Paul Caldwell is a long time resident of the Northside Neighborhood, and was a police officer for the University for 27 years, beginning as a patrol officer and eventually became a Captain before he retired. In this interview, Caldwell talks about joining the police force, rising up in the ranks, and his experiences interacting with students on campus. Other topics include his retirement from the police force; working as a security guard for ATM machines; working as a security guard at Chapel Hill High School; currently working as a crossing guard for students in Northside on Church St; role as a trustee at First Baptist Church; community events and transition at First Baptist; son’s experience as police officer in Orange County and Mebane; positive perception of police in Northside neighborhood; breaking and entering of a Northside neighbor by a white student and the questionable legal response; problems with student residents in Northside; demographic transition of Northside neighborhood from all black to mostly white students; determination not to move out of the neighborhood and keep his house in the family; need for property owners to educate student renters about community.

Paul Caldwell was the first African-American sergeant, lieutenant, and captain of University Police at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a long time resident of the Northside Neighborhood, and was a police officer for the University for 27 years, beginning as a patrol officer and eventually became a Captain before he retired. In this interview, Caldwell talks about joiningthe police force, rising up in the ranks, and his experiences interacting with students on campus. Other topics include his retirement from the police force; working as a security guard for ATM machines; working as a security guard at Chapel Hill High School; currently working as a crossing guard for students in Northside on Church St; role as a trustee at First Baptist Church; community events and transition at First Baptist; son’s experience as police officer in Orange County and Mebane; positive perception of police in Northside neighborhood; breaking and enteringof a Northside neighbor by a white student and the questionable legal response; problems with student residents in Northside; demographic transition of Northside neighborhood from all black to mostly white students; determination not to move out of the neighborhood and keep his house in the family; need for property owners to educate student renters about community.

Paul Caldwell was the first African-American sergeant, lieutenant, and captain of University Police at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This interview includes Mr. Caldwell’s early life; The evolution of the Northside Neighborhood; Memories of growing up in Chapel Hill; Mr. Caldwell’s mother; Northside’s role within Chapel Hill; Civil Rights sit-ins; His experiences as a police officer for UNC and the positive relationship he had with students, regardless of race; Most notably, finding the Law School Dean in a compromising position with a younger woman; Mr. Caldwell talks a suicidal student down from jumping; Working at Colonial Store and his experiences with the Civil Rights movement while there; Meeting JFK and Jimmy Carter; Further discussion on the racial transformation of the neighborhood and Mr. Caldwell’s interactions with his student neighbors; Local developer’s attempt to buy the Caldwell’s current home; Mr. Caldwell’s; First Baptist Church; Younger generations lack of appreciation for what they have and what Mr. Caldwell’s generation sacrificed; Mr. Caldwell’s family and the prevalence of police officers within it.