Explore Our Neighborhoods

"It takes a strong neighborhood to build a town. You’ve got to take it one neighborhood at a time. And I see that happening around here."
Antonio Vinson

Explore the history of Black communities in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC. Meet our neighbors through oral history interviews, images, and more. Share your own story.
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Hackney School

"The school was located on Merritt Mill Road. The primary building was off from the main building. And they were all wooden frame buildings, but being a child just enjoying the experience, I didn't think about the building or what was taught. But it was wonderful. And I seemed to be very happy in…

Hamlet Chapel CME Church

Hamlet Chapel CME Church is located in Pittsboro, NC.

Hampton University

"One of the things about Hampton -- Hampton trained all its graduates with two goals, objectives in mind. Number one, to give back to the university so therefore it could continue. It was a private school, so alumni always gave money back to the school. The second thing was that anybody that…

Hargraves Community Center

Community-built and community-led, Hargraves is the heart of Northside. In 1939, with fiscal support from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), resident brick masons and carpenters began construction on the “Negro Community Center.” In the midst of World War II, UNC would host the Navy’s…

Harry's Grill

Harry's Restaurant or Harry's Grill was located at 175 East Franklin Street and operated from the early 1960s until 1973. The space is currently occupied by Four Corners restaurant.

Haw River Baptist Church

Haw River Baptist Church is located on Mt. Gilead Church Road in Pittsboro, NC.

Hearn's Grocery

"It was a little store right in Carrboro called Hearn’s Grocery Store. They went to that grocery store to buy stuff like flour, cornmeal... maybe milk, but I think they got their milk from a dairy, if I can remember correctly. But they very seldom had to go to the grocery store. When they did, they…

Heavenly Groceries

"Reverend Harrison was seeing that they were throwing away the day-old food at the Food Lions and then it became, 'How is this happening? So much food is being wasted. Why are we not surplussing this food and giving it to the need for the community?' And that is how Heavenly Groceries started at St.…

Hickory Grove Missionary Baptist Church

Hickory Grove Missionary Baptist Church is a historically traditional black church that is located in the rural area of Chapel Hill. It has a rich history that began with just a few people in a one-room log cabin, with one window, no floor, yet our ancestors were honored to call that building...…

Hollywood Cab Service and Carolina Cab

"Then on Franklin Street back in the 50s, from across from McDonalds all the way up to where they're building the Carolina Ale Shop, there was a Black restaurant called the Hollywood Grill. [Where 411 West is.] That was a Black restaurant. And next door to that in the same building was a cab company…

Hollywood Theater

"Now the only time we would go to that was on Friday nights...And we'd start getting very good before Friday, maybe start up Wednesday or Thursday, so you'd be eligible to go. Doing housework or any little thing, or being very sweet with your tongue, and very mannerly to get to go to the movies." -…

Holmes Day Nursery

"I enjoyed the teaching and then we enjoyed the children too. I did very little teaching with the children since I was the Director. But we handled the money well and fed them! We had good lunches and good food for them." - Sallie Pendergraft Holmes Day Nursery (now known as Holmes Child Care…