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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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M&N Grill

"The M and N Grill...was owned by, my uncle Charlie and Robert Nicks, who were brothers in laws. I don’t know how they got along...The M and N Grill was the hangout for the Blacks in Chapel Hill. Especially on Saturday night after a big football game." - David Mason "It was a stop off place going…

Mama Dip's Kitchen

Mama Dip's Kitchen is a full service restaurant serving traditional southern food since 1976. The restaurant was founded my Mildred "Mama Dip" Council who had previously cooked at Bill's Bar-B-Que, which was owned by her husband's family. She trained all of her children in all aspects of operating…

Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History

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Mason Motel

"My uncle had Mason’s groceries, and then he decided he would have a motel, and they called it Mason’s Motel for Colored. And, it was the only motel for Black people. Of course, Black people couldn’t go to the hotels in this area. And, Callaway had been there, Diana Washington, James Brown." - David…

Mason's Grocery Story

"And my uncle was quite innovative at that time, and...he would get me and my brothers, and some of my friends—and we would go all over Chapel Hill. And he would have leaflets made, identifying when he was going to have a big sale at his store. And we would go all over Chapel Hill to do this. And,…

McDougle Elementary School

McDougle Elementary opened in 1996. The school is named after Charles and Lucille McDougle, who educated students in Chapel Hill for over 40 years. It shares a campus with McDougle Middle School.

McDougle Middle School

"I know at McDougle Middle School where I worked part-time for the past six years, I made many a phone call encouraging Blacks to come to PTA meetings and to let them know that it was very important to be involved. I did encourage becoming leaders within the PTA." - Hilliard Caldwell McDougle Middle…

Memorial Hospital

"And that was 1952, when the hospital was opened. That's when jobs really became available. And then, if you got a job at the university hospital, twenty-five dollars a week, a hundred dollars a month. That was a long way from paying seven dollars a week." - Rebecca Clark "My grandmother didn't do…

Midway Barber Shop

Stephen Edwards opened the Midway Barber Shop in 1952.

Midway Business District

"I’ve heard stories from people that were around when there were Black owned businesses and most people that owned those businesses were family members or they knew the kid’s parents. It was really easy for them to come in and just hang around and don’t have to worry about safety or…

Morgan State University

"I went to Morgan State University in Baltimore...I felt like I was returning to my roots. I felt like integration had been forced upon me and now that I was able to choose what school I could go to I was going to choose to return back to my community where I knew that academics would be stressed in…

Mr. Jasper Massey's Store

Jasper Massey ran a store on Brooks Street in Chapel Hill, near Orange County Training School. According to the 1940 census, Mr. Massey also worked at the Carolina Inn.

Ms. Molly's Gift Shop

The building that houses Ms. Molly's Gift Shop and Walt's Grill has been owned by the Riggsbee family since 1944. At various points in time, it has been home to the Church of God of Prophecy and Lizzy Mae's Southern Kitchen. In the late 1990s, the restaurant became Walt's Grill with Ms. Molly's…

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Churches located in Chatham County, NC.