First Baptist Church
Betty King - On growing up in Chapel Hill, family, and Lincoln High School
This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…
Betty King - On growing up in Chapel Hill, family, and Lincoln High School
Charlene Smith - On her childhood, parents, education, student behavior, school integration
“What we had students don’t get now as easily. There’s something missing now for many of the kids…when I attended Lincoln there were Black role models around me everywhere…there were Black people around you, which you always had a sense of family, and a sense of community, a sense of safety, and a…
Charlene Smith - On her childhood, parents, education, student behavior, school integration
Civil Rights Story Circle - On their experiences in Chapel Hill in the 1960s
Freedom fighters Euyvonne Cotton, James Foushee, William Carter, Linda Brown, Keith Edwards, and Marion Phillips gathered upstairs at St. Joseph C.M.E. to talk about their experiences as young people in the freedom movement in Chapel Hill 1960-1964. Spurred by the recent publication of Courage in…
Civil Rights Story Circle - On their experiences in Chapel Hill in the 1960s
Clayton Weaver - On his parents, education, and Northside
“I tell you young people, stay up with your peers. Never lose track of them.”
- Clayton Weaver
Weaver was born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC on Cameron Avenue. His great-uncle bought their family home in 1929 for $3000. He went to school at Northside Elementary. Weaver provides background on who…
Clayton Weaver - On his parents, education, and Northside
Cleo Caldwell - On her family's musical talent, growing up in Northside, and returning to the neighborhood
In this interview, Cleo Caldwell, 53, discusses growing up in the Northside neighborhood surrounded by extended family and, in particular, her cousins who became policemen and civil rights activists. Cleo’s mother and sisters were known for their musical talents—her mother played piano and her…
Cleo Caldwell - On her family's musical talent, growing up in Northside, and returning to the neighborhood
Clyde Perry - On his childhood, family, education, and integration
This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…
Clyde Perry - On his childhood, family, education, and integration
Dennis Farrington - On his family, education, and work experiences
Dennis Farrington spent the first part of his life in the Northside area of Chapel Hill before moving to a home off of NC Hwy 54, and he has deep roots in Chatham County, North Carolina. He attended Chapel Hill High School after it was newly integrated. He spent most of his working career at UNC…
Dennis Farrington - On his family, education, and work experiences
Dolores Clark - On the history of Black builders in her family
This interview is part of a series on Black builders in Orange County. Dolores Clark, a long-term resident of Chapel Hill, explains how her family has a history of building several structures, including university buildings, homes, and churches in the Chapel Hill area. Clark describes how her…
Dolores Clark - On the history of Black builders in her family
Doris Wilson - On racial inequality, education, and faith
Doris Wilson was born in 1936 in Robeson County, North Carolina and moved to Chapel Hill in the mid 1950s. She has lived in her same home on Church St. in Chapel Hill ever since. In the interview, she discusses the transition to Chapel Hill when she was college-aged and the first times she…
Doris Wilson - On racial inequality, education, and faith
Edwin Caldwell - On the events leading up to school integration
“One of the most difficult times I had was looking [after] and protecting teachers. I felt like that was my job. Man, you know, teachers need to have some independence to be able to do what they need to do, and I let them know that I was going to protect them. That’s why teachers came to me when I…
Edwin Caldwell - On the events leading up to school integration
Elizabeth Carter - On growing up in Carrboro and school integration
“Because usually it ended up, truly, even though the schools were integrated, the classrooms were segregated, because whites were on one side and Blacks were on the other. Same typical thing, if you think about now, if you go into integrated situations, that people tend to migrate toward people that…
Elizabeth Carter - On growing up in Carrboro and school integration
Emma Fowler - On growing up in Chapel Hill and Northside
This interview provides into Fowler's life growing up in Chapel Hill, her church attendance, and her education at Northside Elementary School. She goes into the neighborhood and family dynamics as well. She shares that her father worked for UNC. She spends her leisure time playing music and learning…
Emma Fowler - On growing up in Chapel Hill and Northside
Euzelle and R.D. Smith - On food and cooking
R.D. and Euzelle Smith have lived in Pottersfield in Chapel Hill since the 1940s. Both worked as educators in Chapel Hill for decades, and R.D. served as a member of the Town Council. They then became the namesakes for Smith Middle School when it was constructed. This interview was done as part of…
Euzelle and R.D. Smith - On food and cooking
Faith
Faith has always been a critical part of the life of Chapel Hill/Carrboro’s Black community. Prior to emancipation, enslaved people people worshiped in segregated sections of Chapel of the Cross, University Baptist Church, and other churches run by white residents. But Black church-goers quickly…
Faith
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church was organized in 1865 out of what is now University Baptist Church. It started in the Quaker school building on Franklin Street and eventually grew and expanded to its current site on Roberson Street in 1946. First Baptist has had six pastors in its long history, and its motto…
First Baptist Church
Gloria Warren - On growing up in Carrboro and Chapel Hill, family, and education
This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…
Gloria Warren - On growing up in Carrboro and Chapel Hill, family, and education
James "Jim" Wallace - Speaking about the Civil Rights Movement and his photography
In this interview, Wallace speaks about Civil rights in Chapel Hill, resistance within the movement, and differences of thought. He also talks about Karen Parker, the first black Woman to graduate from UNC. The interview also includes discussion of Jim Wallace’s photos, photos used in schools to…
James "Jim" Wallace - Speaking about the Civil Rights Movement and his photography
James Foushee - On the Civil Rights Movement, family, and Northside
Foushee speaks on growing up in Northside which includes his educational experiences, and his family overview. He goes into the dynamics of his relationship with his aunt. Furthermore, he talks about his relationship with his neighbor. He takes the listener through the beginning and organization of…
James Foushee - On the Civil Rights Movement, family, and Northside
Mary Manning - On her childhood, education, and segregation
“Church had a good influence on my life."
- Mary Manning
Mary Manning was born in Carrboro on Birch Street and moved to Chapel Hill. She reflects on her childhood and her life living in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. She mentions several memories of her growing up in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. She only…
Mary Manning - On her childhood, education, and segregation
Nate Davis - On the Hargraves Community Center
Nate Davis remembers that during his childhood, the Hargraves Community Center as a safe space to hang out and play sports with friends, and now, after years of working first part time and then full-time for the Center, he is the director. Davis tells the story of Hargraves starting in the 1940s. It…
Nate Davis - On the Hargraves Community Center
Paul Caldwell - On Northside, the Civil Rights Movement, and his work in the University Police at UNC
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.…
Paul Caldwell - On Northside, the Civil Rights Movement, and his work in the University Police at UNC
R. D. Smith - About his childhood, career in education, and school integration
This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…
R. D. Smith - About his childhood, career in education, and school integration
Renowned, national activist, James Farmer, speaks at a civil rights gathering at First Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC.
In preparation for a Freedom March from Durham to Chapel Hill, demonstrators attended a rally at Chapel Hill's First Baptist Church to hear civil rights leader James Farmer speak. Rev. J. R. Manley, pastor at First Baptist for sixty-six years, sits in the background.
Renowned, national activist, James Farmer, speaks at a civil rights gathering at First Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC.
Rodney Taylor - On community involvement
This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Life History Series.
Rodney Taylor Sr., a current member and trustee at Barbee’s Chapel Baptist Church, has had a lifelong passion for community involvement. Mr. Taylor was born on June 26, 1958 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His…
Rodney Taylor Sr., a current member and trustee at Barbee’s Chapel Baptist Church, has had a lifelong passion for community involvement. Mr. Taylor was born on June 26, 1958 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His…
Rodney Taylor - On community involvement
Russell Edwards - On his family, faith, health, and upbringing
Russell Edwards grew up in Chapel Hill and has watched, as well as experienced, many situations that African-Americans dealt with both before, during, and after the civil rights movement took place. He resides in one of the historic African American communities of Chapel Hill and shares his opinions…
Russell Edwards - On his family, faith, health, and upbringing
Sheila Florence - On her childhood, education, and school integration
“Lincoln High. That was the school back then. Everybody couldn’t wait to get to Lincoln High School.”
- Sheila Florence
Sheila Florence, a nurse lab technician, grew up in Chapel Hill during the 1950s and 60s. She reflects on her experiences growing up in the Northside district, attending Northside…
Sheila Florence - On her childhood, education, and school integration
Stanley Vickers - On his childhood, family, and school integration
“I got the sense that it was more than just a job to them [teachers]. I really got the sense from my teachers that they cared about me.”
- Stanley Vickers
Stanley Vickers has been a member of the Chapel Hill community for a long time. He grew up in Carrboro and attended both Lincoln High School and…
Stanley Vickers - On his childhood, family, and school integration
Supporters of a Chapel Hill public accommodations ordinance pack the First Baptist Church.
The Chapel Hill Freedom Committee organized a thirteen-mile Freedom March on January 12, 1964, from Durham to Chapel Hill to support passage of a pending public accomodations ordinance in Chapel Hill that would forbid discrimination because of race (bill 4-2).The tall man standing second from the…
Supporters of a Chapel Hill public accommodations ordinance pack the First Baptist Church.
Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles David Brooks - On their family history and business
"They had a very high reputation in the community. They did excellent work. One thing that my father always said, that when they finished their job, they didn’t have to go back…They did quality work, quality construction."
-Vernelle Brooks Jones
"I loved just doing things with my hands and then…
Vernelle Brooks Jones and Charles David Brooks - On their family history and business
Walter Durham - On school integration, his childhood, and race
“[Lincoln] was a school that you could go in and… no paper on the school campus. Hallway shines like new money all the time. You could drink out of the commode in the bathroom. And it was kept just that clean.”
- Walter Durham
Walter Durham discusses growing up as part of a large family on his…
Walter Durham - On school integration, his childhood, and race
Willis Farrington - On growing up in Northside, local businesses, and Northside neighbors
This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Life History Series. Minister Willis Farrington, an associate pastor at S. Joseph CME Church, grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He grew up going to St. Joseph CME all his life and has never been a member of another church. In 1975 he…
Willis Farrington - On growing up in Northside, local businesses, and Northside neighbors