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Oral Histories

 Stephanie Soulama - Speaking about her hair braiding business

This interview was done as part of the Facing Our Neighbors project. Stephanie Soulama is the owner of Stephanie’s Braiding Shop in Carrboro, NC. Stephanie is from Ivory Coast and speaks French. She recounts that she was a beautician in Ivory Coast. She later moved to Italy, and then Chapel Hill to…

 Ted Stone - On his childhood, values, 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…

 Clifton Stone - On the African American freedom struggle and Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill

Audio recordings of interviews conducted by Yonni Chapman with participants in the African American freedom struggle and the civil rights movement in and around Chapel Hill, N.C.

 Kevin, Student Renter on Sunset Drive

 Keith, Student Renter on Sunset Drive

 Esther Tate - On the African American freedom struggle and Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill

Audio recordings of interviews conducted by Yonni Chapman with participants in the African American freedom struggle and the civil rights movement in and around Chapel Hill, N.C.

 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…

 Makla Thompson - On growing up in Carrboro and her family

This interview touches on childhood stories from Makla Thompson. Makla talks about her mother, grandmother, and the importance of family. She reflects on growing up in Carrboro, where her grandmother was active in the community as a kind woman, caring for those who could not care for themselves. She…

 Robyn Tolliver - On the African American freedom struggle and Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill

Audio recordings of interviews conducted by Yonni Chapman with participants in the African American freedom struggle and the civil rights movement in and around Chapel Hill, N.C.

 Virginia Tolliver - On the African American freedom struggle and Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill

Audio recordings of interviews conducted by Yonni Chapman with participants in the African American freedom struggle and the civil rights movement in and around Chapel Hill, N.C.

 Tommy and Jason Owens

This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Facing Our Neighbors series. Tommy Owens and his brother, Jason, reflect on their neighborhood in Chapel Hill and the neighbors they’ve had in it in the 2 years they have been living there (in 2010). They go on to describe the community…

 Brian Toomey - On his outreach work and services of the health center

Brian Toomey majored in History and wanted to teach after graduation. He moved to Carrboro in 2010 from Massachusetts. He speaks in detail about the services of the health center he works at and the outreach work for the Northside Neighborhood. Toomey notes that one of the difficulties of reaching…

 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 - Integrating Chapel Hill Junior High School (clip)

 Stanley Vickers - On not being prepared to integrate (clip)

 Stanley Vickers - On his participation in the Civil Rights Movement (clip)

 Stanley Vickers - On protesting and the coverage of the Civil Rights Movement (clip)

 James "Jim" Wallace - Speaking about the Civil Rights Movement and his photography

"...if everyone in the student body at Chapel Hill couldn’t walk across Franklin Street and be able to eat anywhere they wanted, that that just simply wasn’t right." - Jim Wallace In this interview, Wallace speaks about Civil rights in Chapel Hill, resistance within the movement, and differences of…

 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…

 Albert Washington - On his business, church, and growing up in Northside

This interview is part of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Oral History Trust. Albert (Bruce) Washington, III grew up in Chatham County with his mother and in Northside with his father and extended family. He was an only child, but grew up in the context of many cousins, aunts, and uncles who cared…

 Albert Washington - On games at Hargraves Community Center (clip)

 Albert Washington - On his work as a builder

“Everything you do, just make it look good and have pride in what you do. And we had a lot of pride in what we did.” - Albert Williams Albert Washington is a former brick mason and Black business owner. He and his business partner, Barry Kelly, have been in business together for 37 years. Over that…

 Albert "Bruce" Washington - Getting started (clip)

Albert “Bruce” Washington (ABW): Actually, I took it in high school, in Chatham County, Horton High School. And they used to interview us and say, “Who’s going to college?” If you weren’t going to college, they would teach you a trade – carpentry, brick masonry, all that, and it just went on from…

 Albert "Bruce" Washington - Changes (clip)

Albert “Bruce” Washington (ABW): Well, it is now, but a lot of things now is that, when I first started, it was all Black [people] doing it because it was hard, hard work, and then when the white [people] found out how much money was in it, they kind of took it over. I remember when I started, if I…