WHEN THE CONFEDERACY LOST CHAPEL HILL
By Mike Ogle Mary Anngady was a girl the last time the Confederacy lost Chapel Hill. She lived in quarters behind the Davis house with a dozen enslaved people, including her mother and four brothers. Franklin Davis, owner of so … Continued
Porch Revival Tour: Lighting the Fire
I felt a small amount of anxiety the day before hosting the June stop of the Porch Revival Tour at my house. Almost everything was in place. The budget for the event determined, supplies calmly resting on my porch, and … Continued
In February, we hosted our fifth annual Valentine’s Singing Telegram fundraiser. This year was truly remarkable: we delivered or recorded over 60 singing telegrams in just three days, including 25 generously sponsored songs to Northside neighbors. We raised over $2,000 … Continued
Profiles of Pastoring in Northside
Rev. Michael A. Cousin: The Storyteller Remembering the Journey: My co-worker Kathy Atwater and I had a chance to sit down with the new Pastor of St. Paul A.M.E Church located on the corner of W. Franklin and Merritt Mill … Continued
Profiles of Pastoring in Northside
Rev. Ernest McCowan: Pastor, Teacher, Coach It was a sunny, Sunday afternoon when my colleague and friend Yvonne Cleaveland and I met with Pastor McCowan. After having ministered at the 11:00 service, he was pacing in front his church, Second … Continued
A Bonner Beginner
The following blog was written by Veda Patil, one of our first-year Bonners. Veda primarily assists our Youth & Education programming and deepens the intersection between our education and oral history facets. The original posting can be found here. Before … Continued
Tiny Celebration, Big Community
This past October, we enjoyed a fund- and friend-raiser for the new “tiny-plex” in the heart of Northside. Developed in partnership with Pee Wee Homes and Orange Habitat, the ingenious duo of tiny homes (350 square feet each) will be … Continued
Tiny Heroes
By Andrea Wuerth “They will continue to build two story residences right across the street from you for students to live because, as the developer told me, it’s more economical to rent to students than to families.” -Kathy Atwater It … Continued
Tin Top and the Soundscapes of History
By Heidi DodsonHeidi Dodson is the Oral History Scholar-in-Residence at the Jackson Center. If you come across the railroad track, you’re going to run into Brewer Lane. And when you get there from Brewer Lane, and you come on around … Continued
Why 50 Years Later?
By Mike OgleMike Ogle is a Pine Knolls resident and UNC alum. His views are his own. Opponents of UNC’s Confederate monument, known colloquially as Silent Sam, often point out that the statue was erected in 1913, half a century … Continued
Meeting of the Mentors
By Andrea Wuerth There was Earl and Ronny. Miss Frieda, Miss Lily and Miss Gwen. And the Reverend Williams. All sitting in the front room of the Marion Cheeks Jackson Center. Connected to each other through a shared experience: growing … Continued
An Abundant Welcome
July 31st. 6:00p.m. I arrived that Monday evening at 512 Whitaker St , my new home, carrying a box of books, and was surprised to see a squad of my neighbors/friends at the house. As I walked through the door … Continued
A Tale of Two Brothers
“The conversations were great and I think that’s where I got my knowing there’s two sides to every story. And I’ve carried that up through my kids and my grandkids.” – David Caldwell, Jr., June 9, 2017 Over the course … Continued
Harvesting Faith
The Marian Cheek Jackson Center is not officially a faith/religious based organization, but it’s hard to separate the work that we do here and the faith that sustains us along the way. Although we do not subscribe to any one … Continued