Record #:

7180

Author(s):

Warren, Melissa Slaven

Abstract:

The 1960s in North Carolina were a tumultuous period. The civil rights movement had taken root with the Greensboro sit-ins. Racial tensions were high across the state, and riots, sit-ins, and demonstrations on streets and in businesses were common. Against this background of unrest, Jim Williams, owner of Turnage's Barbecue Place in Durham, made the decision to integrate his restaurant in May 1963. It was the first Durham restaurant to integrate. Williams also talked the owners of The Blue Light and Rebel Drive Inn into joining him. Warren recounts Williams's life and the historic moment in Durham.

Source:

Our State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 72 Issue 12, May 2005, p30-32, il, por Periodical Website

Subject(s):

Civil rights; Williams, Jim; Race relations--Durham; Restaurants--Durham

Record #:

7518

Author(s):

Warren, Melissa Slaven

Abstract:

Built in 1847, St. Thomas was Wilmington's first Catholic church and served both black and white parishioners. When St. Mary's Church opened in 1911, the parish divided, and St. Thomas served the African American community. When desegregation came in the 1950s, St. Thomas closed. The church fell into disrepair, and in 1970, the Historic St. Thomas Preservation Society formed to restore the building. Warren discusses the work of Betty Ann Sanders with the preservation society.

Source:

Our State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 73 Issue 7, Dec 2005, p30-33, il, por Periodical Website

Subject(s):

Historic buildings--Wilmington; Sanders, Betty Ann, 1930-2011; St. Thomas Catholic Church (Wilmington); African American churches--Wilmington