Holding fast to Jim Crow myths even during a period of racial integration
Regester assesses the racial changes that have occurred in Chapel Hill since the 1960s. Despite the vast changes in black and white relations in Chapel Hill, she describes how she maintains the familial traditions, advice, and racial myths of blacks who lived in the Jim Crow South.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Charlene Regester, February 23, 2001. Interview K-0216. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- SUSAN UPTON:
-
So you saw a big change then in the community?
- CHARLENE REGESTER:
-
Definitely, definitely. There were some businesses previously patronized
blacks and then, and I'm not sure they even willingly wanted
to do that, but maybe pressure was being applied, so they said, well, we
got to stay on this particular side of being in opposition to blacks or
integration or whatever. But I will tell you this, which is interesting.
Having grown up during the period of integration, I do remember there
were some businesses that were known for not patronizing blacks. And we
were told as children not to go there. It wasn't until I went
to college that I even went in some restaurants which had been
integrated for many years because as a child growing up I had been told
not to go there. And I tell that to some people now and they laugh and I
say you know I've lived here all my life there's
certain buildings or restaurants or whatever, businesses, I had never
been in because I was not allowed to go as a child and I've
never been in there.
- SUSAN UPTON:
-
Did you not go because...
- CHARLENE REGESTER:
-
Because of the historical tradition. They said
'don't you go in there' and so I just
never went and I never had a desire, because once you...and of course
the business could've changed ownership several times...but
once you just remember that was one place you were not allowed, you were
not welcome so it was really hard for me to make the transition to go in
there now as some new restaurant or whatever.