Carrboro Town Government Visits History with 'Our Roots Run Deep' Stories

Only a few days remain in Black History Month, and many local governments have been celebrating and commemorating the history of African American residents in their areas.

The Town of Carrboro has held events around town to celebrate throughout February, including featured poetry readings, museum visits and even puppet performances.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck and mentioned an additional effort the town staff has made to highlight the town’s history and some personal stories.

“They’ve also done this really good series on our black citizens and residents,” Lavelle said, “focusing on their stories under the title ‘Our Roots Run Deep.’”

The series has featured many historical figures and current community members, including Hilliard Caldwell and Braxton Foushee who both organized sit-ins and Stanley Vickers, who was the first black student to attend Chapel-Hill Carrboro High School.

Lavelle spoke about one of the more recent stories shared, about Orange County’s first interracial marriage, Alvin and Omelia Garner, who were Carrboro residents. She said because laws against interracial marriage were not declared unconstitutional until 1967, the pair had to wait to be wed.

“They were working at a local restaurant, I’m not sure which, but they immediately fell in love,” said Lavelle. “They wanted to get married, but it was illegal at the time. A year after Loving v. Virginia, they chose to get married. So, in June of 1968, they became the first interracial couple to receive a marriage license in Orange County.”

Lavelle shared what the Garner’s wedding at the St. Joseph CME Church in Chapel Hill was like.

“It was a small and intimate ceremony,” she described. “When they walked out of the parish, the streets were lined with people. Some were probably there to protest, but many came to support and witness the historic moment.”

Lavelle said the couple had been back in the news relatively recently for both happy and sad reasons.

“They actually renewed their vows 40 years later at the Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love,” she said. “Their marriage lasted over 50 years and she has since passed away, but it’s a really interesting story.”

To hear more stories like the Garners’, visit the Our Roots Run Deep page on the Town of Carrboro’s website.

Photo via Town of Carrboro.