Clementine Self was among the first Black students to attend Chapel Hill High School in the 1960s when schools in Chapel Hill began to desegregate. As a teenager, she was active in the local civil rights movement, and remembers sitting in at segregated establishments and participating in marches. As an adult, Ms. Self continued to push for the betterment of the Chapel Hill community. She was a teacher in the Chapel Hill Carrboro school system for many years and in retirement has been an advocate for the Northside neighborhood. She has worked to preserve the neighborhood's proud history and has been vocal in supporting the rights of residents to own and keep their homes, even when faced with pressure from developers.
Clem Self remembers her experiences during the Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill:
Ms. Self on her current service work:
Interviews conducted by Danita Mason-Hogans at Chapel Hill Public Library, 2019