Nettie P. Burnette graduated from Lincoln High School in 1953 and was one of the older participants in the local desegregation movement in Chapel Hill. She became involved in civil rights because she saw the unequal and unwelcome treatment Black people received in restaurants and on campus. Ms. Burnette made her voice heard by participating in marches, sit-ins and demonstrations against racial discrimination. She was even arrested for her activist work while picketing in front of the old Colonial Drug Store on Franklin Street. These days, Ms. Burnette continues her community service by participating in the food ministry run through her church.
Ms. Burnette recalls life during segregation:
Ms. Burnette remembers being told to leave campus when she was young:
Ms. Burnette on why she got involved in the Civil Rights demonstrations in Chapel Hill:
Interviews conducted by Danita Mason-Hogans at Chapel Hill Public Library, 2019