Chapel Hill Transit hosts discussion on its connection with civil rights

Community members gathered at the Chapel Hill Public Library on Monday night for a fireside chat discussing the history of Chapel Hill Transit and its connections to the Town's civil rights history. The event was held in honor of Black History Month and Chapel Hill Transit's 50th anniversary.

The event, hosted by Chapel Hill Transit, featured former Mayor Howard Lee, former Carrboro Town Council member Braxton Foushee, former Chapel Hill Town Council member Gerry Cohen and current Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield.

Lee, Chapel Hill’s first Black mayor, described how his campaign for mayor was fueled by discrimination when buying a home in a white neighborhood at the time. He said he ran for mayor not thinking he would win. 

"I couldn't get the [Town Council] to pass an open housing ordinance, so I decided the best way to do it was to at least run and force whoever challenged me in that race to commit to passing an open housing ordinance so there would be no further discrimination," he said.

After winning the mayoral election, Lee said he kept his campaign promise and built upon the bus service that the University of North Carolina had already provided for students that were not allowed to have their vehicles. Litchfield said that the University is one of Chapel Hill Transit’s biggest partners.

Despite the support for the bus system from the University, Lee experienced pushback from the community and the state government. 

“We decided it would be a good idea to show the people what it would be like to have buses running on the street from Chapel Hill,” Lee said.

After making a deal with the mayor of Atlanta, Lee was able to acquire five used buses to demonstrate the potential of this system. However, Lee said the buses broke down consistently, leading the community to vote against a funding referendum that would have continued the service.

Cohen said that during the vote for the transit system funding referendum, the Northside precinct, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Orange County, had the highest support for the referendum. Lee mentioned that the Black population in West Chapel Hill had trouble traveling to Eastgate, the only shopping center in town at the time.

Anissa McLendon, a Chapel Hill community member who attended the fireside chat, founded a free summer program for Black middle school students that exposes them to the arts and STEM fields.

“A lot of times when we're doing tours or having field trips to the campus, we use it,” McLendon said, referring to Chapel Hill Transit.

For students in her program, the bus system provides a way to visit educational spaces that may not have been easily accessible otherwise.

As the discussion concluded, panelists and community members reflected on the significance of Chapel Hill Transit’s history and its connection to civil rights. 

“No matter how much people criticize or put pressure on you, stand your ground and keep pushing forward,” Lee said.

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