Chapel Hill Reflects 50 Years After Historic Election of Howard Lee

Posted May 11, 2019
Monday marked 50 years since Howard Lee became the first African American to be elected mayor of a predominately white town in the south since Reconstruction. Lee recently recounted his election as mayor of Chapel Hill when speaking with town officials. “It was not planned as much as it was accidental,” Lee said. (Chapelboro.com)

Related: Campus Connections

UNC creative writing associate professor’s book earns national honor
One UNC faculty member’s newest book is earning accolades. “The New Economy,” written by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, has been named a finalist for the National Book...
Sat Mar 14, 2026

Carolina professor named FCC’s chief economist
Jonathan Williams is taking his economics expertise from the University of North Carolina to the federal government. Williams, a professor in the UNC College of...
Fri Mar 13, 2026

Katie Homan keeps gold medalists upright
When Katie Homan was growing up in Ohio, hockey "wasn’t a thing" for her. It still wasn’t a thing in 2011, when she earned a...
Wed Mar 11, 2026

UNC junior builds algorithm to aid disaster recovery
When Esha Singaraju first arrived on campus in 2023, she wasn’t sure what path she wanted to follow. One class unexpectedly shaped her academic journey:...
Tue Mar 10, 2026