Robert Seymour, Civil Rights Activist and Chapel Hill Pastor, Dies at 95

Posted Oct 11, 2020
Local pastor and longtime civil rights activist Rev. Robert Seymour has died at age 95. Seymour became the first pastor at Chapel Hill’s Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in 1959. During the 1960s, he fought for racial integration of both his church and the wider community. The pastor had a close personal relationship with Dean Smith. (Chapelboro.com)

Related: Campus Connections

Surplus Sid's has closed in Carrboro. What's next for its owner, Barry Keith.
Barry Keith may be the "Emperor of Carrboro" - but to the people who know him, he's just "Sid." Keith, 70, hung up the...
Fri Dec 26, 2025

UNC student creates new way to rank NBA coaches
Win-loss records and championship rings usually define the best NBA coaches, but UNC-Chapel Hill student Shane Faberman looked at different data to see which coaches...
Thu Dec 25, 2025

Memorable Carolina moments, stories and achievements from 2025
At the Carolina Center for Public Service’s award presentation in April, UNC honored two dearly missed Tar Heels. The new Montross Award, in honor of...
Wed Dec 24, 2025

Christmas 1970: James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in Chapel Hill
On Christmas Eve 1970 I had just turned twenty-one and was managing the Record and Tape Center at 456 West Franklin Street. As I was...
Sun Dec 21, 2025