The Washington Heights neighborhood, positioned along the Beatties Ford Road corridor close to the center of Charlotte, has taken special pride in its unique history as Charlotte's original African American streetcar suburb. With strong ties to Johnson C. Smith University, West Charlotte High School, North West School of the Arts Middle School, and the famous Excelsior Club, the neighborhood has been at the center of Charlotte's African American narrative for over a century. In 2015 UNC Charlotte students interviewed residents of Washington Heights as part of a broader community initiative to document and preserve neighborhood history. In these interviews community members reflect on their deep family connections to Washington Heights, their own experiences living in the neighborhood, and changes they have witnessed over time as the neighborhood has faced challenges and creatively sought solutions.