Vera Williams oral history interview, 2015 November 18

In this interview, Vera Williams, a resident of Washington Heights in Charlotte North Carolina, describes the changes that have taken place in the neighborhood since she moved there in 1984, and the issues she sees remaining in the community. Mrs. Williams details how she moved to Washington Heights to live with her husband, Clarence Williams, who worked with her at the Excelsior Club beginning in the late 1980s, and notes that her daughters and grandchildren also live in the neighborhood. She addresses the role that fellow resident Mattie Marshall has played in improving the neighborhood by working towards decreasing drug activity, teaching community members how to properly dispose of trash, leading after school programs, and holding monthly neighborhood meetings. Recalling the community events held in the neighborhood, Mrs. Williams highlights Christmas dinners at the Excelsior Club as well as cookouts in L.C. Coleman park. She expresses concern about problems the neighborhood continues to face, such as a lack of communication, and inadequate park development.