Kathy Atwater - On home, community, and Northside

In the beginning of the interview, Ms. Atwater describes the history of her home, growing up in her neighborhood, and the significance of keeping her home in the family in order to continue an ongoing legacy. To Ms. Atwater, a home is more than a place of residence; it is a memorial, it is the material representation of a legacy. Throughout the interview, Ms. Atwater discusses why she chose to remain in Chapel Hill and the change she’s witnessed over the years. She describes how gentrification of the Northside community is a disgrace to those community members whose ancestors built the University. And she also discusses the importance of communication within the community between residents and students to make everyone feel safe, like she did growing up when everyone knew their neighbors. To Ms. Atwater, life is about serving others, especially her family and those within the community and she believes that we should all engage in our community like Jesus Christ did. Key components of Ms. Atwater’s life include her family, faith, and home, and while she’s preparing herself for the change to come to the Northside community, she thinks that with community engagement, change can and needs to happen in favor of those who built it.