Wanda Weaver and Kathy Atwater - Speaking about family and the Northside community

This interview mainly focuses on Wanda Weaver’s mother and father/Kathy Atwater’s aunt and uncle, as well as the past and present dynamics of the Northside community. Ms. Wanda and Ms. Kathy show pictures of their mother and father/aunt and uncle, as well as discuss what they did for the community. Both parents were heavily involved in the community and had a giving spirit to everyone. They looked out and gave a helping hand to whomever needed it. Ms. Wanda and Ms. Kathy then discuss their contributions during the civil rights movement. They were only elementary aged during the time so they did not participate. They did not recognize race as a problem due to them being shielded and protected by those who loved them. The latter part of the interview primarily discusses current youth involvement in Northside, as well as changes in the neighborhood and community members’ participation in decisions regarding those changes. Ms. Weaver discusses ways that churches are currently trying to involve youth in the Northside community through outreach programs. Ms. Atwater also talks about programs such as Learning Across Generations through which the community is partnering with the school system to increase awareness of Northside history and community participation amongst the youth. The interview then transitions into conversation about the increased number of students and city-like buildings in and around the community. Ms. Weaver and Ms. Atwater both stress that it is important for community members to voice their opinions about these changes and work together to formulate a community-based response. The interview ends with Ms. Weaver and Ms. Atwater sharing the impact that the Northside community has had on their lives.

To learn more about Wanda Weaver's search for her mother's music, click here to read the article, "The Search For Susie Weaver's 'Freedom In Chapel Hill'," from WUNC.