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 Rochester Heights
By Mick W.
Rochester Heights was the first African American housing development in Raleigh. Built in the 1950s, the community is bordered to the south by Interstate 40 and to the north by the Walnut Creek wetlands. Young professionals were attracted to the area and many moved into the community by the mid 1960s. Now, most of the residents here are retired and they continue to take pride in their community involvement. Many work to bring positive change to their community in the face of challenges such as flooding, trash dumping, and past racial injustices. When hurricane Fran hit Raleigh in 1996, most residents in the floodplain were affected and 27 out of 29 homes in the community were damaged. Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ), a local community action group, formed when residents of Rochester Heights found out they were going to be required to pay part of the infrastructure improvement costs while other neighborhoods in Raleigh were not. Eventually, the City of Raleigh responded positively and now citizens and the City are working together to implement other community improvements.
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