In the inaugural episode of The Living Record, Dr. Charles D. Johnson explores the deep connection between Durham’s Hayti community and the institutional history of North Carolina Central University. Together, we uncover how the Hayti community helped shape the university’s identity, importance, and longevity. Dr. Johnson highlights influential figures such as John Merrick and C.C. Spaulding, whose leadership helped lay the foundation for generations to come. He also shares his family’s own legacy, including his parents, the Johnsons: his mother, a judge, and his father, a physician and Air Force veteran. Through personal stories and historical reflection, this episode shows how NCCU’s history extends beyond its campus and into the community that surrounded and supported it. As part of The Living Record, these stories preserve not only documented history but also the personal wisdom carried by those who experienced it. The Hayti community is not separate from NCCU’s story; it is part of the foundation.