Charlotte is stepping into the spotlight and taking center stage as the Democratic National Convention approaches.

Time Warner Cable Arena, home to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Now one group of students from Johnson C. Smith University is working to make sure the eyes of the nation see the true stories of their historic Charlotte neighborhood.

“For a lot of people this is one of Charlotte’s best kept secrets,” said Dr. Laurie Porter, a professor of Mass Media Communications at JCSU.

Dr. Porter is heading up the new RUN DNC 2012 website.

The site was created by volunteers and highlights the history of the westside.

It includes a compilation of videos, interviews and pictures submitted by students who interview westside residents.

Students also share their own stories on videos they created themselves.

To view more student videos, log onto http://run-dnc-2012.org/ and click on the youtube icon.

(WBTV)