The history of Indianapolis' Near Westside, its residents, and the Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus, demonstrates how disenfranchisement, economic injustice, and spatial injustice intricately intertwine higher education institutions and residential communities. Where homes once stood, now stand institutions of higher learning, specifically--Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). Over ten thousand African American residents were displaced for the construction of the IUPUI campus. Community-university partnerships are viewed as one of the most viable pathways to position institutions as change agents, as well as opportunities to strengthen relationships with community agencies and pursue institutional advancement. While this benefits institutions, it can marginalize and mute community partners and their experiences in the partnership development process. Using social capital theory and critical urban theory (CUT), this descriptive, multiple-site case study will address how historic trauma, specifically histories of displacement, influences and impacts how community center leadership navigate present-day partnership development with higher education institutions. Leadership at four community centers across the Indianapolis Near Westside were interviewed for this study. Three major findings emerge from this study. First, partnership scope, design, and execution reflect the philosophies, personalities, and educational backgrounds of community center leadership. Second, relationships are built with people, not institutions. Key institutional figures function as relationship brokers, gatekeepers, and tour guides that assist community center leadership in navigating complex university infrastructure. Third, ahistorical approaches are most often applied to partnership development. Present-day focus to community needs, grants and other external resources, and most often drive project development, with little or no discussion of historic events that impact communities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]