“We Are Here” Stories (List View)

Palm Beach County residents were asked:

Please tell us about an important moment in your life that would help someone understand what it’s like living in your neighborhood.

The stories and micro-narratives they submitted (as part of the We Are Here SenseMaker project) are listed below. Click ZOOM IN to learn more about the community member and how they interpreted their submission. NOTE: Some stories were partially transcribed by volunteers who shortened the narratives and referred to the storytellers in the third person (e.g., “her experience was” instead of “my experience was”).


Oct 5, 2018

Love and cherish

I have a great neighborhood. Recently when I lost my wife everyone came together and took care of me for months. I had been married for 52 years and they knew how important she is to me.
Sep 12, 2018

Stay in school kids

Listen back when I was child I hated school but when my mom told me “boy you better love school don’t ever let me catch that come out your mouth again” I dropped out right after she told me I had tons of friends but school is important because you’ll need in life. , counting money , reading books and getting good jobs
Nov 5, 2018

Big world

Important moment in my life is when I got accepted into college. My main goal was to get away from boynton. My grandparents always told me to go out and see the world.
Oct 5, 2018

My neighborhood (Story #340)

I have to lived my lifeI have been living in my neighborhood every since I was a child. I grew up here, Raised my children here and retired here. I grew up in a timely when neighbors cared your children and everyone cared for each other. Went all African-American children went to one school and church was of the upmost importance.
Sep 12, 2018

Always forgive those who must be forgiven

Some times I think about the past how It used to be How people treated us cause I was coming up black people told me in lake worth that I wouldn’t be anything cause I was black cause I didn’t have any lack of knowledge , they said hurtful things that hurts till this day
Sep 15, 2018

Don’t do nothing

Growing up in boynton wasn’t always the best we didn’t have the school we wanted we was in and out of Trouble my brother and I Was Trouble makers