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.” Explore 50 responses below, selected at random. Which stories capture your attention? (Some responses were transcribed by youth volunteers.) To learn more about the storyteller and how they interpreted their response, click “Zoom In.”
Living life
Although the impact of living in high-poverty neighborhoods has been well documented, it’s hard to fully explain the toll it takes on a person’s body and soul. Frustration over high prices, high bills, and high unemployment rates is worsened by the bane of many a poor community—the local drug economy. Dealing drugs was the neighborhood summer job program. And for many young neighbors who were expelled from school (because administrators are more likely to punish black students than provide more holistic help), the drug trade was less an alternative than an inevitability.
Family and friends
If you ever pass by the Hester you’ll always see kids playing around. The Hester center is the spot to be for kids. That shows how kids today are not always in competition but they are family.
a great send off!
an important moment in my life was the time when all my neighbors and i came toghter andheld a big part for all the graduates in my neighborhood.we all brought them gifts and even put money towards his college experience.
My community (Story #367)
42% the death of a family member or friend, 23% the illness of a family member or friend, and 17% a nonmedical event. During a comprehensive assessment, participants identified the most stressful event that they had experienced in the past 5 years and, subsequently, rated its stressfulness and perceived consequences.
Helpful neighbors- Kene
About a month after moving into my house, it flooded. So at one point we lost our kitchen so our neighbors were nice and fortunate enough to bring us meals.
Life
Important moment in life was getting out of jail. I went to jail when I was younger doing stupid things around the neighborhood. When I look back on it I could of avoided it.
WE love it
Everybody is friendly
The Silents of the Community
My neighborhood is quite rough. There are many crimes they are usually by the same people. I speak to the police but I don’t see everything. I remember coming home from work and finding out about the 10 year old that got killed from a drive by. I know there was a lot of witnesses but they wouldn’t speak to the police that was at least 5 years ago and even now the crime hasn’t been solved.
Get it on my own – Devonte white
Important moment in my life is learning how to provide for myself. I used to depend on my parents to do everything. I had to get off my butt and go work for something
Don’t do things
Growing up in my neighbor hood was bad because it was guns bullets on the floor every morning I was in this small part of town i stayed on cherry hill (that’s what they call the street) it was bad. My mom got tired of it. I wouldn’t want kids doing things they not supposed to be doing
Good of bad
Growing up in Boynton Beach my family and i were close he had a nice relationship because my grandma would never allow anything else we stuck together and it was all love. We lived on “the hill” and there was a lot going on fighting. Violence. But there was also good times.
Doing better
Wildcat games are always the best games. One game they had was just so much fun. Sitting there peacefully watching the boys play brings so much joy. It shows that they are not wasting there time and are actually long something with their lives.
Always listen
Many people may say. Things they don’t mean ! The community I growing up in was a community of violence if you have ever been told to stop doing things please stop when you are told always listen !
Love your moms
Moving out my mom house was important to me.Things can get hard around Boynton so I had to make a way. Even though I moved out my mom still had to help me.
A Hard Life but a Good Ending (Story #47)
My parents were migrant workers and we lived in Okeechobee center Projects. Ive been out here 47 years but moved to NY in 1974. Then moved back t Belle Glade, then I met my husband and now Ive been here for 47 years now. I was a big family everyone showed love. Then my husband died 2016 and I moved into Quiet waters. I remember when there was no Wendy’s, McDonalds or anything here. Just a hospital and one lane road. Now there’s everything. I started work in corn field 1976 and in 1979 I started driving tractors, then my…
Living in proverty
Most Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.Poverty rates are persistently higher in rural and inner city parts of the country as compared to suburban areas.Estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty are nuanced. One organization estimated that in 2015, 13.5% of Americans (43.1 million) lived in poverty
Friends are supportive
I remember my mother died. She was a well known woman around the neighborhood. The day of her funeral there was atleast 200-250 people arrived. I was so shocked. This shows how supportive the people in Boynton are.
Do better
My neighborhood hood was terrible and we loved quick when we realized someone died every week. We didn’t like it and wasn’t what we were used to i was scared to sleep there.
The incident at the corner store
There was recently a shooting at a corner store in the police officer went around asking questions to everyone I stood outside and listen to everyone’s response and every single person said the same thing they didn’t hear anything they didn’t see anything and didn’t know what was going on I did not personally know the person who had got shot but I felt bad because there’s no way this person would get justice with the way everybody was taking the situation and the responses the police officers we’re getting
Delray my community- Kene
I learned that there’s a lot about Delray that I didn’t know, but found out that Delray has a lot of history and is broken down and built based on the history of it. I enjoy taking guest and family members around showing them historical monuments, giving the history of it, and telling them what it’s like living there. It’s amazing how many opportunities are given to people living there.
Living in Belle Glade
This is a very diverse community. A lot of different nationalities. When I came here, I was raised in a community in South Carolina where there wasn’t such a diversity. When I came here, I saw how … a lot of times in a place like this you have to live it to understand it. It’s a community where people get along but I don’t think people are as close as they should be because of their upbringing. It’s very complicated. My brother drove 18 wheelers, filled vegetables from the field and brought them to the plants. I would ride…
LOVE (Story #632)
GROWING UP WAS EVERYTHING I HAD THE NICEST HELPFUL PARENTS THEY GAVE AND HELP ME
My neighborhood-Rickia
I loved my neighborhood minus the violence it has the today the kids are different but there’s always a handful that comes and sit and talk to me. They are sweethearts. Then the others won’t even help themselves.
The man stealing
Growing up I was a Haitian immigrants. in my neighborhood was very rough I was talked about you a lot because my skin tone and how I spoke. one time I was walking anyway and a man was stealing from the store. The police Soon arrived and bodyslammed the man on the ground to simply handcuff him.this wasn’t the first time I seen your officer be extremely rude and rough with someone they were always extremely late and rude in my neighborhood.
Community get together (Story #612)
Afro Arts
Met my soulmate
When I moved down here from North Carolina I was quite scared. My neighbor was very welcoming. She would always check on me and helped arrange my house. Now 10 years later were married with a child. Maybe I should’ve just moved down here way before then.
Delray Beach- Kene
I honestly feel this community is doing well. It’s gotten safer for the kids, way more opportunities have rised, and more jobs are becoming available. The setup is very clean and organized, government officials are doing their jobs, etc
My community (Story #313)
An Important moment in life is when young man and young women getting killed and not having the same rights as white people .living in the ghetto can change a person from having manners to “get rich or die trying “. Therefore many people wouldn’t just go to living in the ghetto you have to change it yourself to prove people wrong.
Violence (Story #609)
Gun violence
Growing Up Without Parents
Losing a mother and being raised by an aunt. This ensured that I had to over come obstacles and pave a way for myself and siblings to get through life.
Living Dreams Through Nightmares
It’ll usually be 5:30 I’m at McDonald’s with my coffee, lab top, and WiFi. It’s a lot of sunshine because I’m on the good side 7:30. Then I start walking to the dark side where you usually see red and yellow tape, blue and red lights. Shaking hands with the good fellows with a smile but also with their hand behind their back having a knife. I hang out talking about sports and life then go to football practice and see bright lights.
My neighborhood (Story #550)
An important moment in my life is when you aren’t feeling safe in your own neighborhood.you can see yourself being scared to come outside because of the killing and drugs people are doing in my neighborhood.people just watch as others use it and watch them ruin their life .
Strong Household
Ms. Mann Was raised with both parents in her life. Has 3 sibling out of the 3 she is the oldest. Growing up with experiences from the Glades area and the East of palm beach county. Through her family unit it has helped develop her into the successful women she is today.
The Field
Once my youth football team no field to play on. My coach tried everything to raise money and get one. He reached out to the Mayor. The mayor helped and got us one.
Choose the right friends
Well growing up in the city of lake worth was bad for me I did drugs at the age of 16 cause my friend put me. On it my story is going to teach you about. How to choose the right friends
The city
Growing up in boynton there’s a lot of important moments. Things are not as good as they used to be around here.when I was younger I was shot 5 times on different occasions.
Lack of support
Family fueds
The day i brought my neighborhood together-Nelcael Joseph
The most important time in my life was when i was able to bring my family together along with my whole community not only was it done by someone in my community but by a female me myself France Haven was able to set up a family fun day within my neighborhood to bring everyone together.
Getting to Know Jupiter
I decided to move to Jupiter three years ago. I didn’t know much about it before but had so much to learn. So many people move to Jupiter and Palm Beach County from out of the state, I learned especially from the northeast. I sought to get to know the community, the good and the bad. I just wonder if the people moving down here do as well?
Education (Story #613)
Going to school here
Effortless
Having no support
a loving village
an important moment in the interviwees life was a time when she was home and there was a fire next door and the whole commu ity came togheter to help the victims rebuild and get back to where they were.
A big difference
The city of lake worth isn’t how it was back than Mexicans were treated wrong, black people was As well people killing kids lake worth needs a big CHANGE!
Basketball
Basketball really save my life. If I wasn’t at the basketball courts I would of been selling drugs.Not that many options around here.
Be forgiven
Growing up in Delray Beach Fl I was always a problem child I brought disappointment to my mom and family than that made me realize that what I did shouldn’t be happening anymore , my mom told me. “Baby don’t do that no more “ that’s the day I smiled remember it like it was yesterday
Lost
Seeing my friend get shot
Let’s make a change
Growing up in palm beach was terrible my mother didn’t like it one bit ! Palm beach was all sorts of bars young teens having babies,gang bangers shooting every night , Palm beach was horrible even for the children.
Moving
Growing up in my neighborhood i was the only white kid there but i tried so hard to fit in. I would just go with the flow of doing what the others did. I couldn’t play football at all and i couldn’t play basketball but that’s something everyone was great at but i was a great runner and when we raced everyone wanted to be on my team or wanted me to be on there’s and it made me feel great
20 years teaching in the glades
Growing up for an interview at P.H.S to be a teacher I had to compete with another teacher and a number of the people in the interview become very good friends and I Romberg the teachers at the cool try to adapt to the school to become a teacher. And I am bless that I been able to teach multiple teachers in the classes. By the time I was retire I was teaching the children and grandchildren of the student I taught
A helping hand
I moved here from Haiti with my grandmother. I was kicked out at 16. Luckily I had friend to help me with money and a job.
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