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.”
Forever Service
Growing UP and being reared by my grandmother. She exposed us to numerous things.
Odds and ends
Important moment in my life is when my mom died . I was 22 and was in college I came home and stayed never went back . Since then I found a job and been around the city ever since . Can’t really say it’s bad but it has its negative and positive.
Be smarter
Something that was important in my life while I was growing up ? Let see well when I was in grade school I was always bad in school never really listened to the teachers I only did the things I did cause my friends was laughing and made them laugh I don’t know if I was a class clown or something that just made people laugh but when I always got out of school I used to see these group of man. And they had guns and drugs on them and I asked…
The Tragic Story of the Young Girl
This month there was a young child about 10 that was shot and killed. She was outside playing and there was a drive by which is a regular event we’re I live.It broke my heart there was no eye witnesses. This honestly has to change what happen to that young girl was tragic.
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 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…
Stay in achool
School wasn’t for me so I dropped out I don’t know why I made that choice but it must’ve been because I was. Hanging out with the wrong crowd And I was to busy in the streets instead of the books
Trying to make it.
Moved here in 2013. Went to an eye doctor in 2014 who worked in Pahokee. She scattered the cataract and tried to get it out, but blinded her in one eye. She can’t find stuff in her house and scatters stuff around. Can’t get much help. Grandchildren’s mother was killed by father (drug user), one grandchild works in a clinic in NJ, the other works in transportation. Life is okay, but it could be better. Grandson has two boys, granddaughter childless. Born in Pahokee. Learnt from Aunt and Uncle, didn’t finish school because she had to pick beans. Didn’t think…
THE CHANGE OF THE NEW GENERATION
Around the time I was growing up in the early 2000s my community was very involved in activities around the community and with our kids here. Now in 2019 we cant get that much involvement to support our community and kids.
Thank god i am living in a small community.
I am a tailor. People know me. When i come to belle glade, the community is so close that everyone comes to me. When i am not working in the field this is how i make money. Everybody knows me and my reputation and that is why everyone comes to me regardless of Haitian or American whatever.
My community (Story #365)
An important moment in my life is when someone who you loved the most turns out to be dead or injured.You don’t know how to feel you feel like nobody and this world can’t fix this.My community people would just come to me and say “sorry for your lost” but they know how people can change when someone was injured in their life too
Lost
Seeing my friend get shot
Finally Home
The important moment was when I moved here 2010 from WPB. I was homeless. I had income but it was not enough to find somewhere to live. I was living with several peopele in a room but it didn’t work out and I was kicked out. So then I went to another place, paid my rent and then 3 days he lights went out. And the place was in debt and it was freezing cold and no electricity. I was so distraught, asking my lord to take me. And then I read a newsletter, call and spoke with a woman…
1963’s Boynton
Growing up In Boynton Beach in 1963 it was very tough for a young black person segregation and racism was still in affect and the civil rights were still going on
Great out of the bad
graduating from the university of Florida and wining also the employee of the year and being raised up around the farming and family tight knit community.
a bad night in boynton.
an important moment my interviwees life was. a time back about 10 years ago when she was driving down the street and then out of nowhere her car broke down now this was late at and she says that she was going to walk to a gas station to get gas and when she was walking a group of boys was walking and she was walking for a good while and noticed that they were following her so she decided to cross the street and walk on the other side and thet crossed also, then the group stsrted running after…
Weekend yard work
I have lived in the same place on and off for most of my life with the same neighbor . Maybe about ten years ago sadly her husband past . Now am 42 with a son so what we do on weekends we cut her grass for her like he husband use to do .
Mlk March-Rickia
I can remember the neighborhood coming together to watch the Mlk March and all my friends came over with they grandma because back then everyone couldn’t afford a tv
The cop
One time I was driving home from work and a police officer pulled me over because he claimed my window tents were too dark. he asked me to step out the car and when I stepped out the car he roughly pulled me and put me in handcuffs. He later explained that he also thought my car was stolen.This happens very often were in from many cops racially profile people and miss treat them especially in my neighborhood I was probably the 30th incident.
Caught on camera
One day my House was robbed. I realized my necklace was missing then later realized things in my closet were gone and disarranged. I looked at my camera footage and realized teens broke into my house while gone.
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.
Changebis needed
Being stopped by the police all the time because of what I look like. Police love stopping and asking questions. Not matter what the age. But it does matter what the color. That needs to change.
Family is everything
I come from west of Delray where we worked the fields. I remember when I was young our neighborhood would have large dinners after church but you can’t do that anymore because parents these days don’t go to church and we wonder why it’s so much disrespect and killings. We forgot that the community is family and with out it everything is going to crumble.
LOVE (Story #632)
GROWING UP WAS EVERYTHING I HAD THE NICEST HELPFUL PARENTS THEY GAVE AND HELP ME
The Day at the Store
I Remember as a young adult about 18-20 when me and my mother were at a local store and I was referred to as “boy” by a white man. My mother didn’t react calmly at all to this she yelled at the man for his disrespectful attitude and words. At first I had no clue why my mother would react like that.As time passed by and I grew older I realized she felt him calling me a “boy”was degrading. Because our past during segregation she explained how that reference would always be degrading no mater what.
Don’t become
Growing was odd for me I was thinking that if I do this I’ll become better but me doing it didn’t make me come better it made me. A threat to the system now I can’t get the job I want all because I seen the. Grown ups doing things
Do the right thing (Story #459)
One shooting happens then later on another shooting happens. Why is this gun violence going on for. This should be stopped. That’s could’ve been one of my grandchild or anybody else’s. Kids need to stopped taking life for granted and d the right thing.
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.
Dead Delray (Story #0)
The world is just corrupted. This is crazy the direction we’re going right now, I can’t say nothing good. They want to fight, they want to hurt each other. Not Delray, Boca, Boynton, no good is left around anymore. People don’t help each other anymore, everyone is like crabs.
Leaving
Growing up in boynton was kinda tough. I had to get my family from around here .To many drugs and murders. Everyday I’m worried about my kids when they go outside ,and it shouldn’t be that way
Hard work (Story #129)
Important moment was getting my first car. That opened up my world and got me more opportunities. I was able to go to a different school which was better than the one the kids went to and I found a job. I did all this before I graduated high school
Pioneers on the move.
I grew up in a close knit farming community where everyone knew one another. My families origin goes back to my great grandmother migrating to the Glades from Eleuthera, Bahamas in 1897 to Pahokee. Most families traveled to the Glades seeking work.
Violence (Story #609)
Gun violence
Sports (Story #452)
Getting into sports was important in my life. It’s wasn’t that many options for me because I didn’t want to be a doctor or anything. So I played sports to keep me off the streets.
What glitters isn’t gold
I am well known in my neighborhood. I have lived many places because of the hype others speak about but I always end up back here where it all started. Many places had nice homes, scenery and a lot of people but those places were missing Soul and Character. Here I have my family and my church and at this age that’s all I need
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.
Become the better person
It’s either life can take down the good road or the bad on you choose what road you wanna take See me my choice was that I took the bad road I’ve been in prison for 17 years got out 2015 the way I grew up was horrible mother being on crack ,sister having a baby at teen age , becoming a drug dealer I have been doing things I regret cause what situation I’m in right now is worst that’s why I want better for the Young’s kids that’s around me
Old school
The police said he grew up in clewston he said it was great they helped one another when you get into trouble from with your neighbor you get in trouble at home
My community (Story #57)
An important moment in my life that would help someone is you see when your community is slowly changing into segregation but can also be a good community too . You see what caused people to kill and abused each other. Living in a terrible neighborhood with violence can caused all danger to the community. My community is a place with dangerous people who do drugs but can also help each other out . The community I lived in is were you can say “ help a brother out “to “*gunshots”.
The House Fire
In my neighborhood we view each other as a big family. I remember when my close friend that also lives in my neighborhood house caught on fire. The church and community as a whole decide to help her and her whole family get back on their feet.
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.
Boys to brothers- Nelcael Jospeh
In my neighborhood there was not so many girls so when i wanted to go outside and play there was so many boys and i remember one day they actually let me play with them and we all became friends then they became like brothers to me and i was about to go on a date one time when i got older and they all came down the street to see who it was and what his name was it was cute and funny at the same time
Canidate Supreme Court
The Supreme Court being a candidate
In my community
We came closest to integration in 1988, when nearly half of all African-American children attended majority white schools. Since then, districts have been casting off federal court orders like rusted shackles. The result, a Government Accountability Office report found in the spring of 2016, the number of African American and Hispanic students attending segregated schools is rapidly growing.
Go get it (Story #219)
Important moment is when my friends started going to jail or getting killed. Around here it’s not that many options. You just have to find a way to go get what you want whether it’s good or bad.
Moslead
Well growing up in my neighborhood i had a sister and brother and my mother didn’t take care of me. Her mother did but there was a lot of that going on back then where mothers didn’t raise there children and i feel like that’s a major issues that’s why we have so many mislead children in the current generation
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.
Support (Story #618)
Community get together
Success and growth
Ver good community with community with a lot of potential
Don’t judge
Well when I was going to lake worth high school it wasn’t a school for black kids it was on a segregated school Due to the people around us our community was dying no one liked the colored folks
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