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.”
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
The Care and Feed of Grandfathers.
Came here from Lantana and lived here since 1970. Ran service desks in Lantana, but business became difficult and would have to borrow money to keep it running. Didn’t want to do that. Had two small kids to support and be around. Came out here quite by accident. Called out to a mechanic job in the area he found in the newspaper. Discovered Pahokee when he came down, and decided to move the whole family here. When he came down here, someone helped him out to pay off his dying business. He was lucky. Started working here, and living in…
Finding me
I remember this time when one of my friends chose not to go to school everywhere they went they saw the same person by the time they got home their parents knew they had not gone to school this person informed their parents they were not in school. So this shows how people in the community look out for each other’s kids.
Ocean life-Rickia
I have been following oceans and water since I could remember. I now live on the ocean where I can wake up to the sound of the water everyday. When I was a child my father introduced me to this life because he was in the military and traveled and moved a lot. When I had my family I choose to settle in a small community close to the ocean.
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.
Make something out of it
Living around here isn’t really as bad as people make it seem. Yes there’s drugs and murders and bad things going on but if you are focused on a goal u should have a good outcome. Many people make it out the hood that’s why I push my kids to be something in life.
We gotta do better
This did not happen in my life but it affected me. A young boy was shot and killed in Boynton Beach. Now I didn’t know him but I miss him. What if that was my son or nephew. We gotta do better.
Pray for the best
Me having kids is an important moment. Everybody in Boynton knows what it’s like having to raise your kids. Worrying when they put if they safe or in trouble. All we do is pray for the best lives for our child.
Stay safe (Story #204)
Well I was Always good in my neighborhood it was my grandchildren that wasn’t they left me they didn’t want to come see me. Because all the violence that was going on. Mother and farther got tired of it tired of them crying
Forever Service
Growing UP and being reared by my grandmother. She exposed us to numerous things.
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.
Different but normal- Kene
I help everybody. Help out the less fortunate with whatever I can. Teach kids not to smoke, would trade my life to save a child’s. When I’m rich, I’d like to give kids little puppies, teach them responsibility. No exaggeration!
Concrete Jungle
My cousin got arrested for selling drugs.
The good life
Just the daily life in my neighborhood shows how it’s like. My life is peaceful. As long as I’ve lived in Boynton Beach I’ve encountered no problems. Life seems to be great.
Giving back to the community- Kene
In my community right now in boynton, I’m a deacon at church of God in boynton, we try to help the community in any way we can, bring people closer to Christ. We have street services around the community to try to strengthen their connection with God. I try to be as helpful as I can cause not everyone is as fortunate.
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?
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”.
What’s like living terribly
Outsiders often criticized Eastside residents for not taking care of their own community, or not doing enough to stymie the drug trafficking. This victim-blaming ignored the roots of the drug problem—the lack of opportunity, racism, and economic forces outside of residents’ control—and it ignored the role that outsiders played.
The Rough Neighborhood
I lived in a very rough neighborhood. There were often shootings and police officers knocking on doors to ask questions. Many times everyone seen the scene but would never speak on it. There was at least 3-7 shootings in a month. Till this day the neighborhood is the same.
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.
Accused for nothing
I was driving to the corner store and came across a police scene. I walk inside and asked what’s going on. The clerk says that it’s nothing they just came outta do nowhere and started bothering the folks outside. No violence or disruptions going on but they were being harassed.
Beatrice Elma
How the violence’s has increased, and the Judges live in a different world to us, plus wars are still ongoing just to please a few, very worried for our young people and grandchildren what lay’s ahead for them.Plus the lack of justices to those who have sex with children, that’s a no go zone for me.
Elizabeth Alice Green story
Back than many people didn’t know what to think because their was so many different things going around in our community and we didn’t know what to do so many people just hope that it would make our community great and some bad .slavery back than would be the caused for all what bad things in our community that is still today .our community didn’t changed .
Hard times
Growing up in Boynton Beach wasn’t so easy. I been on my own since 16 years old. I have had me ups and downs but I still push through.
Good community (Story #458)
I agree with the previous person. You can’t base how the neighborhood is off of one moment. Not all moments are good and not all of them are bad. From the Boynton I know we have our ups and downs but we will always be a good community.
Stay in school (Story #59)
Well In the city of lake worth I wasn’t always a good kid I used to be in and out of jail when I was young . I played with guns and went back and forth with young gang member The world that we live in today may not be as bad as it was growing up
It’s life
My race has always given me a problem. Police always tend to look me up and down. Stop me in stores and ask questions. No specific moment but jut life in general.
Protection-Rickia
See me i was the man of the house my father wasn’t there he was a coward and we are from boynton but we moved to the other side this was a little bit less than what i had expected and i would do things a man supposed to do in the house to make sure my mom and my sisters were ok and in around the 90s i started selling drugs i had my own house by this time but not to far from my mom and sisters. I remember her calling me late at night saying they were…
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
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.
Not the same
Things changed out here , the streets used to be full of kids. Now days kids are getting killed and on all type of drugs. Things have got tougher around here also. The community can’t come together for nothing .
Value- Rickia petty
I grew up in a great neighborhood. I had a lot of family around me and we all stuck together. You would never have known we didn’t have a lot.
Love (Story #490)
When I first found love I know many people may not trust a lot of people in this world but if you just take one time out your life to get to know some one you will have an awesome day that day getting to know some one is building you a bond slowly and slowly many my be depressed but you can take the sad ness away
My community (Story #387)
In 2011, child poverty reached record high levels, with 16.7 million children living in food insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels.A 2013 UNICEF report ranked the U.S. as having the second highest relative child poverty rates in the developed world.According to a 2016 study by the Urban Institute, teenagers in low income communities are often forced to join gangs, save school lunches, sell drugs or exchange sexual favors because they cannot afford food.
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
Working for my future.
Watching my parents work so hard to provide us with the most they could. Unfortunately we did not have a lot like others. My parents didn’t make enough income to provide us with our wants, but we were just thankful that my parents were able to provide us with a home, food and clothing. For school I remember being bullied because I wore a lot of hand me downs and not being vocal or tough. Also, we did not have transportation for school so I would walk and get to school sweaty. Yes, we struggled but our parents taught us…
What’s done is done- Rickia
I remember when my grandfather told me to live life because when its all over and done, it is all over and done. You die with all the dreams you have ever dreamed, so make your life count. It was bad in my neighborhood. We couldn’t even speak to kids that was your color, but when it is all said and done it is only on heaven and one hell.
Sports (Story #181)
Playing sports was a important moment in my life.It kept me off the streets and focused on something. Most of my friends was in the streets and now they dead or in jail .
Made it happen
My home situation was slightly better than average when compared to the typical ghetto home life.My mom didn’t always work, but she took temporary work when she could and I never went hungry.
Life after school- Kene
When I was growing up I was always home alone. My mom worked 6 days a week from about 10am to 10pm so I was normally by myself. Sometimes some of the bad kids from the neighborhood would come around and I would pretend I wasn’t home because if I opened the door and they knew I was alone, then they would likely come into my house and take or do whatever they wanted.
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
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.
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.
Spooky
Dangerous
Sadness
Seeing kids in a wheelchair while young.
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
Weight
Growing up was not so hard but I went through the struggle with my family and friends .
Great Place
Overall the community is great great family oriented neighborhood where everyone knows each other.
My Missing Sister
Well the neighborhood I lived in was kind of small and my little sister who has special needs went missing only for a few hours. She was gone for about 3-4 hours she was 13 at the time. I went around my entire neighborhood looking for my sister with my mother. After, knocking door to door about 10 members of my community decide to help me and my mom search for my sister. One of the neighbors that was helping us search for her found here at a near by park.
Dreams-Rickia
I grew up in very negative environment. My father drank a lot and took it out on my mother. I remember telling myself at a very young age that I would marry a man that loved me and my family, I would have a healthy environment for my family and we would enjoy life to the fullest and I created that and more
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