When I was 16 I saw someone get killed. After that I knew the neighborhood wasn’t safe. I told myself that when I get older I’m going to do the right thing.

Growing up I was always a quite person never liked to talk to any one but when I met this one person. He told me that I should hang out with him at this time I was in high school I went on all type of dangerous places somewhere I wouldn’t want young men’s going or ladies. Many may say that’s what I chose but. If I can time travel I would.

It was 3-4 years ago, when I first moved here back to Delray. We’ve just recently purchased, and moved into the home, when a deadly shooting happened down the street. I remember prepping the kids for church, while my husband was outside waiting when we heard gun shots go off, following police sirens a few seconds after. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable living in an area like this, and I dislike it, but sometimes life just tosses you around, and you gotta go with the flow.

Growing up in a poor community. Pakhoke was a large work camp. The community raised the children. My mother did farm work. There was no violence. We were taught principles to work for what we want and … We were raised in the church. We love Pahokee, but now it’s sad to see what Pahokee has become as the jobs have moved out. There are broken families, not enough food to eat, not enough guidance for the younger generation. We need to work to enjoy life and earn what we get. There are few kids to have the opportunity to flourish now. I just moved back from Wellington. There is more structure there than here for the kids, especially those who need extra guidance. I would like to see a community center to help the kids with homework and keep the kids from getting into mischief. The kids are falling into traps looking for guidance and we are losing them to the streets and trouble. It’s sad. I could tell you lots of stories good and bad, butI would like to see Pahokee flourish again. It’s going to take more than what we got. Our government leaders are not cutting it. Outsiders come in to help but they are still leaving the community naked. We used to have our own police officers. They knew everyone and were able to deescalate conflict. Everyone respected them because they are our community members. Now the police come from WPB. They do not know us. Some are good, but some I do not trust. Here in Pahokee, we tend to take to people we trust. I hope Pahokee can bounce back.

I have been here since 1991 and I like living in the glades because everything is so close and I know where to go if I have a problem and my neighbors i can interact with. My brother and I were sick and all the people in the glades were always there to care for me, to take me to the hospital, and to take care of us. If it weren’t for the people of glades we wouldn’t be alive. Belle glade is a perfect place for me to live because without an education I can work in the fields as a migrant worker and take care of my kids in haiti

Growing up in my neighborhood was fun we had lots of fun but segregation was not too far over. So my grandparents still didn’t let me go outside with them and i didn’t live with my mother i saw no wrong with the white kids but she believed that they looked down on us.