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 sister got me a custodial job at a school for 5 years. I had a daughter so then I worked for the state driving a school bus, then I got disabled after 17 years. If I had stayed in the corn fields I wouldn’t be here today. You know when we were living in the projects there were kid shelters, and then they were jus stick houses, and then they had labor homes (duplexes kinda), then they built brick projects houses (for rent). Then they threw us out because of my 18 yea r old son. We had a family reunion from the projects, saw children we hadn’t seen in 40 years. We’re having another one next year. We came up a hard way, but we made it.

When my mother kicked me out of the house I spent nights sleeping in a park while trying to finish high school. I had no bed, no shower,and no food.I went back to my old neighborhood and knocked on the door of Ms.T she was a well known lady kind of like the mother of my neighborhood.All I wanted was something to eat. But Ms.T didn’t just give me a meal. She took me into her home, where he had warm food and a roof over his head she treated me like her very own son. She also brought me to church down the street, and helped me find a job and apply for a social security card and my VISA

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.

Going off to college, and meeting others from other neighborhood and making connections. My community prepared me for this.

When my husband decided that our family would move to his hometown of Pahokee, FL. I knew it would be a significant change moving from a metropolitan city, 1,000,000+ to a small city of about 6,000 people. My husbands return home was two fold. He wanted to be close to his family-mother, father, brothers and sister but also wanted to help his community by becoming the Mayor, which meant for him using all that he had learned and experienced, bringing it back home to Pahokee. He was adamant about returning home from the day we met in 1993 at Alabama State University. This was instilled in him from his graduation speech in 1992 at Pahokee High School. What he took away from that speech was that the speaker encouraged them to go out and gain knowledge and experience but don’t forget about returning home to help. From 1992, he kept this in his heart and vowed to return home to help his city.

I live in boca raton a seemingly quiet city with a diverse community. Upon the election back in 2016, everything changed. People started to act rude, disrespectful, obnoxious and violent to anyone who didn’t look like them. The celebration was openly vicious and humiliating. A simple thing like crossing the street or walking in the mall make you feel uncomfortable and that you did not belong. Politics has taken over even the young children have changed their behaviors toward anyone who does not agree with their parents thought process on this election. It has been two years and I silently watch as we return to our normal routines however there is still the feeling of fear and chaos, silently watching and saying extra prayers so that I do not get stopped by law enforcement….It is the most intense feeling living in a place were you can no longer trust the people around you not even the people who are to protect you…….