“We Are Here” Stories (List View)

Palm Beach County 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.

The stories and micro-narratives they submitted (as part of the We Are Here SenseMaker project) are listed below. Click ZOOM IN to learn more about the community member and how they interpreted their submission. NOTE: Some stories were partially transcribed by volunteers who shortened the narratives and referred to the storytellers in the third person (e.g., “her experience was” instead of “my experience was”).


Nov 16, 2018

Difference in the city- Rickia Petty

Growing up out west of boynton made me looked at definitely than i would look if i was to live east i know this because i had family who lived further east and i notice when i went over. There was fights and everything on the east side also more African Americans when i came to my side there were more white people.
Sep 18, 2018

The Neighborhood

Growing up as a kid me and my neighborhood we’re one. All the kids knew each other we knew each-other parents and the neighborhood was like one big family.Growing my single mother would struggle financially.But we always ate and had a roof over our heads because our neighbors would help my mother. Our neighbors would help no matter the issue or problem we considered ourselves a family.
Sep 26, 2018

Clean up the streets

What it’s like living in my neighborhood.Well you have 10th ave where the young boys sell drugs and the park where we have our little league football. Things bad around here no structure at all. Hopefully we can come together one day and clean up the streets .
Sep 19, 2018

Growing up (Story #493)

Growing up in my community was going good at first but than it slanted. Things started to feel off but one day I seen this. Kid on the news he died because i fatal shoot out was happening. Around his neighborhood
Mar 16, 2019

Teacher’s Choice

When she was a dance teacher and she had to help her dancers understand all the good things that come from this small town and how it builds character.
Mar 4, 2019

How I became me

Going to College Changed my life.