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.”
A fire that I won’t remember- laroderick richardson
I was playing around and my dad was grilling and the oil and fire got on him so my neighbor took the water hose and cooled him off and it worked and I thanked him so much
Protection
My neighbors would always keep an eye on us to protect and that help me become a good person to watch out for people myself !
All is well
Growing up in my neighborhood wasn’t actually bad all the time., I mean things did happen but there was also some good things going on. I lived in a house with all my brothers and they always looked out for me.
Goods of Delray- Kene
I would just tell them it’s a good place versus west palm beach. The people are friendly. Wrong doing everywhere, but the larger the community, the more stable it is.
1st place
It’s hard to just think about one moment. Everyday life will show you what it’s like. The good and the bad. Boynton is a community, a team, a family. We work hard together to win together.
Snitches get stitches
In my neighborhood there has been many killings, fights all of that. My son was recently killed at a house party. The saddest thing about it was no one seen anything which I don’t believe this community needs to let go of the whole idea “snitches get stitches”
Canidate Supreme Court
The Supreme Court being a candidate
Because of what I look like
I have been stopped by a cop just for walking one day. He stopped got out the car and asked where I was headed. I responded in a polite manner. He continued to watch me and later started to follow me until I went into the store I was headed to. I felt some type of way about this.
Ms.T my Second Mother
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…
Gangs-Rickia
I grew up in a time that gangs became our family and they saved my life. When family couldn’t do for me they did. My mom was on drugs when i was in my early 20s i had a son so i had to get out of it we Destruction peace in my neighborhood
Robbery
I remember one night I heard a lot of movement outside but I shook it off. Ten o heard screaming so I went outside and saw my neighbors got robbed. It frighten me because it could’ve been my house.
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.
Look outs
I started earlyOne of the most important moments in my life was when I met the coach of Carver High Football team. He saw me playing in the streets with my friend and told me I have a talent. Everyday he would pick me and my friends up and take us to football practice and take us home at night Because my parents couldn’t drive and most parents in the neighborhood did not have cars. He remained my coach all the way through high school and help me get a scholarship to go to college. That where I’m from, a…
Rehab-Devonte white
Getting off drugs changed my life. I was on drugs bad and i had to realize who i was. I went to rehab to get my life together and things been good ever sense.
Buying a house- Devonte white
Important moment in my life was buying a house. I saved all my money and worked two jobs to get my own house. I did not want to live with my mom anymore
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.
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
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 .
Accident-Devonte white
I got into a accident when i was walking across the street. Almost caused it my life i been in sharps pains every since. I always think about the situation
My husband- Devonte white
Coming up I had alot of important moments in my life. I was finding my husband and i still remember how theres where. Until he was killed by a drive by shooting.
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 .
Truth, streets, and what comes with it
I saw death the morning of my high school graduation. It let me know about
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
Sadness
Seeing kids in a wheelchair while young.
Something out of nothing
Boynton Beach high schools prom walk through was cancelled. I remember my Bruce being upset about it. Then she got the news that one of the students told everybody that it was at his house. So they all came together to make it a real walk through. This shows how you can make something out of nothing.
Friendly welcome to the neighborhood- Kene
When I moved into my house in my neighborhood, there were neighbors and friends of mine that already lived there that were sitting in my driveway waiting to help me unload my furniture. I didn’t ask for it, but they were just curtious enough to offer me assistance.
The New house !
When my dad told us that we were buying house . It was a great moment for us , because we wanted a bigger room for each of us . We had been sharing the same room between 3 kids. We were super excited when we found out we wouldn’t be sharing rooms anymore. We were happy to see that we had a big yard . But we were sad to leave our old house and neighborhood we lived in. We were excited though to move.
Go get it (Story #128)
I would say maturity was important for me. Because I had to grow up and learn life. Everything was giving to me so at one point I had to go get it .
Happiness- Kene
The birth of my daughter. She motivated me to change my life around to live for her sake.
My community (Story #347)
An important moment in my life is when discussions leads into other things such as fighting and killing.Many people don’t get over the fact that you had an argument and can end with a simple apology but it leads to other dangerous things.
Beautiful Belle Glade
It’s a beautiful community and good environment. It was alright growing up here. We would go to the movies, library and park with my kids. We have a Martin Luther King parade every year we go and watch. The kids really like it they throw candy and have fire trucks.
Good of bad
Growing up in Boynton Beach my family and i were close he had a nice relationship because my grandma would never allow anything else we stuck together and it was all love. We lived on “the hill” and there was a lot going on fighting. Violence. But there was also good times.
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.
Fun days
I grew up in Spartanburg South Carolina it was nothing like it was today. When i was younger around 16 we was aloud to go out and have a good time. When i was 18 me and my cousin went to the pool and we met two guys and they asked if we wanted to go out and we agreed but there was two similar cars and they got out to go get something but i grew impatient. I was in the wrong car blowing the horn and they come out the house and caught me in the car understanding…
My community (Story #317)
Living in my neighborhood is repeated racism and violence all over again .When you’re old and worthless you can’t control the people you want to control, kids are dying slowly because skin color and many hate themselves because of people treating them like they deserve to be treated like that .my community is nothing perfect when it comes from living in the ghetto.
Hard on your own
When I graduate from high school and went to college. I. Was the first in my family go off to school. My family was poor so he will work and different jobs he had to ask for loans. It was very hard.
Changing
Anybody that know my family, know we come from a very religious family. I didn’t understand any of it until I was shot and almost killed by my best friend over a fight about money. We were both living illegally so the police didn’t take us seriously. We both had been in and out of jail but when I almost died I found God for myself, now I live a good life
My neighborhood-Rickia
I loved my neighborhood minus the violence it has the today the kids are different but there’s always a handful that comes and sit and talk to me. They are sweethearts. Then the others won’t even help themselves.
Kitalicious
I came to this town in 7th grade from Riviera. I meshed better with the kids here than in Rivera. There was a big difference from school to school. If iI had stayed in Rivera I do not think that I would be the same person I am today. I know myself better because I moved here.
Family
I used to work in the local corner store. People were also nice to me. We were like family. I would see the same people everyday and we would bond in the course of 5 minutes of them being there.
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
Learn to love
“People may say hurtful things “ growing up a different color doesn’t mean you don’t have different blood
Effortless
Having no support
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.
The day i brought my neighborhood together-Nelcael Joseph
The most important time in my life was when i was able to bring my family together along with my whole community not only was it done by someone in my community but by a female me myself France Haven was able to set up a family fun day within my neighborhood to bring everyone together.
Humor saves lives-Rickia
When I was a teenager, I was the smallest kid in my neighborhood. I got beat up, pushed around and joked on all the time until I learned how to tell jokes and make everyone laugh.
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.
Good and Bad
Growing up round violence. Family Orientation around the community and motivation.
Always stick with your family because family is going to be there for you
The most important moment in my life (I was born and raised in Belle Glade). I lost my mom in 96 by of Belle Glade, an my son and nephew lost to gun violence a few years ago. After all of that, I am still standing, I might stumble, God has carried me. He is always there. Hypertension and diabetes and heart problems went through my family, and God has been there for us. My mom lived 7 years with kidney failure with NO medication. She didn’t suffer when she died. We took care of her and my husband when…
Good. Luck comes sometimes
I’m Boynton Beach I didn’t have work I had to pick up things people threw out that they didn’t want any more So I used to take it to the Junk yard to get paid because I couldn’t get a real job because the people I was gonna work with didn’t like the colored folks .
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