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.”
Can’t take the muck out of the muck.
You could make a living. If you wanted to work, there was work. Finished high school (Lakeshore, 67). Moved to Hartford, CT. 8 siblings. Spent half his life here. Tired of cold weather up north. Retired and came home. Has two kids (grown up). It’s home.
Love and cherish
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.
What glitters isn’t gold
I am well known in my neighborhood. I have lived many places because of the hype others speak about but I always end up back here where it all started. Many places had nice homes, scenery and a lot of people but those places were missing Soul and Character. Here I have my family and my church and at this age that’s all I need
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.
Value -Rickia
I mean pretty much what my sister said our family was very loving we had everything we needed when we were struggling we didn’t even notice my family with a great family and we stuck together through everything we kept our business out of the streets
Go get it (Story #219)
Important moment is when my friends started going to jail or getting killed. Around here it’s not that many options. You just have to find a way to go get what you want whether it’s good or bad.
Youth Growing up in The Heart of Boynton
Growing up in the heart of Boynton Beach and a young man was challenging for me. I grew up in a home with no positive male figures and no positive role models. I was raised by a single parent and it was no easy task. My mother did the best she could with the limited resources she had.
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.
The Day at the Store
I Remember as a young adult about 18-20 when me and my mother were at a local store and I was referred to as “boy” by a white man. My mother didn’t react calmly at all to this she yelled at the man for his disrespectful attitude and words. At first I had no clue why my mother would react like that.As time passed by and I grew older I realized she felt him calling me a “boy”was degrading. Because our past during segregation she explained how that reference would always be degrading no mater what.
My move to Pahokee, FL
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…
My community (Story #390)
There were about 643,000 sheltered and unsheltered homeless people nationwide in January 2009. Almost two-thirds stayed in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program and the other third were living on the street, in an abandoned building, or another place not meant for human habitation.
Eric Armor
Many people are afraid to walk outside some are even afraid to walk their dog.but when you realize it’s your NEIGHBORHOOD you can control it yourself you can make it a better town than people who are afraid too.
Family is everything
I come from west of Delray where we worked the fields. I remember when I was young our neighborhood would have large dinners after church but you can’t do that anymore because parents these days don’t go to church and we wonder why it’s so much disrespect and killings. We forgot that the community is family and with out it everything is going to crumble.
Different lifestyle
When I young living in my neighborhood was different from today. We couldn’t do the things that the young people do today. The white kids had more privilege then us blacks we couldn’t even go to the beach.
Trying to make it.
Moved here in 2013. Went to an eye doctor in 2014 who worked in Pahokee. She scattered the cataract and tried to get it out, but blinded her in one eye. She can’t find stuff in her house and scatters stuff around. Can’t get much help. Grandchildren’s mother was killed by father (drug user), one grandchild works in a clinic in NJ, the other works in transportation. Life is okay, but it could be better. Grandson has two boys, granddaughter childless. Born in Pahokee. Learnt from Aunt and Uncle, didn’t finish school because she had to pick beans. Didn’t think…
My brothers -Devonte white
Coming up i had a lot of brothers so i can say they was important to me. They protected me and always made sure i was straight. I don’t really know where i would be without them.
Growing up in Boynton Beach (Story #326)
Growing up in Boynton Beach in 1963 it was very tough for a young black person and racism was very strong in Boynton Beach
Growing Up Without Parents
Losing a mother and being raised by an aunt. This ensured that I had to over come obstacles and pave a way for myself and siblings to get through life.
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
Living life
Although the impact of living in high-poverty neighborhoods has been well documented, it’s hard to fully explain the toll it takes on a person’s body and soul. Frustration over high prices, high bills, and high unemployment rates is worsened by the bane of many a poor community—the local drug economy. Dealing drugs was the neighborhood summer job program. And for many young neighbors who were expelled from school (because administrators are more likely to punish black students than provide more holistic help), the drug trade was less an alternative than an inevitability.
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.
The Early Life
I grew up in Plains, GA. I grew up with Jimmy Carter. Plains was a little town and everybody knew everybody. Black and white did not make a difference. My brothers and Jimmy used to play together. We all worked in the fields together.
Halloween in delray
Last Halloween we went to our neighbors house and we had a thousand homes in our community and a lot of young families halloween is a good event in our community my neighborhood is friendly oriented and family oriented and have lots of fun
Love. Your mom
Well growing up was pretty hard for me my mom didn’t always have the bills paid on time didn’t always Keep a house but. One I got really tired of it and started doing things I regret instead of waiting for her to get right and me getting a job
My child
Important moment in my life was having my first child . He changed my life in a way. With out him I would of been in the streets of boynton running wild
The Tragic Story of the Young Girl
This month there was a young child about 10 that was shot and killed. She was outside playing and there was a drive by which is a regular event we’re I live.It broke my heart there was no eye witnesses. This honestly has to change what happen to that young girl was tragic.
a bad night in boynton.
an important moment my interviwees life was. a time back about 10 years ago when she was driving down the street and then out of nowhere her car broke down now this was late at and she says that she was going to walk to a gas station to get gas and when she was walking a group of boys was walking and she was walking for a good while and noticed that they were following her so she decided to cross the street and walk on the other side and thet crossed also, then the group stsrted running after…
Dangerous community- Kene
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.
Concrete Jungle
My cousin got arrested for selling drugs.
Great Place
Overall the community is great great family oriented neighborhood where everyone knows each other.
Living in Belle Glade
This is a very diverse community. A lot of different nationalities. When I came here, I was raised in a community in South Carolina where there wasn’t such a diversity. When I came here, I saw how … a lot of times in a place like this you have to live it to understand it. It’s a community where people get along but I don’t think people are as close as they should be because of their upbringing. It’s very complicated. My brother drove 18 wheelers, filled vegetables from the field and brought them to the plants. I would ride…
Happiness- Kene
The birth of my daughter. She motivated me to change my life around to live for her sake.
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…
The Fundraiser
I am very close to everyone in my community. I’ve been battling pneumonia and leukemia for many years now and my insurance stop paying for a lot of my hospital funds.My Neighbors and community as a whole raised money for me. They raised at least $78,000 to help me pay my hospital bills.
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
We’re Doing Good
It’s nice living here, but the past… you don’t want to know. Now it’s nice. No break ins, no stealing… everyone gets along.
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…
The right track-laroderick rickstdson
I grew up in the trenches I was selling dope and getting bad grades in school and the someone wanted to put me on the path to success and I was not selling dope and I was getting good grades
Life in Pahokee
The most important moment in my life were having my children. The hospital is now closed and it has really effected our community. We now have to drive to Belle Glade for healthcare. I came here in November 1970, married here in 1974. The roads on the way to my house have been needing fixing for years and nothing has been done. All the other roads have been fixed but they don’t care about ours in East Lake Village. I like Pahokee, its a nice quiet neighborhood. It’s not all that hustling and bustling like a big city.
The Wrong Guy
I’m sure there are many stories like this one because of the ridiculous amount of police brutality incidents. I had let my grandson use my car to run a few errands. He soon return the car to me but while returning the car to me he got into a incident with a police officer right in my driveway. The police officer roughly grabbed my grandson out my car although i did tell the officer the car wasn’t stolen it was for me and I let him use it. He threw him on the ground and left him with a…
Changes from the past to present
From the past to right now the family values have changed. Back then the community raised us. People used to watch the kids. Athletics have decreased.
Family and friends
If you ever pass by the Hester you’ll always see kids playing around. The Hester center is the spot to be for kids. That shows how kids today are not always in competition but they are family.
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.
Get it on your own
Getting my first job was a important moment in my life living around here . Nobody will give you anything , so I had to go get it. It made me a better person and now I live comfortably
Work for it
Buying my first house was a important moment in my life. Everything I got I had to work for it.nobody won’t give you anything around here.
Success and growth
Ver good community with community with a lot of potential
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.
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
Odds and ends
Important moment in my life is when my mom died . I was 22 and was in college I came home and stayed never went back . Since then I found a job and been around the city ever since . Can’t really say it’s bad but it has its negative and positive.
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 .
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