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.”
Coming to the city
I was in Haiti .Things was really hard so my family moved to the states and ended up in Boynton Beach. Things was different but was accepted it. All of crime and police lights.
Rip daddy
Important moment in my life was losing my father. When he left my life I had to survive in this neighborhood alone.its a pretty ruff neighborhood I needed my dad for certain things.
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.
Make the right friends
An important day in my life was when I first got out of prison Life wasn’t always great for me and it wasn’t always good but when I went down that bad road and had the wrong friends I was in and out of jail I was selling drugs Things was just bad for me don’t need you guys making the same mistake I made
Pride- Devonte white
My pride was a big part if my life.It was so many times where my pride played a part in my life. It has got me in trouble and out of trouble
The PK dike
Going fishing
My community is a a blessing
My community is a blessing and is so nice. When you are down, someone will help you up. I’ve lived here my whole life and my children want me to move to WPB or Wellington but I don’t want to. It’s so nice growing up here. My children came last week and took me out to eat for my birthday. My sister lives nearby and we see each other often.
Helpful neighbors- Kene
About a month after moving into my house, it flooded. So at one point we lost our kitchen so our neighbors were nice and fortunate enough to bring us meals.
Do the right thing (Story #610)
Don’t run from police
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…
Back then
Living in my neighborhood things have changed alot. I remember when it was ok to just sit outside your house,no u have to worry about these kids killing each other.
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.
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.
a loving village
an important moment in the interviwees life was a time when she was home and there was a fire next door and the whole commu ity came togheter to help the victims rebuild and get back to where they were.
Friends are supportive
I remember my mother died. She was a well known woman around the neighborhood. The day of her funeral there was atleast 200-250 people arrived. I was so shocked. This shows how supportive the people in Boynton are.
The Family Way
Great support system, everyone treats each other like family.
Agriculture
Fields
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.
Things get better
I was born in a housing project.That’s where I lived with my family until I was 9.But life didn’t get better when we moved.In fact, we moved to a worse public housing project.I stayed there until I was 18, which is when I left for college. Since then, I’ve only been back three times and none in the last decade.
Living in a community like mines
More and more Americans who struggle to get by are living in these marginalized, disinvested communities where jobs and educational opportunities are scarce, and an increasingly militarized police force is the primary contact residents have with government.
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.
Do better
My neighborhood hood was terrible and we loved quick when we realized someone died every week. We didn’t like it and wasn’t what we were used to i was scared to sleep there.
Concrete Jungle
My cousin got arrested for selling drugs.
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 !
Belle Glade should be a better city
I wish the community was better. They need to get more resources. More places for people to go. Not much is in Belle Glade to do and enjoy. You can make a living in Belle Glade. I moved from Georgia in 2001. I liked Georgia better because it was cheaper. But I still like it here. A young boy got killed back in 2016. He was running and the police shot him 3-4 times. We need more enforcement here in Belle Glade, because that’s not supposed to happen. The officer is still in the force. The force used to be…
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
The right thing
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.
Not the same
Things changed out here , the streets used to be full of kids. Now days kids are getting killed and on all type of drugs. Things have got tougher around here also. The community can’t come together for nothing .
Get it on my own – Devonte white
Important moment in my life is learning how to provide for myself. I used to depend on my parents to do everything. I had to get off my butt and go work for something
The Church
I have 4 kids and a while ago I was being evicted from my house. I had been laid off and just started a temporary job and I just wasn’t making enough to pay all the bills. I was ashamed with my situation but spoke to my pastor and prayed about it. My church donated money to me and help me keep my house. Now I have a new good paying job and a brand new family my church.
Bullys-Devonte white
Coming up i was a big bully and I realized i hurt many people. My peoples always told me to be kind to people but i never listened. Now my son is dealing with bullies at school
Scary story- Rickia Petty
I was in my room and playing cards then my friend ran in yelling my name i was confused he said they found a dead body i said a dead body? He said a dead body i said where they said in a lake they went to the scene but my mom said i couldn’t go
Scared
I never thought me growing up was so ruff for me. My mom and dad died in a car accident. I was raised by my grandparents raised me until they past away I been living from house to house in finish house still didn’t go off to college .
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
A big difference
The city of lake worth isn’t how it was back than Mexicans were treated wrong, black people was As well people killing kids lake worth needs a big CHANGE!
Appreciation
Learning from the people around you.I was raised in up state New York in a strict Catholic surroundings. It was not until I moved to Boynton Beach that I got to experience and appreciate life and what it had to offer.
The Ghetto
My House was shot at
Do the right thing (Story #459)
One shooting happens then later on another shooting happens. Why is this gun violence going on for. This should be stopped. That’s could’ve been one of my grandchild or anybody else’s. Kids need to stopped taking life for granted and d the right thing.
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.
Delray Beach- Kene
I honestly feel this community is doing well. It’s gotten safer for the kids, way more opportunities have rised, and more jobs are becoming available. The setup is very clean and organized, government officials are doing their jobs, etc
The incident at the corner store
There was recently a shooting at a corner store in the police officer went around asking questions to everyone I stood outside and listen to everyone’s response and every single person said the same thing they didn’t hear anything they didn’t see anything and didn’t know what was going on I did not personally know the person who had got shot but I felt bad because there’s no way this person would get justice with the way everybody was taking the situation and the responses the police officers we’re getting
God bless
No mother should have to bury their child. The shooting that happened about a month ago in my area where I stay devastated a lot of people including me. I did not know the family but I supported them.
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.
“Mama always said”
Everything my mama warned me about came true. So listen to everything and speak on nothing. That was the most important thing because of what was going on and i saw my sister not listen to anything as i listened to everything and long story short my me and my sister now live two totally different lifestyles
My community (Story #553)
Living in a poor neighborhood can change everything , Among the younger generation, the same number of black children continued to grow up in the very poorest neighborhoodsNothing had changed.Many people live in a bad neighborhood to save money but many people live in bad neighborhoods because they don’t want to let go of the past yet
Growing up in Boynton Beach (Story #417)
Growing up in Boynton Beach it was tough because segregation was hectic!
The good life
Just the daily life in my neighborhood shows how it’s like. My life is peaceful. As long as I’ve lived in Boynton Beach I’ve encountered no problems. Life seems to be great.
Basketball- Devonte white
I believe basketball was a important moment for me . It changed my life so many ways. It taught me things i can also use in life
The officer
One time I had an altercation with a racist police officer. He pulled me over and was talking to me very aggressively and rude. He pulled me out the car although I was already complying and stepping out the car. He acted like this because he believed my car didn’t belong to me he assumed it was stolen.
Learn to love
“People may say hurtful things “ growing up a different color doesn’t mean you don’t have different blood
Refresh the page to see another random set of stories or view the stories and micro-narratives in a list.