“We Are Here” Story Collection

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.”

Change for the better (Story #457)

An important moment in my life is when my son graduated. He used to always be in trouble and up to no good. By him graduated it shows that people can change and that Boynton is not all bad.
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Social culturalism – Kene

Positive; downtown cultural vibe identity. Lived down here for three years, the demographics are changing, wealthy individuals disturbing the southern flavor. Outlook isn’t as good due to impatient materialistic snow birds. They don’t follow directions. They have no shame or conscious, and it’s undoing the natural flavor of Delray, and changing it.
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Getting to Know Jupiter

I decided to move to Jupiter three years ago. I didn’t know much about it before but had so much to learn. So many people move to Jupiter and Palm Beach County from out of the state, I learned especially from the northeast. I sought to get to know the community, the good and the bad. I just wonder if the people moving down here do as well?
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The life of cano

Violence different things happening people getting shot and drug deals basically the typical hood
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Give god the glory-billy penn

Living in this neighborhood is not about the drugs and the alcohol I was born in 1947 in Delray Beach hoping kids don’t follow in my foot steps if I got a problem I don’t do drugs but around people that do good and bad in my childhood never went to school
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The Betsey Ida story

In the past half a century the world has transformed, with the advent of the internet, medical advances and leaps forward in social equality.But much subtler changes which only those who lived in past decades can understand have also permeated society.
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My community (Story #365)

An important moment in my life is when someone who you loved the most turns out to be dead or injured.You don’t know how to feel you feel like nobody and this world can’t fix this.My community people would just come to me and say “sorry for your lost” but they know how people can change when someone was injured in their life too
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Care

When my dad earned dad earned his citizenship we were very happy and when we came home everyone else was happy as well we could tell because they threw him a little get together and we thought that was pretty nice that they cared.
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The run

A important impact for understanding why I live in this neighborhood is slavery I been living hea for almost 50 years
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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
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Don’t judge a book by its cover

A very secluded family lived across the street from me my entire childhood and we barely spoke or interacted. I left for college and after returned to live with my parents. I notice one day a very nerdy looking young lady coming back and forth and decided to approach her. Well, she ended up being the love of my life and we are still together. I’m glad I fell in love with her and not her appearance.
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L I F E

In 2011, child poverty reached record high levels, with 16.7 million children living in food insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels. A 2013 UNICEF report ranked the U.S. as having the second highest relative child poverty rates in the developed world.According to a 2016 study by the Urban Institute, teenagers in low income communities are often forced to join gangs, save school lunches, sell drugs or exchange sexual favors because they cannot afford food.
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Living

Well I’m Greg light and growing up in my neighborhood was ok. I wasn’t rich but i wasn’t poor there was always food on the table and i always had clothes. there were people who had nothing and there were people who had more. Ofc there was fights and violence but that’s in every hood.
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Pray for the best

Me having kids is an important moment. Everybody in Boynton knows what it’s like having to raise your kids. Worrying when they put if they safe or in trouble. All we do is pray for the best lives for our child.
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My important moment

Delray Beach isn’t my neighborhood. Moved here in 1990 as an consultant. Recently moved not long ago. In an important moment was when I moved here after working here for so long in the county.
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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.
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New beginning- Kene

Well I’m originally from Columbia, came over when I was 8 years old, I didn’t know anybody, didn’t know English. It’s important to know English, and finding mindful resources. Also I’ve delivered toys to unfortunate families to give them toys. Gave homeless people clothes around winter to stay warm.
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Got to change

Important moment in my life was when I went to jail. In my neighborhood things hard. I was on drugs very bad but I been clean for 3 years.
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Love- Rickia

I am so lonely since my Walter died. We loved our neighborhood and we loved each other. I think everyone should have a love and a relationship that help you get through the worst times and also help create the best moments. Walter was that and more. He was a great Father, grandfather and he served the country until the day he died.
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Leaving

Growing up in boynton was kinda tough. I had to get my family from around here .To many drugs and murders. Everyday I’m worried about my kids when they go outside ,and it shouldn’t be that way
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Old school

The police said he grew up in clewston he said it was great they helped one another when you get into trouble from with your neighbor you get in trouble at home
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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.
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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 …
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Where’s the respect-Rickia

I remember back in the day we could never speak back to an adult when they said what they say that’s what it was now days you can’t say anything to these kids they always have something to say back. in my neighborhood the kids are very disrespectful they knock on your door and Run they play and throw rocks around people cars.
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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
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Stay away

Many people may not know things that happen during the past In Rivera I used to do things I regret this community was terrifying and horrible life wasn’t always good for those who did bad but god thing I prayed to god And changed my ways around glad to see these young gentlemen and ladies be successful hope they keep doing what they have to do And stay out of trouble
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Basketball

Basketball really save my life. If I wasn’t at the basketball courts I would of been selling drugs.Not that many options around here.
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Long time ago- laroderick

When I joined my high school cheerleading team and I realized that the coach for my high school cheerleading team was the same coach I had when I was in delray Rocks cheerleading team of someone was to think about that noticing how small and connected Delray Beach is that we could I could be on different cheerleading teams at two different money’s in my life and have the same exact coach till this day I am 23 and still connected to that coach I am the god mother of her daughter
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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.
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Doing better

Wildcat games are always the best games. One game they had was just so much fun. Sitting there peacefully watching the boys play brings so much joy. It shows that they are not wasting there time and are actually long something with their lives.
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Coming from Haiti

I grew up in a very tough neighborhood. My parents had moved from Haiti to America at arrived here at the age of 7 I lived in Boynton for 46 years. Growing up I was called rude nasty things. “I was often told to go back to Haiti” or “go back to the boat that brought me here” and fought a lot over this.
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The support is real

There was a bad car accident in Boynton were the driver died. People were so supportive of the family of the person who passed. My community is so nice.
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Great Place

Overall the community is great great family oriented neighborhood where everyone knows each other.
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Break in-Rickia

I remember one night returning home and my mom looked puzzled when I looked out the window I seen this someone was breaking into my dad’s truck my dad immediately got out of the car and begin to taste the person about the person got away and the police took
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Don’t be one

Well boynton wasn’t the same in 1967 there were street gangs street violence drug lords and kids dying
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Hardship

Growing up in the projects poor , there wasn’t much in my community .
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Yvvette Christine

In 1968, My community didn’t change from now many people is now facing problems they faced in 1968 .We each have different situations ourselves and want a better community for our children and peers .
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The Neighborhood Full of Crime

There has been many fights for many years, Loud rowdy fights. The police is constantly coming to our neighborhood to break a fight up or arrest someone for a crime. It’s been like this for years and it should honestly stop. My grandson was recently arrested because he was linked to a shooting. It needs to change and I hope and pray one day it does.
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There is no better place to live than Belle Glade

I have been here since 1991 and I like living in the glades because everything is so close and I know where to go if I have a problem and my neighbors i can interact with. My brother and I were sick and all the people in the glades were always there to care for me, to take me to the hospital, and to take care of us. If it weren’t for the people of glades we wouldn’t be alive. Belle glade is a perfect place for me to live because without an education I can work in the fields …
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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.
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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
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Growing up in boynton-Devonte white

I dont really have a important moment in life but i can tell you how it is growing up in my neighborhood. Things was pretty calm back in the days everyone was civilized.Now you got all these young people around here killing each other
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Weight

Growing up was not so hard but I went through the struggle with my family and friends .
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College

Important moment in my life was going to college.My grandpa used to always tell me the world is bigger than boynton. There’s nothing really around the city but drugs and violence so that changed me.
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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.
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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.
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Life is the way it is

Well I don’t have much to share my neighborhood wasn’t all bad and good you can say people may have got shot may have got into fights I was always that girl that got into fights
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