Story Library
The stories below are brought to you by people who live or grew up in the city and believe in the power of stories to bring Bostonians together. In their free time, these story ambassadors go out into their neighborhoods and across the city to record the life experiences of people they might not otherwise know. Story by story, we're building community across a divided city.
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ESSENTIAL PEOPLE PROJECT · POP-UP STORY SHOPS · HOW WE GOT THROUGH· Amplify Black Voices
KAMARIA POWELL
"I just felt like if I was a stronger link in the chain of people around my brothers, that if they needed me support-wise, I could be there. It was basically: go to school now, so that you can take care of them later."
ALEXIS “NAHEEM” GARCIA
"You give me a mic and a thousand people, and you better believe I will captivate them. I will do it. I’m not sure of a lot of things in life, but that I’m sure of."
MECHELLE MERRITT
"The first day I took the ropes out was last year at the Ripley Road cookout. It was amazing. I had a 49-year-old lady jumping rope. She had a head full of grey hair. She jumped longer than everybody."
PHYLLIS WILLIAMS
"I thank God because I have two sisters here- and let me tell you, if it wasn’t for them, we don’t know how we would have made out, because they make me laugh, they make me smile, they make me cry, you know."
TONY LEWIS
"I’ve had many mentors, and continue to have many mentors along the way. Whatever I find I’m interested in, I usually go find an old timer who can show me, and I’ll start there."
SOPHIA MIDDLETON
"When I was at camp for final show, at the end, I danced, right? At the end, I lifted my leg all the way and then I did a split. Just at the end. For like, just a solo part. It felt good, because everybody was watching me, and they saw what I can do."
BEULAH GIBBS
"Of course there are some days you feel upset, but I remind myself: get on your good foot. I love life, I think- that is what it is all about."
HOPE ON A HARD DAY
"The older people who lived on the street, many of them owned their houses, so they would also try to give words of encouragement, give words of insight, give visions to where you could go in life, instead of just being limited to one way of life."
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