"I done lived down here my whole life. This is my comfort zone. I'm not gonna lie, I tried to live everywhere else but I'm more comfortable here. Growing up in the West was fun! Young people don't know, but right on that corner was an amusement park. You would walk down this street and it was the Dude Ranch. We had something to do. It was something to do everyday. We had the skating rink on the corner and now we have nothing to do. When we was coming up. We made fun, like four square and shooting basketball. Now, there's nothing. We need resources. 

When we moved out here, it was all white. I lived down on 42nd and it was all white. They killed our dog within a week. Let's see, we started on 22nd Street but when that riot hit, we moved. We moved. I remember the day of the riot. I came home and my mother came and told me that we were packing and moving. They burned everything. 

I was there when busing started. I tell young people that they don't know how good they got it. There was places downtown that we couldn't go in. I enjoy it, now, except the violence. You get so used to it, now. It don't even phase people because it's a normal thing. If you don't hear gunshots, that's a good day. That is a good day. 

How to fix the violence? Not more police but economics. When we came down here, we had a Winn-Dixie, a drug store, and a bakery. We didn't have to travel. You just had to walk down an alley, turn a corner and you there. The grocery stores were on the corner. There was a hardware store right down there. You didn't have to go far for nothing. Everything was in the community. " - Darnell, Shawnee

"The last time the metro budget came out, there was a $20 million surplus. Out of that surplus, zero amount of money went to the West End, to deal with its problems with youth violence and lack of economic development. Now, if this is a compassionate city and there's a $20 million surplus and the highest crime rate is in the black community, it would make sense to tap into some of that money. The mayor said no. It's about political power and who represents your best interest and Louisville doesn't get it.

The East End has small strong neighborhood associations, they get it. They control their board members. The West End does not. It doesn't control anything, but gets controlled. Proof of that, look at the Wal-Mart deal. Why didn't the Wal-Mart deal go down? It wasn't because of the people in the West End, on the street corner. It was East End liberals, who own and operate jobs with justice, trying to play the union card on Wal-Mart. Now, we're starving for jobs and they're coming down here, trying to tell us what's good for us. Intelligent people need to defend their neighborhoods. Look they're giving the West End away. 

To reverse all of that, it's with political power and education." - Eddie, Russell

"This is my son, right here. I lost him in March. He was 22. Shit's hard out here, bruh. It gets real out here." - Critter, Parkland

"We all we got. Everybody needs to stay positive and do the right things and hope that it spreads around. With all these killings and all that, we just got to come together. If we wanna move forward, we all got to come together." - Woo & Brandon, Shawnee

"A relationship is like this. You find a partner and you bring them up in places that they need to be brought up and you knock up them in places that need to be knocked down. You do it together, as each other, as one. It's not 'I got this and you don't'. It's either we got it or we don't got it.

So, everything you do, you have to keep in mind that you're not just one person, you are two. So, it's not just you looking out for yourself. As a man, you're supposed to nurture your woman. You're supposed to make sure that she has everything that she needs. That's where you come in as two." - Brandon & Jess, California

"If my life was an album, the title would probably be 'The Struggle'. It's a lot. It's real out here. When you ain't got no where to crash at and no where to stay, it's real. Shit, I might as well say 'The Struggle' until I bounce back. 

My struggle, right now? I got a lot of them. I can't even talk, I don't know. I'm dealing with a lot, right now. I'm dealing with this court shit. I gotta find somewhere to stay every night. I gotta get a new job and shit. I don't know, man, it's crazy. That's why I'm out here, now. You know what I'm sayin'? I don't know. It's just been fucked up in the last two weeks. I can't be down. If you're down, that's down on your life. It's a point to be down, but there's no point. You might as well stand tall and do what you gotta do. 

Stay in school. That's true shit. Do what you do because that shit gets real. I didn't listen, myself. If you ain't out here, don't be out here. There's no point. Stay in school." - Lil Rollie, Russell

"My youngest son was murdered in Savannah, Georgia. My oldest son is in the penitentiary and won't get out until he's 42. So, I got at least 17 more years before I can see him. But that's what happens when a male grows up without a father. My sons were 3 and 4 when me and their mother broke up. I went back to Chicago and she stayed in Savannah. I lost my kids to the system, one in the penitentiary and the other one is dead.

You gotta look at why people go through trials and tribulations. I can't blame it all on me, but I know that part of it is my fault. I know there's other kids out here that don't have have fathers and stuff. I might go to a baseball game with some kids from my church. I can't make it up to my sons, but I can possibly save another boy's life just by spending time with them. 

Where you live doesn't matter. It's about you. I can walk through here and not have a problem in the world. Nobody messes with me. If you stay trying to live like God wants you to live, your life will be so much better. 

I got $76 in my pocket and you know what I'm getting ready to do? I do this every morning, I walk from here to my job. That's at Floyd and Breckenridge. Every time I walk to work, I put my Tarc money, that's $1.75, and put it in the jar." - Will, Shawnee

"They're wanting to take everything away. We've been out here striking for six weeks. Go ahead and take a picture of us and tell them that they're rotten. ." - USW Local Union Members, Park Hill

"I was born here. We left here in '44, went to the Bronx and never came back. Then I came back here for a family reunion. My dad had to encouraging me to go to a family reunion. So, I came back in '85 and I said, 'I've never seen so much grass and trees in my life,'. We didn't have any trees in the Bronx. It was all concrete and steel. I lived on the 30th floor, paying $1,000 a month for a one-bedroom. Then I came here. You people have it good. You see those houses? We'd kill for a house like that.

We came up during the rock and roll era. You know, it was right after jazz. We had the Coltrane people, Louis Armstrong, and all that. That came along in '55. Now, we have hip-hop. I don't like, I hate it. You go back to Al Green. It's not Al Green. You know what I'm talking about when I say Al Green. Oh man! They disrespect the black woman, the earth. We used to call black women the earth. You know? Now, we're disrespecting them and calling them everything but a child of God. Back in the days, with rock and roll, we talked about guys loving their woman.

When a guy went to a girl's house, he'd have on his alligator shoes, a good suit and his hat cocked to the side. The girls' eyes would be popping out! Those girls, man, could make biscuits that you wouldn't believe. Man, with butter on top of them, they could cook! Now, girls burn water! That don't make no sense!

When I met the Lord, he saved my life. I haven't always been a goodie two shoes all my life. People used to see me coming and they knew I wanted to smoke up that smoke, you know what I'm talking about? Man, I smoked weed like a steam engine. But the Lord put a cheap gene in me. I would not buy it and give my money to the white man, not even to the black man. Friends on my block would see me coming and they would go the other way. They'd be like, 'Nah, he ain't smokin up my stuff, today!'. It left me. Cigarettes left me. Vodka and orange juice left me. Now, all I do is go bowling, roller skating, and go to Kentucky Kingdom. Kids would look at me like I'm a dinosaur on skates. I'm 77 years old. I love it. " - Mr. War, Shawnee

"Happiest moment of my life? Damn, that's a tough one because I've had so many happy moments. I'm gonna go with graduating high school. That was a major goal that I really wanted to accomplish and I actually did it. That was one the happiest days of my life. I made my mother and father proud.

A long time dream I have for myself is to be able to provide and take care of my family. That's it. I want to be super successful to where we don't have to worry about anything, no more. I grew up worrying about shit, a lot. I just want to be that person to change all of that by being able to provide and take care of my family. That'll be a long time goal for me.

With life you have ups and downs. You're gonna have good days and bad days. So, I accept the challenges. What you do with the challenges is what makes you afterwards. I feel like you can throw anything my way and I can overcome it. I've been overcoming a lot of shit so it's only making me stronger." - Faruq, Russell

"Stay mentally focused. I'm easy going, I don't let nothing bother me. I just met you, we stopping and I'm coolin' with you. I'm easy going. I appreciate life. Appreciate the small things." - Montez, Portland

"I got married about a year ago and it's not going so hot. My lil husband is abusive and things. So, I got this job and it was going good. Then he came and made me quit my job. He's not working, so that leaves me to come to places like this to get food and clothes.

I was born in the West End but I wasn't raised in the West End. Coming back was a little different. As a kid, growing up in the West End was fun. We used to run around in the streets and play. We would get in fights but the next day, we were friends. It was rough but it seemed like there was a lot of love. These days, it doesn't seem like there's anywhere. In the West End, it seems like the love is gone. 

If my life was an album, it would be called 'The Storm That Never Ends' because my whole life has been a bunch of storms. I mean, I've gotten through them. Let's see, my mother passed away when I was two. My dad left us at a foster home and we stayed there until I was four. Then we went to a family member and I had a lot of physical, mental, and sexual abuse that happened to me. Since the age of two, my life has been one big storm. My God and my three kids keeps me positive. I have my moments but when I get to that point where I'm going to do something stupid, God's like, 'Hey, now!'. Plus, I have a love for people. Like if I do something crazy, I may not be able to help the next person who is going through a storm and give them a smile or a hug.

My long time dream is to be able to provide for my children. I also want to be able to be a service to other people  and I want my music heard." - Brittany & Kevin, Park Hill

"If my life was an album the title would be 'Cold Nights'. A lot of people don't understand the struggles. A lot of people from different races don't understand what we go through. I went through a lot of stuff in life. I remember cold nights and not having nothing to eat. I wasn't able to do things that I wanted to do, because it was a struggle. Everything's a lesson. " - Vashaun (center), Shawnee

"I look at life like hurdles. It's always going to be hurdles, but you gotta keep jumpin' them. You gotta keep going. Don't let nothing hold you back. You gotta go out here and get it. That's what I'm trying to do and I'm not going to let nobody stop me. You know what I'm sayin'? I've done the bad and I've done the good. I'm gonna do the good. I got two kids, now. I'm trying to be a good example, so that's all I do." - Larry (far right), Shawnee

J'Shaun (far left), Shawnee

"Stay positive, bruh. Try to make some money and stay low. I'm 19 years old and I got my own crib, bruh. I go to U of L and I'll be playing football next year. I stay out the way because this generation, now, is on that bullshit, " - Jay, Russell

"We was working together and she liked my swag!" - Ron & Tonisha, Portland

"Link up, man. Stay together. We need to get organized and stay together. Be a unit, be one solid unit." - Treyvon, California

"This is more like a ministry to me. I've been here for 34, going on 35 years. This is not like selling cars, jewelry, property and all. It's far from that. It's a big difference. It's the people that I meet. God's got some good people, down here, man. Good people, dedicated folks. You know what I mean? Real dedicated and I'm talking about to him. [points up] Most of them are seniors. The young ones, they're ripping and running. I have people that come up in here and they're ninety, and still driving! Still driving, brother. Not a lot of them, don't get me wrong. They come in here, from time to time. Several of them are in their eighties. It inspires me because they're sharp. They know what they want and what they're looking for. I ask them for their secret to a long life and most of them glorify God. That's the first thing they do. Then, they go on to those good home remedies. It's God and genes. He blesses those who bless and honor him. You worship God, he'll take care you.

Find what it is that you really like doing. You may not be good at first. Keep on and gain knowledge and wisdom. You have to be dedicated. You can't flip flop. That's the reason why I said to find something that you like, that you're good at. It'll grow. Believe me, it'll grow. Just ask God and he sees, he knows. He knows the plans that he has for you. You may not know it. I didn't know it a long time ago. That's because I wasn't honoring him. He knows what the future holds. Find something that you like. I like books and I used to read a lot of these books, if not most of them. I don't do that anymore. Now, I focus on the Bible. " - Mr. Larry Mosley, Russell

"My parents motivate me. I don't have my dad in my life because he passed away. Before he passed, he used to motivate me to do a lot. I kept straight A's and all of that because of him. When he died, it motivated me to stay strong and do what he always wanted me to do. I'm in college now, going for computer forensics." Destiny, Shawnee

"We met in middle school. She started it. She sent people my way. My cousin and a few females told me that 'Sidney wanna talk to you' and I was like, 'For real?" and we've been talkin ever since. It got realer and realer.

I remember like it was yesterday. She sent somebody over to me. We was at Westport. I broke up with her for about two weeks and we got back together. Like I said, we've been together ever since. My favorite thing about her is that she's so uplifting. She keeps me going when I'm down. You know, she listens to me. She's my backbone. She's like my other half." - Sydney & Mighty, Portland

"I will not allow my daughter to date. Absolutely not. Now, if she wants to go to the school dance, I'd let her go. There's a thin line between letting her date and letting her go to the school dance. So, I decided that I'd buy me a suit and a tie and I danced with her all night. I made both things possible. 

My proudest moment of being a parent is when I see the result. There's no certain moment, but there's a lot of those moments. When I see the result of the attention that I give to my children and see them trying everyday, that's a proud moment. When I see what they can achieve and what they can do, that's a moment. The next day I see another moment and the next day I see another moment. All those moments are so precious and you cannot explain it, you have to feel it. With my kids, it's always easy. A kid is a kid. They're pure. It doesn't take much. Just give them attention and there's no struggle. Do not let things add up. Take of care of every issue when it arises, not when it has past. 

I do exist in my kids' lives and they talk to me, so openly. They can call me, now. They're in Ohio, not here. If my daughter calls and tells me that she doesn't like the school lunch, today, I'll drive 3 hours to get her lunch. She knows it." - Joe, California