"For me, I just stay out of the way. I go to college and keep on my grind. The past year has been good for me. I've been going to church, chillin with my family and my homeboys, and stay out of the streets. 

Stay moving and keep it low. Don't be out here, doing foolish stuff. Just keep on moving with your life and do good with it. You only got one life, just live it." - Tre, Russell

"Man, this is my turf! I've been here all my life, born and raised!" - Men playing bones, Russell

"The West End has always been home to me. I grew up on 22nd and Osage. It's always been home and it doesn't bother me at all. I'm proud of where I come from. Growing up, myself and a group of friends used to go to Victory Park and hang out. We would ride bikes, play kick ball, and the type of stuff that kids don't do anymore.

Always follow your heart and instinct because they never lie. The gut never lies. That's the best advice that I could give to the world." - Takesia, Park DuValle

"The reason why we opened our business is because my husband was sick. He went into kidney failure. He lost his kidneys and then he recently received new kidneys two years ago. He was a chef for a long period of time. We decided to make the menu to cater to people who are on dialysis. They won't have to worry about their phosphorus being high. If you have kidney failure you can't eat potatoes and cheeses.

Then we found natural oils for different people with diabetes. I have neem and hemp seed oil and different stuff that you can used on your body that's healthy for you and all natural. I have black seed oil that's 2,000 years old and cures everything except death. You don't learn this in schools. 

I worked as a nurse for 27 years. I used all my savings to get where I am today. I still got a long road butut God's brought me through all the struggles.

If you want to start your business, just do it. Don't procrastinate because you'll  get older and then it's too late. You'll regret and you never want to do that." - Mr. & Mrs. Dishman, Russell

"When negativity comes to you, find the positive to fight through it." - Chris, Shawnee

"Be positive. I'm done with all this negative stuff, man. It's easy to get caught up but it's hell getting out of it.  I don't know if kids realize that they giving them 50 years and you gotta do those 50 years. Is that life you took worth 50 years? They gotta start thinking." - Tim (far right) pictured with Richard & Wendell, California

"I was born and raised down there on Dumesnil St. So, I've been apart of this community for over 58 years. My favorite thing to do is kick it and shoot pool down the way. I did drink a lot back then but I'm sober today. I'm in 13 years of sobriety. So, you know, I got into a lot of mischief but I made my way through.

I have lived two lifetimes, in my age. God has been so good to me. I've come to a point where I know it wasn't me but the God of my understanding. He's been good to me, man. I take it one day at a time. I grew wiser from ignorance, as I got older. Tupac said this, 'If you don't grow and continue to be prolific in your life, you'll disappear'. I go by a lot of his quotes and his understanding. When I became a man, I started to do what a man does by my actions, rather than my talk. So, I try to align talk up with my walk. That's wise stuff, man. If you don't wise up, you'll disappear off the scene.  

Judge each and every person by the content of their character and how they judge and treat you. Always think outside the box, not inside. Don't confine your mind to certain conceptions. Always look at both sides instead of one side. You'll continue to grow, in your mind. If you don't continue to grow, you'll anialate yourself. It's all about growth in your mind." - Mark, Parkland

"In 2018, they need to stop the killing, for real. Cause it's like everybody is dropping dead like flies. Like, I came from Detroit to get away from that shit but it's happening down here too. I just want the peace. I want people to be able to walk outside and not have to look over their shoulder every day, thinking that they or their child's going to get killed. Everyday isn't promised. So, everyday, I'm happy to wake up. 

For my 2018, I'm just trying to finish this year off in high school. I want to get a job and hopefully I'll get my own place." - Angel (right) with Kalia, Shawnee

"Follow God as much as you can. It's the only way you're gonna be happy, man. It ain't no secret,  it's God, not money or that other shit." - Stephon, California

"My three words to describe the West are lovely, nice and beautiful. This is where I live and where I come from. It's my neighborhood, its home. I mean, there's a couple problems out here, with the young cats killing each other but other than that I love my neighborhood. We just gotta come together. All the communities within the West End should have a get together or something." - Andre & Kehianes, Russell

"My happiest moment of 2017 is just staying alive. I'm just happy to be alive, man. You know, being able to see 2018 is where it's at. In 2018, I'm gonna work hard. I'll keep 2 or 3 jobs if I have to. I'm just gonna work hard and stay positive. What's negative don't make me shit, to be honest with you. It is what it is.

My focus is to try to help other people. I'm not gonna be a selfish guy. If I come up, I'm gonna bring someone else with me. 'There's a job over here, come on, let's get this job.' People gotta stop sitting around, blaming everybody else for your fuck up. You got to be a man. You can't keep blaming the world for your mistakes.

I'm at peace with myself because I know who I am. Once people figure out who they are and quit trying to be someone else, they'll be a better person." - Brian, Shawnee

"The key to happiness in a relationship is communication and trust. Oh, and keeping things new and spicy. We've been together for 8 months, now. We met at a show at Mercury Ballroom. We had a mutual friend who introduced us or whatever. I was on a date with some other girl. After 30 seconds of talking to her, I was just crazy about her. I was chasing her around for 5 minutes after we met. 

Three words to describe the West End community are real and family ties. Everybody is just really friendly, genuine, and open. Everybody says hi when you're walking. That was a play on words because we live right on Cecil Ave. and there's this little store called Family Ties and everybody shows up. It's like the party of the block. It's like family. It's the community and the name of the store kind of wraps it up. You drive by Family Ties and you're like, 'Yep, that's it right there!'. - Adam & Kaleigh, Chickasaw

"If my life was an album, it would be called 'Hidden Pieces' because we don't get the truth. At the end of the day, I feel like a lot of shit isn't being revealed but a lot of people are waking up. With the young black community, all they think that we know is drugs, guns and whatever but it's not. I know I gotta a purpose, so it's like I'm trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, myself, with the all the talents and charisma that he's blessing me with. Shit, I can go on but it's hard to explain. I'm on a pathway, so like you're feeling it and experiencing it, words can't really describe how I'm feeling. It's just time to fill in the blanks, like what you're doing. Feel me? Just fill in the blanks, bruh. With everything that you're doing in your movement, there's shit that needs to be done. That's why I say 'Hidden Pieces' because they hide the truth. They don't tell the truth and you gotta reveal it." - Snipe, Shawnee (far right)

"My title would be 'Obstacles'. Life is an obstacle in its own. You know what I'm sayin? When you break it all of the way down, we got to understand where we come from. I mean, we got to really understand that we're 400 years behind. You got to have that mind frame that we're behind. So, if you know that you're behind, you need to always work hard to be ahead. There's going to be hurdles that you gotta jump. You gotta prepare yourself because you know they're going to come. Ain't no way around it. I ain't saying to be a rock out here. There's nothing wrong with a man crying because we're human and we're going to feel pain. We're accustomed to it; that's how he made us. With the obstacles, you gotta to prepare for the worst.

I always tell people that maturity don't come with age, it comes with responsibility. Sometimes, you gotta step out and look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what can you do to better yourself instead of making excuses. You can't blame them for not fucking with you or giving you different resources. It's like with our kids; if I got more time with my kids than you do, who do you think wins? We send our kids to school for about eight hours and then we spend two or three hours with them when they get out and then it's time for them to go to bed. We losing. We need to come together. We really can't because there's so much beef and everyone is for self. That's the obstacle. Sometimes we gotta get to the pencil and paper, get back to the basics. We got so much on our minds and so much going on that when we hop over these hurdles, we forget. The basics will do a lot of justice. Mind over matter. It starts at home with our kids." - Rich, Shawnee (far left)

"I'm God's son. I'm an everyday man and I got that spirit in me that's sovereign. When I get in focus, nothing can stop me. My faith cuts everything negative. What are you gonna do to me? Kill me and I'ma still live forever. I'm everywhere. I'm in your face and you can't even catch me. I'm breaking it down simple and plan.  The Bible is the basic instruction before leaving earth. Embrace technology but don't forget the basic instructions. Practice and preach that.  Embrace the technology but hit em with the fundamentals through the technology." - Kevin, Shawnee (center)

"Man, we got the potential. We just need guidance. There's just knuckleheads out here that just don't know." - DeShaun, Russell

"If my life was an album, it would be called, 'Ten Toes Down'. That's where I am, right now. I'm trying to get out of my situation. You feel me? I'm trying to stay down until I come up. I just got this little gig in construction but you know, life is stressful. It doesn't do anything but give me more motivation to keep doing what I need to do until I get out of my situation. One day at a time, day by day. That's all I know. Ten toes down. 

The best advice I could give somebody is to handle your business. Nothing else should matter. Do for those who did for you. If you gotta serious goal or dream, go for it. Don't just half ass go for it. Go for your shit. 

Right now, I be doing my music shit and I'm actually coming out with a mixtape. I get most creative while I'm walking to work. I'm in my thoughts a lot. So, it's easier for me to put my thoughts into my phone, in my memo pad, while I'm listening to beats. Some people do it for the image and some people do it because they really like music. I really like this. I'm trying to do it right." - Brandon, Parkland

Ciara, Parkland

"I'm more spiritual. I didn't really have a good experience with religion as a kid. Long story short, it didn't make sense to me. I went to church but religion was never spoken of in my home. It was pretty dysfunctional and chaotic. I had two alcoholic parents. I'm in recovery, now and spirituality makes more sense to me. It's helped me get through a bunch of crap in my life. It's not as specific and you can develop your own spirituality to fit you.

My advice to the world is to be kind. You never know where your help is coming from." - Sara, Portland

"The West End is just a nice place to be." - Charles, Shawnee

"The sun's always gonna shine when it rains." - Gene, Algonquin

"Keep ya head up & be strong. You know, God gotta place for us. Work with what you got. You might turn out to have a whole lot more than what you think you got." - Tay, Algonquin

"I'ma keep it real with you. I just got back into God. I got three girls. Out of my three girls, my oldest one is still living. When I was living in Baltimore, one of my girls was 7 years old and got shot in the head. I came back to Louisville and my 16-year-old got shot in the head. My 40-year-old came back from Alaska and now she lives in Houston. I got four grandkids. I turned 60 on Friday and for a long time, I had doubts about God. You know, I lost my two girls, my father died in my arms and came back to Louisville and my grandmother died. I finally got to meet my mother, whom I didn't know for 25 years. I couldn't say that I loved her or liked her, and she died. I also had a sister that jumped off the bridge, so I had a lot of tragedy. I'ma keep it real with you. I was diagnosed with depression and suicidal, I get SSI. I had three suicide attempts, but for some reason, he's holding me here. I'm just keeping it real with you, it's my life story. 

Now, 12 years clean and sober, I don't do anything but walk this girl (points to the dog), that ain't mine. I stay with my sister, who is 20 years clean and sober. On April 7th, next year, I'll be 13 years clean and sober. I had a messed up life. Now, I'm getting God back into my life. I still have questions and doubts, but that's understandable, with everything that I've been through. For me, staying with my sister and my aunt helps me. I ain't been going to church every Sunday, but I go. As far as knowing the Bible, I don't know it but I'm getting to it. I'm dyslexic, but I'm teaching myself to get through it. 

My oldest daughter came back to life and that motivates me. I abandoned her, in the past. When I graduated from Drug Court, she was the only one that was there for me. She came all the way from Alaska for my graduation. As long as I talk to her once a week, I'm good. I don't associate with too many people. I walk her. She's a good therapy dog. She's not mean to anybody. This is my buddy.

Be patient, things will change. I didn't think that it would. I had a gun to my head, rope around my neck and I had drunk some shit. He pulled me through all of it. When I knew that all the windows and doors were locked and I had a .45 to my head and somehow my cousin got in and knocked the gun out of my hand before I pulled the trigger. After my daughter was killed, I tied an extension cord around my neck and hung myself, but someone came in and cut the cord.  I was really depressed. You gotta be patient and have hope. I've been patient and I have hope. I can handle anything, now. The difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude. Keep it moving." - Sam, Parkland