"If somebody's trying to give you a good lesson and teach you something, listen to it and take it in.  Later in life you're going to need that lesson." Will, Parkland

"Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers. No one is born to be a superstar. We're all born as ordinary people. We fought for who we want to be. That's the reason why we go to school. We strive to learn and improve ourselves. Learn. You have to have role models, in whatever you do. Look up to people who did it better than you. Some people are there to teach us. Whatever you do, you can be the greatest. You don't have to do it all at once. Do some research and find someone to look up to. 

Ali inspired us. It was MLK day a few days ago and that man inspired us, too. Read about them. Read their quotes. Inspire yourself. It's out there, you have to go find it. Find your purpose. Be strong. You can't do it by yourself. When you feel like giving up, look for a role model. Those people that have done it have a message that they left for you somewhere. That's my advice. Don't try to make magic happen in a day. So when it gets tough and you're thinking about giving up, don't. Someone before you did it so well and left messages for you. Go find it. It'll inspire you. If you keep moving, you'll make it. 

I know how proud my people are of me, today. My parents, my family, my people and my friends are proud of me because I'm not a quitter." - Laclass, Parkland

"Three words that describe the West are: character, outgoing, and reckless. With outgoing, you do have people that are outgoing and willing to get up and get the money. There are a lot of people with ambition. When I say reckless, it's all about the homicides, man, and they're coming from the West End. You got the young ones out here doing stuff that they're not supposed to be doing. The young ones are trying to be in gangs and not in school like they're supposed to. It's more of the younger ones that need something to do. When I say character, you got a lot of different personalities down here, that make the West unique. You get a lot of characters, you never know what you're going to get.

Why is there so many homeless people, when there's so many abandoned houses? You can turn these houses into something that could feed them, provide good hygiene, or just to keep them up. In the winter time, people don't care about the homeless. 

My advice to the world is to not be scared of change because some change can be good. Don't be afraid of change because change can bring about a good outcome." - Shauna, Russell

"I used to get tattoos when I was playing basketball. Towards the end of my basketball career, I just started getting more of them. The more I got, the more I was around the tattoo shops. I was at a friend's tattoo shop pretty much everyday. I started off getting them here and there. I liked the atmosphere, the people, you know. It was a different feel and a social environment that I liked. I really wanted to be around it and it felt good, I can't really explain it. It inspired me in a way that I could actually do this. You know, I'm an artist and I can draw, I just never took it serious. When I was younger, I used to draw tennis shoes and stuff like that. When I was in college, I took an art class and my art teacher use to tell my coach that, 'Hey, this guy is really talented'. The coach would tell me what my teacher would say and all but I wasn't serious about it. If I would've known that I would be tattooing, I would have taken art more seriously and would have been an art major. But at that time, it was basketball. Now, it's tattooing. When you get caught up in something, you're not really focused on anything else. That's really how it came about. I dibbled and dabbled with it. Once I started talking to my friend, who was doing tattoos, I told him that I was thinking about pursuing it. He didn't think that I could draw, so I took a magazine and drew something out of it. He was like, 'Man, you can draw!'. I was like, 'Yeah, man, I think I'm gonna try to do this.". I started drawing everyday. I would go to his shop and be over there watching and drawing. I was real intrigued with tattooing. I knew it was something serious when I was going home to draw. I got into it and they started teaching me things. After a couple of months, I ordered my equipment and I was on track to start. I was so anxious. I took it to my house and once I started tattooing out of my house, the rest was history. I was in a shop within less than a year. That's unheard of. I never stepped foot inside someone else's shop to work as an artist. I started on my own and that's what created a monster. Once I got started on my own, nothing could stop me. I could do it.

I always wanted to be a business owner but didn't know what I wanted to do. Especially with playing basketball, that took all my energy away from everything else. I wasn't thinking about it. You know how people always tell you to have a backup plan? I was like, 'Shit, I'ma make sure this plan works, first'. Fuck a back up plan because once you start thinking like that, you're out of there. Not saying that you're not supposed to have one, but for me, if I do that, it's over. Am I going to put that effort in? 

That mindset was already in me, when I started playing basketball. I didn't make the middle school basketball team and then once I got to high school, that's when it started. To be honest, my brother and my cousins were inspiration to me. I'm not gonna say that I was headed down a bad path but I wasn't on the right one. I wasn't a bad person, but I was doing typical stuff that kids do, like cutting school and doing different stuff like that. My brother and my cousins were in high school when I was still middle school. They were already playing ball and on T.V. I wanted to do that. I would get into it with the coaches and tell them that I didn't need them and that I would play when I got to high school. Once I got to high school, I was inspired by my brother and cousins. I wanted to be like them. I made the freshmen team and wheels started turning then.

I come from Clarksdale, I was from the projects, man. Not saying that if you come from the projects that you can't be successful, but I didn't have those role models around me. I didn't grow up with a doctor in the house. I didn't grow up with someone that was doing something professional, that's embedded in you, knowing that you are going to do this and go to college. We didn't have that structure. In our house, we were only worried about what's going on right now. You're not thinking about what somebody else is doing. You see that shit, that's T.V. That's not real. We just didn't think like that. When I got to high school, that was a time for me. It got to a point where people started recognizing my talent and that felt good. With having the talent that I had and people noticing, it just felt good. That was my motivation. When I got to junior year, I had colleges looking at me and offering me scholarships. I never even thought that I would go to college.

Once I got to college, I realized that playing ball made me who I am so I had to give all my loyalty to Spalding, that basketball. I was going to the league. Why not think about the highest level? If you're gonna do something, do it all the way! I wanted to take my talents somewhere else. That's where the basketball accolades came from, with the Globetrotters, playing professional in different leagues, and going over there to Mexico. 

College wasn't really for me. It wasn't that I couldn't do the work, I just didn't like it. For that reason, I had to make it happen, no matter what and I did that. I made it to the Denver Nuggets in '03. When I came out, I got a workout. I was with Melo, it was his first year. We were in rookie camp together. It was fifteen free agents that would practice outside the summer league team. They took three players from those fifteen that would practice with the team and I was one of those three. We were doing two a days. I almost made it to summer league. I came in when they were rebuilding and it kind of messed me around because they wanted experience. That's what I figured out and that's what the coaches were telling me. They were wanting to find more experienced guards. I had to understand that. That motivates me because I was able to accomplish something in my life that a lot of people will never get a chance to do. Even though I didn't get to play in the NBA, I made it to that point. So that tells you about my personality. I wasn't the best player that came out of Louisville. I had a good talent and I was athletic as shit but it was my mentality that took me as far as I went. There was a lot of people that graduated with me, in my class, and they didn't make it as far at all. They were gifted but didn't make it to where I was. 

Now this is a whole new arena for me. I didn't know what it took to be a business owner. I was in the trenches on my own. Basketball got me into the position to where I'm at now. It made me think that if you work hard, shit will happen. You know you hear that shit when you're younger but it doesn't resonate until you do it and then you see what happens after you do it.  I was like, 'How do I translate that into business?'. I knew what basketball took. That's going to the gym and putting in work. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to do it in business. It's about how you outthink and outwork somebody by making things happen. You can't make anything happen if you're just talking about it. It's all about the idea, the plan and then you execute. 

I'm most creative when I'm not busy. I start to think why is my business slowing down. Is it me? Is it my shop? Is it my work? I just start going down the line and evaluate and make things better. I just re-did my shop last year. If you have a business, there's no way you're not competing. There's no way. I'm a competitor at heart. I gotta figure out ways to compete. I don't have another artist in here, right now, but I gotta get somebody in here this year. It will take a little more pressure off myself. 

My advice to anyone starting a business is to make sure that you love what you do. Make sure you have a passion for it. I got it tatted on my ribs. It says: Living a life without passion isn't living, it's existing. If you're living on earth and you're just working a job that you hate, you're living in hell, somewhat of a prison. Basically, somebody's telling you when to shit, when to eat and when to go to sleep. They're controlling your life. I feel like I'm going to live my life. I did it for so long. I stopped playing basketball when I was 28, so it's kind of hard to go back and work for somebody when I've been controlling my destiny my whole life. The longest I worked for somebody at a job was for about six months. I hated it. I hated working. That was the worst thing ever. I knew I was going to have my own business.

Have a passion for what you do. You gotta love it. If you don't love it, you'll put it to the side. If you have a passion for what you're doing, you could be the best at it. You think P. Diddy and Jay-Z don't love what the fuck they do? They would do it for free. You gotta love what you do. If you don't, you won't be good at it. " - Mone T., Owner of Tat It Up, California

"I've been apart of the West End community for about 20-25 years. The community needs better housing, more activities for the young people and less violence. Let's help each other and stop the violence. We're all in this together. Killing another person ain't gonna make it easier for you but make it harder. Help each other. Try to be a better world together, as a group." - Bruce, Chickasaw

"People don't really have much hope here. Us as kids, luckily, I have somebody that's always on me and I try to do that at the local community center that I go to. I try to give kids some type of motivation. I try to be a motivational speaker to them and show them that we all come from the same place and you can still make it out your situation and be successful. We all have seen death and violence and people getting locked up. If you see me doing something positive, I want you to see it and be like, 'I can do it, too!'. You can make it out your situation. It may not be the NBA or NFL, but you can get a college degree and make something of yourself. That's the motive. 

Always keep your head on tight and don't let nobody influence you to do something that someone else is doing, if you don't feel comfortable with it. Some people see all that money and the material things but they don't see the things that come with getting that money, like jail. Do what's best for you. If you feel that your crowd is into that stuff that you don't want to be involved in, then don't be in it! You can find a group of people that's on the same mission as you." - Cam, Parkland

"The organization is called, Youth for Christ. It's an international organization and we are the only chapter in Louisville. So, we're on the campus and in the community. We're also in JCPS schools because we want to be everywhere the kids are. We have clubs and do different activities with the youth. We have middle and high school aged kids, which are 11-19 year olds. The organization decided that 'Yeah, we're on campus, but we're not reaching the urban kids', which is why we have City Life, which is located within the urban communities. Urban youth gravitate more towards their neighborhoods and surrounding communities, rather than their school. Urban youth may not have the basic needs, such as clothing and safety. They may experience drugs, alcohol,  abuse, and neglect. We really just try to uplift the community and empower the youth to become believers of Jesus Christ. We also want them to be leaders for their communities, as well. We are holistic and have a holistic model that we follow with spiritual moral education and success. We realize that kids need to stay in school. If they stay in school, they can have better jobs with economic success. We focus on basic health and safety, too. Do the kids need glasses or food? We provide a meal and healthy snacks each day. We spend a lot of communicating and relational time with the kids. It's not a lot of programming, but it's a lot of talking and building trust with them. We're teaching them be leaders and great role models and to be good in school. 

I have a cosmetology license and I was working at Super Cuts. I became the manager at one of the largest stores in Louisville. I was going through a lot with my family, particularly with my children's father. I had just became a Christian and God was like, 'You need to stop having sex'. We have three children together and had just had our third one. So, I was going through a struggle with him. When I got to Super Cuts, I seen that there were a lot of issues there, as well. I felt a calling to work in ministry. I never really been involved in church like that. I was a fresh new Christian. I had left that Super Cuts and went to another one, but it was too far out. My car was messing up. It was just too much going on. I quit that job and stayed home. I told my children's father that he needed to get a job or we were going to have to get assistance, because at that time, I had broke my foot. So, I ended up getting some assistance. In order to get some assistance, you have to volunteer. I went through Power of Works and told them that I wanted to work with young moms and they thought that this would be the organization that I could volunteer at. I came here to volunteer for about a year and then they had an opportunity available for me to work for them. I started as the office facilitator. I was keeping the building clean, overseeing the volunteers, and then I just started pulling kids in. I fell into City Life. I understand the things that these kids have experienced. In a couple of years, I would like to run the Parent Life program because I still have a passion for young moms. 

We have an opportunity to change. The hope that Christ gives us inspires me. No matter what I do, I still have an opportunity to make it better. To know that I can share my testimony to make somebody else's life better.

Count your blessings. Always write down and remember the things that God does for you because we often forget. Make each day better than the last. Don't forget to reach out to somebody for help and help someone else." - Whitney, Shawnee

"Three words to describe the West End, to be honest, it's all love. Now, let me elaborate on that. It ain't about the killings, drugs and stuff. That goes on in every city, every town, everywhere across the nation and across the world. So, we're not focusing on that part. I say it's all love because I'm not even from here but ever since I've been in this city, I seen the way that the love is displayed out here. The West End is where everyone wants to be. You got pros and cons to every situation but the West End is where everyone wants to be. Anytime something is popping in the city, they all flock this way. Anything that's great, going on with this city, has to do with the West End." - Mike (Left), Russell

"Stay focused and stay positive. You can't let hate get to you. Once you're up, it's more hate. A lot of people are going to hate on you. You know but my advice is to stay in school, stay out the streets, and stay positive. The streets ain't for everybody." - Mike (Right), Russell

"Go to school, stay out the streets and follow your dreams." - Timmy, Portland

"I was selling chips and candy bars down at the penitentiary. I was the store man at the penitentiary. It's the closest thing to what I was doing. It's like being in the mix of selling something and making something off of something. So, this is the closest thing to that. It's what it is. I don't work no cash register, turn a computer on, nothing. This is my calling, though. The grilling came after the store. I just needed a draw. I needed something to bring more attention. I can't get my liquor license or my lottery because I'm a convicted felon, so I needed something to bring more business in. That grill will do it. 

Find a garage or something. See, they ain't gonna tell us that it's that easy to start a business. You ain't gotta do nothing but get a tax I.D. number and make a name up and call it something. There you go. I didn't know nothing about starting a business. I ride past this shit, everyday, and think 'Damn, I gotta store and I'm the Store Man.' Get you a location and get you a building. You can put a name on a house with a tax I.D. number and it's a business. It's simple. It's definitely not hard at all. You gotta think about it, the other people ain't gonna tell us. They're hiding it from us. It's very simple. 

I'll go in other stores and they don't even know that I'm a store owner. I watch how they do their thing and in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, 'I'm ordering from the same people y'all ordering from, we got the same distributers'. I can tell them where they got it from, how much it cost, their percentage and all that. 

The people, customers, and the neighborhood motivate me. You gotta respect it. This is my neighborhood. I've been in this neighborhood my whole life. I'm riding around on my high horse, man. They don't even call me by my name no more, they call me the Store Man. I wake up, go hard and strive for it everyday to keep this.

I got out prison in 2012 and that was the happiest moment of my life; the rebirth. March 1, 2012 was the rebirth. I got to start over. I had a murder case, I went down for murder. They handed me 50 years. I ain't supposed to be here. I ended up getting 12 and doing 8. Now, I'm back. 

Start being who you wanted to be. Start doing what you said you was going to do when you was in there. At least try it. This right here is a platform for me and all my homeboys. My partners on parole and probation don't have to worry about finding a job. It's alright, I'll hire you. I can put us on in a different way. It's good money. It's slow money but good money. 

The three things that the West needs is more black owned business, more respect from the police, and togetherness. Quit hating on each other. Come together like the bigger cities. We need more support from our people. 

This year, we getting more dough and we don't have to go to the penitentiary behind it. We're about to open up everything. I gotta kids clothing store coming. We're on a mission in 2018. We're not going to the penitentiary in 2018, we're going to the bank. That's the outlook." - Tana a.k.a. Store Man, Russell

"Do your best to enjoy life. I'm trying to do my best to have a better life than I had before. See, I'm a recovering alcoholic. I quit drinking in '97. I don't think about it a lot, but some days, even with 20 years, you still have them days. See, I already know. I done proved it to myself time and time again. Whatever the situation is, a drink ain't gonna make it no better. If anything, whatever the situation is, a drink is gonna make it worse. For a person like myself, I'm a stone cold alcoholic. All it takes is one and I'd be off like a rocket. I used to come to you drinking then pass out drinking. That was me. 

Take and make the most of everyday. Be thankful and grateful to God that you made it another day." - Tom, Portland

"The West End has a lot of potential. We have a lot of children out here that need some positive role models. They need somebody that can tell them the difference between people, places, and things to not try in life. I think that would start at a church or from somebody that was raised in the 50's. They need someone that would obviously be able to instill positive words, words of affirmation, words of encouragement, words that can enlighten one to do something different other than what they see being done and being exploited on television. So, I think it would start in church and through positive personnel. 

The children are confused. They need something to do and they have nothing to look forward to. The man has been out of the home and placed throughout the prison system. I'm thinking that positive character is what these kids need. A lot of them think that there's only one way but I'm here to say that there is another way. It says that, 'All things are possible through God who strengthens us.' I actually believe and spread that. So, if our children are around people doing something different, their outcome would be different. But if we keep shutting the door on them, then the same will come. They just want to be heard. 

Be in acceptance of the outcome of your actions. Whatever your actions are, you have to accept the outcome. I mean, if I had to use a biblical term for it, 'He was born to die, that we may live'. If it weren't for crucifixion, there wouldn't have been a resurrection. In order for something to live new in anyone's life, something old has to die." - Pastor Fortney, Shawnee

"I first moved to Village West when I was 18. I done been through trials and tribulations. I had my kids there. I had four kids but my son died. Now, I got three girls. I lived in Village and left Village. I got put out of Village and went to Park Hill and I resided there for about 15 years. I eventually came back to Village West and that's where I'm at, now.

I just turned 45 years old but I didn't grow up until I was 35. I done lived a hard life. My turning point was when my mama got sick. She told me that I needed to get it together. I was working everyday and took care of my kids but I was out here drinking and all of that. I was dealing with a lot. I had to evaluate myself and made some changes and haven't look back since. 

It's a struggle, it's a whole lot of shit going on out here but you gotta keep your head up. Keep your faith in God and don't let nobody lead you wrong. Everybody gotta story to tell, you feel me? Some stories are worse than others, but you have to keep your faith in God." - Toya, Russell

"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