neighborhood life

Wrong Side of the Tracks

“When he found out we were from Aetna, he never spoke to us again.” Produced and edited for the Welcome Project by Rebecca Werner and Brandi Casada. Transcript for Wrong Side of the Tracks The different areas of town, that was something that folks took a big pride in, we all did. Of course in […]

Demonized Community

“… people bought into this notion that no one wants to live in Gary…”   Editing by Welcome Project intern Brandi Casada. Transcript for Demonized Community The first neighborhood that I remember growing up in was on the East Side of Gary on Massachusetts Street. And my parents brought me home from the hospital there, […]

Really Nice Subdivision

“I think that a lot of the affluent white people here, if you really got inside their heads, they’d just prefer it to be lily-white.” This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative. Produced by Rebecca Werner for the Welcome Project. Transcript for Really Nice Subdivision In my neighborhood, in Glen Park, nobody had […]

Dodged A Bullet

“I don’t know why I was anxious. I guess everything just looked so distressed.” This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative. Produced by Rebecca Werner for the Welcome Project. Transcript for Dodged A Bullet I took music lessons from a guy that lived in downtown Gary, so I had to get on the […]

Home for Good, I’m Sure

“You help get his crop in, he helps get your crop in. Never a dime is exchanged.” Produced by Rebecca Werner with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org   […]

A Long Way to Go

“It was hysteria…and fear.” This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative.   Hold a Conversation In addition to the questions below, please see How to use the questions for reflection. Clarification Questions How has the speaker experienced issues of race across her life? What are some of the key moments or chapters in […]

We Can’t Ignore It

“If Gary doesn’t thrive, the rest of the area doesn’t thrive.” This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative. Hold a Conversation Can you imagine leading a conversation about this story? Where? With whom? What kinds of questions would you pose? (See How to use the questions for reflection for one approach.) Please email your […]

Back into the Community

“You can’t have racial justice and you can’t have social justice if there’s no economic justice.”   This story is part of our Flight Paths initiative. Produced by Rebecca Werner with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, […]

House That Love Bought

“After my dad passed away, we were certain my mother would finally leave Gary.” Hold a Conversation Can you imagine leading a conversation about this story? Where? With whom? What kinds of questions would you pose? (See How to use the questions for reflection for one approach.) Please email your questions to us or post them in […]