A Facing Project
Dion Sampson's Story I have lived in Dayton my whole life. I love my community so much that sometimes the issues we have to deal with make me want to leave. Then my wife reminds me that no matter where I go, I’ll find some issue that I’d want to … [Read more...]
Jacqueline Patterson's Story I remember great Grandma taking me into the voting booth with her. She wanted me to see that she was voting for John F. Kennedy. She told me that she didn’t usually vote for Democrats or Catholics but that Kennedy had … [Read more...]
Roma Stephens' Story I have been to hell and back. I have seen the army tanks at the edge of my neighborhood in West Dayton. I have seen my friends be treated like animals. What I have witnessed has enhanced my blackness and womanhood … [Read more...]
Ray and Shelby Deck's Story Ray grew up in Dayton and has been here almost his entire life. Shelby moved here from Kentucky with her parents when she was eighteen. They have been married for fifty-seven years. RAY: In my younger years, I did … [Read more...]
John Ivory's Story I’m just glad to be from North Dayton an’ Dayton. Dayton’s been a good place. I lived in that house over on Troy Street, ya know, the one that’s still next to Evans Bakery. We lived there, eleven of us kids, and I was number … [Read more...]
Cory Ivory's Story It was, for me, a very close neighborhood growing up. We would go to the neighborhood watering hole because my cousin lived next door; it was just down the street and I was always at my cousin’s. The lady that owned it, Betty, … [Read more...]
Mary Jo Dahm's Story I was born in Old North Dayton to my fabulous mother and father. I have eight brothers and two sisters, so there were eleven of us living in a three-bedroom house with one bathroom, next to the bakery. And the ironic thing is … [Read more...]
Les Hamilton's Story I’m gonna give you some homework. When you get home, I want you to go on your computer and pull up swim-to-row. S-w-i-m, t-o, r-o-w. Just like it sounds. My granddaughter, Destinee, always laughs at me for being an old fart, … [Read more...]
Sharon Mitchell's Story The bus will let them off in the back and they’ll come running in here with their little backpacks. You’ll hear them singing, and you’ll hear them talking, laughing. I met Father Hoelle, that’s really how I got here. … [Read more...]
Jerry Bowling's Story Jerry Bowling has lived in McCook Field for nearly all his life and now holds the position of president of the neighborhood association. He has seen the neighborhood change, for better or worse, and the neighborhood has seen … [Read more...]