02/28/08 - Reader Contribution: "What Happened"

I was going through some old articles on Port Chester on this web link. So I have something to account. Not that it will even be published, but here it is. Once upon a time the city of Port Chester was a place where Italians, Blacks, Hispanic in reality people of all cultures lived and got along in concert. I was born and raised in the town in the 60’s. In the 60’s there was abundance of employment and goings-on in that small city. I commit to memory that being an African American in that town, I remember that many families’ folks worked at Arnolds, Lifesavers or even Avon’s. At that time they were what appeared to be many middle class black families in the town. We were not that fortunate, as a family we were raised on welfare. However there was compassion throughout the town for those that were from single family incomes. I grew up in the projects on Purdy and the sense of family unity throughout the building existed between all families. That did not matter what color you were. I attended the Holy Rosary School and received a magnificent education by the nuns. I was a part of that sport era that was one of the best thing PC had going for itself. It produced real good athletic teams. I played on several Don Bosco teams always wining. What ever happened to that state wide tournament they use to have. The Don’s helped place Port Chester on the map. Cultivating the area and states best athletes. How about the high school tournaments at CYP, I played in that several times. It had the best school boys from the city, state and Connecticut also.

I attended the PCHS and during that time we were a close knit group of students, back then going to school was the highlight of the day. Down on the lower half of PC, there was a black community, often I return to the area and at times almost weep. Actually an entire generation has been wiped out. This actually started in the 1980’s the crack cocaine epidemic hit that town very hard and many black people fell victim to the drug and the destruction that it caused. Entire families fell victim to the onslaught of addiction. With that black business and lifestyles took the hardest hit. Families and friends were forced to move out of the town, some never to return it was actually like genocide took place. They keep the crack in the community until it ravaged the entire community. Then they systematically eliminated a way of life. Leaving many businesses vacant along with buildings, which forced many business people to leave the area? The systematically the eliminated almost all of the black male population by incarceration. It would also appear that there was a pandemic which took place underground with the HIV virus. It appeared that almost 12 or more people I know all died of the virus. They would have been in their late 50’s to 60’s by now. I often wonder did anyone have knowledge of that information. All overnight there were no more jobs in the area. Large cooperation’s began to leave the area. Although the black people did play a part in this extermination, the fact is that it happened. Are you aware of this information? Have you ever though how this got this bad for black families in Port Chester.

As I ride through there today there are none of the things that I grew up with as a child, my entire childhood memories have been erased, there is nothing to teach my daughter about because it is no longer there to be used as a reference point. How about that? When society erases a man past, there is nothing to fall back on, there is nothing to go to and learn from. Well that is what they did to that community. It is very difficult to see that black Americans lived very prosperous at one time in that community. There are only a few boxed in areas that they allow the black to reside, what a shame!!! Where is the black enterprise? business?, a place where even though there were many bars and night clubs, they were black owned. There were even neighborhood stores that were owned by blacks. It is sad I’m not saying that I’m against the new culture that resides in Port Chester, because opportunity is for anyone, I’m talking about how a town made a decision to revitalize and leave out an entire population?

This did not only happen to Port Chester in the 80’s it was across the Westchester County lines. However dear old PC suffered the most in my opinion. How log will they allow the folks to live on Traverse, before they erase that. There were once proud black people who resided in that town, what happened?