This is what it means to say.... Brooklyn

This is what it means to say…..Bedstuy. You take great pride in where you come from, you don’t snitch, and you always mind your own business. This is what it means to say “get down, they shootin!” This is what it means to see the entire Marcy Projects look deserted when patrol cars come through. This is what it means to be in the second grade playing outside with your friends and little tiny crack containers at your feet. This is what it means to say addiction, eviction and conviction. This is what it means to cry when you hear that someone you grew up with gets shot in the head over drugs, the same drugs that killed the men in our lives. This is what it means to say you got to be tough because everyone around you is rock solid and tears are just rain drops. This is what it means when we say HELLO BROOKLYN and don’t forget to say hello hardships, hello heartache, hello fist fights, hello shootouts, hello to the drug dealers and hello to the crack heads. This is what it means to strive for better. Hello Brooklyn.

Fatima Garnett