Audio File
Transcript
My name is Sophia Green. I was born in Pittsburgh, PA. I’m a Hill District native. I grew up in the Hill District. I’m from the Hill District. Growing up, for me, it wasn’t as rough as it is in these days. When I was growing up, it was lots of recreational centers, pools, things for us to do. Ammons Rec was always open for us and used to be, at one point in time, a skating rink. I used to go skating in Ammons. Growing up in the Hill District wasn’t as bad, like I said, as it is has gotten over the years. It was a lot that I learned growing up on Bedford Ave. was good times and bad times. I struggled like a lot of, like, mental health in my family and drug abuse. So there was some of that type stuff, the struggles I went through with that made me a stronger and better person. I have a child, so I’m teaching him the right routes of what I wasn’t taught. I seen crime growing up in the Hill District, but it wasn’t as bad as it is to me now. A lot of my friends weren’t dying back in the day, as they are now. It’s like, like I said, I have a 16 year old son. He has witnessed a lot of violence through the Hill District. If we could clean up gun violence and drugs, I know that’s like tough to do, if you’re from the Hill District, just try to make it better as the time goes past, be more active in the community. Try to come together more just to make it a better place to live. As long as we could keep positive things going in the Hill District and rebuilding homes and, you know, making it look better, I think the Hill District will grow. I like the growth that I have seen over the years with the Hill District. I like how they have the shopping centers, we have local stores, the Family Dollars and things in the community. Sometimes we can get the community to come together. I like how the Grayson Center is here for the young kids coming up, it gives you all opportunities. I’m proud to say that this is where I’m from. My grandmother, my mother are strong woman, they raised me to be a strong woman. I would consider myself a strong woman because I don’t- I get up, I go to work every day. I work very hard to take care of my family and my household. I’m a go getter, hustler, so I think I’m a strong black woman. I would just say stay on the right path, pick good people to hang out with. Always be a leader. Don’t be a follower. Just try to do things the right way and don’t let no one get in your mind and turn you to a person that you know you’re not. Just try to stay on the right path.