Freewrite #1
Hello, my name is Eunice Jones. I was not born in Syracuse, but my family and I have lived here majority of our lives. My parents have always worked at different jobs in the city. My father only has a 3rd grade education because when was young he had to leave school to get a job to help out his parents. My parents were born in South Carolina. At the time there were not many job opportunities but picking cotton, tobacco or working on the “white man’s” farm. So when they had a chance to leave and change their circumstances they took it. My father worked at Crouse- Hinds that is a factory all of his life. Later on he did take on a second job as a janitor because my parents wanted to buy a house and make more money for the family. My mother has also worked all the time also. She has worked at different factories in the city. With my parents both working really left us alone to fend for ourselves. We had to help one another with our homework. My mother always made sure to check it before she went to bed.
We used to live in what is called “Brick City” in Syracuse. Growing up in the city of course I knew about this school but never felt that I could afford or smart enough to attend this school. I always felt that I could get by but to go to this school was like a taboo to me. Growing up I was told that I was not smart enough that only the rich families could afford to attend this school. I always felt that between the city and the university was the “have” and “have not’s”. There are a lot of people that work for the school but feel that there not intelligent enough to attend the university or can afford it.
There is also the issue of the 81 interstate that passes right between The Pioneer Homes, which is another set of projects that separates the city and three area hospitals and the Syracuse University which are on one side of the thruway and then you have the projects that are on the other side. I know that there have been studies of bringing the thruway down to street level but I think that that would create more traffic then what we need.
