Catherine

Catherine

Hopeful, Magnetic, Educator

“I grew up in the housing projects in Harlem with my aunt who raised me. Unfortunately, the crack epidemic was heavy back then. I lost both of my parents, so my aunt adopted my siblings and me. There were nine of us living together. That’s a lot. I grew up rough… I grew up not having food, not being able to change my clothes. I’d have to wash my shirts by hand. ”

“ The thing that makes Harlem very prevalent when it comes to the crack era is that there was also this fame of street life associated with it during that time. People see a lot of it on television and rap videos, the glory of it. We dealt with the hardship of it, of losing a mother to drugs and losing a father.”

“I was in street gangs, so I’d get into a lot of tussles and fights in the streets. Jay-Z raps about it in his album, ‘4:44.’ Similarly, I grew up in General Grant public housing, and our rivals were people from Saint Nicholas housing projects. After school we’d be like, ‘Hey, we’re going over there and we’re going to fight them.’ But nobody knew why. These are beefs that have been going on for years.”

“The people who definitely influenced me were my teachers. Simply knowing that I had a teacher who loved me, cared about me, who bought me an extra shirt, gave me the pencil my aunt couldn’t afford to buy me—kept me very, very hopeful.”

“I think it’s our job and our responsibility, the Catherine Browns of the world who have survived, to give hope to other young people so they don’t think that’s it for them. That’s what I take from growing up rough. That’s why I work in education. Just to tell little people like, “Don’t worry, you are going to be whatever you want to be.” Because if they don’t hear that and they don’t see that, they, too, can become hopeless.”

“I could never move away from New York City. It is so cultured here, so rich. Every borough is divided into sub-communities. In the Bronx we have a Little Italy, just like the Little Italy in Manhattan. We have a small Chinatown up here. We have a large West African community up here, too. You just can’t get away from the culture.”

Q&A

“ The power of the dollar pizza slice when you only have $5 for lunch. You’re not getting that anywhere else. It’s wonderful. I love New York City. I can sell it to anybody.”

What neighborhood do you live in? I currently reside in Morrisania in the Bronx.

Best thing about living there? My neighborhood is so diverse.

Favorite neighborhood in NYC? HARLEM, baby!

Favorite street to stroll? My favorite street to stroll in New York is 125th in Harlem.

Why? So many people and fond memories. It’s like the 42nd St. of Harlem.

Favorite restaurant? Blockheads. I mean, what can I say? I love a good drink and burrito, lol.

Favorite bar? The Fort, Morisville.

Hidden gem? I truly enjoy Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? New York City is one of the busiest places on earth. Don’t take anything personal and always be prepared to stand on the train!

Your New York soundtrack? “Jump” by Aretha Franklin.

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT CATHERINE

HAT “I picked this hat to prove I love the sport and New York City. We are a Yankees family, though.”

MEMORIAL CARD “I recently lost my sister. This reminds me of her hope and strength, and that I miss her.”

PICTURE “You can’t love anybody else if you don’t love yourself.”

SHOE “I had my first son when I was 14 years old. This was his first pair of sneakers. I love him. He’s my baby. I don’t care how big he is now.”

PAIR OF SNEAKERS “These belong to my youngest son. His little Jordan sneakers. I love both of my sons so much.”