"Don’t go south of Poyntz they say!"

Mrs. Arlene Cole, a widow, “I can’t hear I can’t see I look terrible but I remember! I've lived in Manhattan for 75 yrs and living in this house for 73 yrs.”

Ms Cole came to the Little Apple from Ellsworth KS with her 1st husband. She goes on to recall that not many black people that lived in Ellsworth KS during her time growing up. She mentioned going to grade school and was only one of 5 black families. She said, “ What was important to me was getting my education and being an educated black woman!” Mrs Cole said the “mess” meaning racism was going on during her time as a child and said it still is going on. She said she only seldom heard the word nigger being used in Ellsworth KS but when she did hear the word being used it sent fear and chills through her body. She said upon graduating high school she wanted to go to a black college so she went to Lincoln University in Missouri. After graduating college she got married to her 1st husband who was in the Army, and that brought her to Manhattan Kansas. After that marriage didn’t work she then married Mr Cole her second husband. She worked at McCall’s for 19 yrs and retired just after Mr Cole died. Mrs Cole said to keep busy she joined a few black clubs one being the Eastern Stars, 20th Century Club and a black history club. She spoke over the changes of Yuma Street in how the historical homes are being taken down and how the younger generation just doesn’t take care of things the same. 94 years old she is the second oldest woman living on Yuma Street.

Source: @400northcreative on Instagram