I began the moment I stopped hiding from where I came from. Written by Dennis Harvell The Day I Stopped Being Ashamed There was a time when I carried my past like something I needed to hide. Growing up in the Mott Haven Houses felt like a mark I had to outrun, a story I… Continue reading The Day I Stopped Being Ashamed
Tag: South Bronx
Bronx Hero: Herman Badillo
Written by Dennis Harvell 🏛️ The Foundation & The Vision Herman Badillo, born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, in 1929, was a towering figure whose political career redefined what was possible for the Puerto Rican and Latino communities in the United States. Raised in the Bronx after being orphaned as a child, Herman Badillo‘s foundation was… Continue reading Bronx Hero: Herman Badillo
The Orange Sky — Sidewalk Theater in the Burning Bronx
Written by Dennis Harvell In this Bronx Archive entry, I revisit the fires of the 1970s — the unnatural orange glow, the silence of a neighborhood watching itself burn, and the resilience forged in the heat. This is a memory from the stoop, from the era when the South Bronx didn’t just burn; it was… Continue reading The Orange Sky — Sidewalk Theater in the Burning Bronx
The Forge of Leadership
Written by Dennis Harvell The Forge of Leadership Your Foundation for Leadership Starts Now To every young person out there in the Bronx navigating what feels like the bottom of the ladder: I see you. I’ve been there. Do not mistake the weight of your struggle for a ceiling. It is your foundation. You are… Continue reading The Forge of Leadership
The Work That Built My Rise
Written by Dennis Harvell The Work That Built My Rise My rise didn’t start in an office. It started in the South Bronx, where work wasn’t optional — it was survival. My first job was as a bag boy, the kind of work where you learn quickly that effort matters more than pride. From there,… Continue reading The Work That Built My Rise
Bronx Hero: Sonia Sotomayor
“Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society.” Written by Dennis Harvell ⚖️ Bronx Hero Spotlight: Sonia Sotomayor 🏛️ Sotomayor: From Bronx Public Housing to the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, born and raised in the Bronx’s South Bronx public housing projects (the Bronxdale Houses), embodies an incredible journey that is a true testament to… Continue reading Bronx Hero: Sonia Sotomayor
Bronx Hero: Cardi B.
“The I’m just a regular degular shmegular girl from the Bronx.” — Cardi B is under no “With great power comes great responsibility.” Written by Dennis Harvell 🎤 Bronx Hero Spotlight: Cardi B (Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar) The Foundation & The Vision Cardi B. born in 1992 and raised in the Highbridge section of the Bronx,… Continue reading Bronx Hero: Cardi B.
Bronx Hero: Grandmaster Flash
Written by Dennis Harvell 🎧 Bronx Hero of the Week: Grandmaster Flash: The Virtuoso of the Wheels of Steel The Foundations in the South Bronx Born Joseph Saddler in Barbados in 1958, Grandmaster Flash immigrated with his family and was raised in the South Bronx, a setting that would become the crucible of his musical revolution. His early… Continue reading Bronx Hero: Grandmaster Flash