Saturday, June 23, 2012
If we drove the streets around the perimeter of Roselle Park NJ, I could easily show & explain how a one-sq mile town plunked down in the middle of similar towns & neighborhoods was able to maintain an island-like insularity. "Parkers" enjoy discussing all the aspects of this insularity except one: Its racism. Roselle Park successfully remained an all-white community. It de facto segregated itself. It still has a negligible (5%) African-American population.
I'd also show you the Sunrise Village apartment complex, where the last remaining large piece of privately-owned vacant property became the worst, most ill-conceived development in the history of the town.
I have never written for people from Roselle Park. It was a conscious decision I made during college. I didn't want my memories & opinions subjected to provincial nitpicking.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
I'd also show you the Sunrise Village apartment complex, where the last remaining large piece of privately-owned vacant property became the worst, most ill-conceived development in the history of the town.
I have never written for people from Roselle Park. It was a conscious decision I made during college. I didn't want my memories & opinions subjected to provincial nitpicking.
Labels: growing up
