The World In My Backyard

06/19/2015

We were heading from Mad Pk to EMP. Saw a man trying to flag a taxi as we rolled into Mad Valley. Taxi passes him by. We pull a U-ee knowing they may be waiting forever for another taxi.
We were going their way. Great ride learning about their home, family & work w/ Chng & Qua from Malaysia on their last day visiting the U.S.
They were so grateful for lift downtown & they must've given us great karma because 3 minutes later we scored a FREE street parking spot a block from EMP.

06/11/2015

“Moving here without family or friends, we’ve always hung out together. We really enjoy hanging out together. We CHOOSE to hang out together. In college, my sister & I would go home every weekend. Our friends thought it was really weird, but that is what we wanted to do.

I think our connectivity is a combination of us only having each other when we moved and our cultural background. My mom lived at home until she married my dad…it was culturally normal. Where here, it is like you have to be embarrassed if you are living with your parents…everyone is trying to be so independent. I lived at home because I wanted to be with my family. I was excited to say I lived with my parents after college.”

To read more about Seattleite, Lynsey go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/namibia

06/10/2015

"I remember one boy in my class saying ‘You’re not from Namibia, you’re not black.’ 'How can he not believe me', I thought. I didn’t know how to prove it to him. It was really difficult.

To read more about Seattleite, Lynsey go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/namibia

06/04/2015

“When I arrived [from Barbados @ 19], I went to NYU & asked if they would accept me as an incoming student. They asked for my SAT scores. I didn't have any but I had the Oxford/Cambridge exam scores. They said they couldn't accept foreign students without SAT scores. They told me I should go just down the street to Pace University & see if they would accept a foreign student. So I did. Pace accepted me on a probationary year and by my second year I was on a full academic scholarship.
I knew I wanted to go to medical school. I was told Pace did not have any graduates that went onto medical school. I was advised to transfer to another school to assure myself an opportunity to get to medical school. I really liked my professors at Pace & I did not want to leave. I became the first Pace graduate to be accepted into medical school."
Harold went onto study medicine at Cornell.
To read more about Seattleite, Harold, go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/barbados

06/03/2015

“I think my kids would be surprised if they went back to the neighborhood where I lived with my grandfather. By today’s standards, it was probably pretty poor. The house had one faucet & sink. It was in the kitchen. You washed all your stuff under that one sink. You brushed your teeth in that same sink. Everything happened in that one spot. There was a shower, but we only had cold water."

To read more about Seattleite, Harold go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/barbados

06/02/2015

I asked, "Did you feel racial tensions or prejudice as a young man living in NYC?"
"No, but what I do remember is being very thankful I was not born in the United States."
"What??? Why?"
"I realized I would not have had many role models in professional positions in the States. Growing up in Barbados, I was able to see black people in professional positions…doctors, lawyers, politics. I was lucky to see that anything was possible from a young age.”

Harold Brandford is a constant reminder for me of the importance of connecting with the world in your backyard. I will be forever grateful to his openness in sharing slices of his life journey & I hope the sharing will create more conversations, understanding, awareness and connectivity.

Barbados Harold was born on May 21st, 1949 in Christ Church parish, Barbados. His father was born and raised on the island, while his mother was born in New York City to Barbadian parents. Her parents had died at a young age, forcing her return to Barbados to live with her aunts and attend high sch…

06/01/2015

"In Barbados, at the age of 8, all children took a very serious exam that lasted all day. It pretty much determines the rest of your life. It was extremely competitive. Every child knew the importance of this exam, but I particularly knew from my father. I remember it like it was yesterday. When I came out from taking it, I realized I had gotten one question wrong. I was devastated. We had to wait weeks for results. It was excruciating. I found out I got into Harrison College [the top all boys public school in the country]."
To read more about Seattleite, Harold go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/barbados

05/29/2015

What is your favorite thing about Seattle? “Being able to practice my religion freely.”
What do you think Americans take for granted? “Being able to practice any religion freely. And being able to move and know people outside your own community."
To read more about Seattleite, Asha go to www.worldinmybackyard.org/somalia