African American Studies Commons^™

Nobile, Joe And Hewitt, Kim, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Kim Hewitt and Joe Nobile are principals in elementary schools in the New York Public School System. Kim Hewitt was raised in the projects of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, the daughter of Brooklyn-raised parents of Southern stock. At the time she grew up, New York was not yet beset by all the problems of gangland violence and the crack era, so Hewitt remembers her upbringing as almost entirely positive, safe, and nurturing. The community was very close-knit, families and friends looked out for one another, and there was a vibrant sense of community in the projects. Hewitt was raised when hip-hop …