Melrose Houses Reunion

Beautiful day at Melrose Houses Reunion in the park under the trees. Thank you Jennie Cruz, TA President for inviting COCOON. Delicious Jamaican barbecue by Chef Dave Fraser, a basketball clinic, a field day of children running races around cones & hula-hoops -- lots of trophies, DJ David “Tricky". And families, dads and moms and aunts, uncles, grandparents, sisters and brothers and lifelong friends. 

Eric took portraits, the COCOON team worked with people as they made symbolic objects and I recorded the stories on family and new babies, on friendships and sharing delicious food, on the extraordinary pain of losing people to gun violence, on loving children, growing vegetables at Melrose back in the early days, on the pet chihuahua in a pink dress and pearls, and on new school backpacks.

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories on Melrose Day and to the COCOON team Eric, Alejandro, Jewels, Mirana and Taj. 

© all by photos Eric Etheridge

Powerful evening with Dr. Pastor Henry's Family Support Group at Lincoln Hosp Div Trauma

For families who have lost children to gun violence. 

Thank you for inviting Cocoon to do a workshop in October. 

Dr. Pastor Henry's Inner City Gun Violence Prevention Inc. is partnered with Lincoln Medical Center, Division of Trauma Injury Prevention Program and Guns Down Life Up. 

#5 @ Morris Park

With the incredible Cocoon team -- Jewels Marshall and Mirana Zuger -- after a great meeting with Dalaeja Foreman at BCA.

... and last week after the 1st COCOON workshop. COCOON team Mirana Zuger, Jewels Marshall, me and Alejandro Salgado.

Thank you Bronx - 1st cocoon workshops begin

Over 60 people in the Jackson, Melrose, Morrisania Air Rights Houses participated -- recording memories about life -- at Morrisania Air Rights and Jackson Houses Family Days, in the hallways of Jackson houses when you kindly opened your doors to us and told us your stories, and at cocoon workshops on Jackson's old basket ball court. Visit us Saturday for more workshops during Melrose Family Day - at the handball courts. And thank you thank you thank you.

Above Eric photographing Priscilla and Rodney during a cocoon memory workshop on Jackson's old basket ball court.

Bronx Memories & Barbecue

Danny Barber grilling ...

at Morrisania Air Rights Family Day where the COCOON had a table.

We talked with people about COCOON the artwork and people contributed to a memory map ... remembering talent shows at night in the old basketball court, going into labor, first grand kids, sadness over losing friends to gun violence, weddings and first jobs, first apartments and long time friendships and neighbors helping each other out.

TA President Chaney Yelverton ran the show, DA Darcel Clark and James Santos (DA Community Engagement Coordinator) visited and Danny Barber did the grilling. And yes there was music, dancing and a bouncy house. 

COCOON will have a table Jackson Family Day -- Saturday tomorrow. Stop by. Add your memory to the neighborhood memory map.

People contributed memories at Morrisania Air Rights Family Day