Bronx Senior
Photo League
Introducing Barbara Flaxman
+ Yolanda Ramirez
Embedded Files
BARBARA FLAXMAN STORY BY FRIDA CHICAIZA + ZULEYKA MENDEZ
YOLANDA RAMIREZ STORY BY IXOYE MOGUEL + RYAN PLUMMER
Published Dec 2023
Barbara Flaxman was born in Newark, New Jersey on September 25, 1941. She lived in Hillside, New Jersey as a young girl, and when she was around ten years old her family moved to Tucson, Arizona. The move was a big change from urban life, and Barbara remembered thinking that she might have to go to school on a horse.
As she grew into an adult, Barbara moved around a lot. She studied public administration at the University of Arizona. She then worked as a social worker outside San Francisco, where met a man who then became her husband, then moved to Connecticut to work in publishing. Eight years ago she retired and moved to the Bronx. Although she originally wanted to move back to Arizona, the East Coast had become her home. “I just felt very, very, very comfortable here,” she said.
Barbara has been a part of various programs around New York City. She joined the College at 60 program with Fordham University at Lincoln Center, alongside with learning photography and printmaking at the Bronx Museum. Over the years, Barbara has experienced a lot of loss. Her father died when she was young.
Later, her husband, mother, and sister all passed away, leaving her the last living member of her family. But despite her losses, Barbara feels happy today. “I love my life. I’m not afraid to go out and find something to do. To go by myself, to ask friends to go with me.”
Yolanda Ramirez is a true Bronx native. “I was born in the Bronx, I lived in the Bronx, and I’m still living in the Bronx.”Yolanda currently lives in Coop City. She’s been a special education teacher at the Department of Education for more than 30 years. When she retired, she decided to start traveling. She has been to more than 8 countries in her lifetime, including Morocco, Portugal, India, and Nepal.
Yolanda loves to read, meditate, do yoga, and be outdoors. She also enjoys helping those in need. During Covid-19, she helped her husband, a nurse, by being by his side as he struggled with the pain of losing his patients. She is also very opinionated and knowledgeable about various different issues in the Bronx.
Yolanda talked about how the current fentanyl epidemic has been taking its toll on the Bronx community, and believes Narcan should be readily available everywhere in the city. Over the years, she has experienced different drug epidemics of the Bronx such as crack, heroin and now fentanyl. Yolanda has been able to recognize the patterns between these epidemics stating that, “[As] long as people are willing to buy, they’re willing to supply.”
As a lifelong Bronx resident, she was very entertaining to listen to and educated us on the environment around her.
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