Carol Fuller, seated, treasures childhood photosofherson,V, who was killed in 1997. She is joined by her sister,Terri, V’s aunt.Thefamily’s artifactsare included in an exhibition at Hazelwood’sCenter ofLife,whichhonors thelivesofthoselost to violence. 70 Centerof Life FINDINGSOLACE AFTERVIOLENCE P I T T S B U R G H ’ S H A Z E L W O O D N E I G H B O R H O O D hasseen itsupsanddowns.Atitspeakin1960,itwasburgeoning with 13,000 residents — largelyduetothegoodjobssupplied bytheHazelwoodCokeWorksofU.S.Steel.Morethan 200 businesseslinedSecondAvenue. “There was a time,” remembers Hazelwood resident Carol Fuller, “when everything we needed was right here.” But the steel industry’s implosion ended the jobs, and the coke works plant closed in 1998. It was a depressingly familiar Pittsburgh story: A once-thriving community now struggled with poverty, disinvestment and unrest while more and more young people lost their lives to gun violence. Among them was Carol’s son, RobertVincent Fuller, otherwise known as “V,” who was murdered at his workplace. Hazelwood’sheydayandstorieslikeV’sarejuxtaposedin apowerfulartexhibitiontitled“ILived,WeLive,WhatDidWe Miss?”Partmemorialandparthistorylesson,theexhibition openedinMayatCenterofLife,aneighborhoodnonprofitthat offerseverythingfrommusicinstructiontoacademicandfamily supportfornearly500youngpeoplefromlow-incomefamilies eachyear.TheCenter’sfreeprogramsprovideHazelwood’s youthwiththeskills,educationalsupportandtrainingnecessary tobestrongandindependentcitizens.Morethan90percentof participatinghighschoolstudentstransitiontocollegeortrade school.WithThePittsburghFoundation’sgrant-makingsupport, totalingnearly$240,000overthepasttwoyears,theCenter’s founderandexecutivedirector,TimSmith,isoptimistic.“We’ve seensomeroughtimesinHazelwood,”hesays,“butthereare goodthingshappeningeveryday.Youcanlearnsomuchhere.” Often, as “I Lived,We Live,What DidWe Miss?” demonstrates,thoselessonsarebestexpressedthroughart. Carol and her sister,Terri, discussV’s life, their loss and the healing power of the Center’s exhibit. ‌