PQA: Frank Johnson

Photo by Olivia Barker-Duncan.

Frank Johnson

Q: When you were a kid, where did you live in the city?

A: I grew up on the north side.  I lived just below King Street Park on Mansion Street.

Q: Describe it for me when you were growing up.

A: It was a predominantly Italian area.  We were one of three black families in the area at the time. King Street Park was a very nice park, it was well-maintained.  Everyone took pride in the neighborhood

Q: What was it like to be among just a few black families in the neighborhood?

A: The dynamics were changing. More and more black people were moving into the area and more of the previous residents were moving out. But everyone knew each other and we all got along.

Q: Did your parents grow up in the area, or did they move to Poughkeepsie?

A: My grandmother moved here from North Carolina. My immediate family on my mother’s side is from there. She migrated north because I guess things were tough down there. At that point some of her children were old enough to make their own lives. The younger ones including my mother, and two other siblings, moved up this way with my grandmother. My mother later passed away when I was about seven.  I was raised by my grandmother and mother’s younger brother

Q: What brought them to Poughkeepsie?

A: I believe there was another family member here.

Q: What was your household like growing up on Mansion Street?

A: My grandmother, mother and uncle purchased a two-family house back in 1972 . I lived there all of my life. My family still owns it. Owning a home, taught me responsibilities. My sister and I had chores to perform. Before we did any extracurricular activities we had to make sure our work was done. We were taught that our home was not only an investment but a reflection of who we were. My grandmother always stressed the importance of taking care of what we had.

Photo by Olivia Barker-Duncan.

Q: What kind of work did your grandmother do?

A: She was a nurse at Saint Francis Hospital. My mother and my uncle both worked at IBM.

Q: What kind of work did they do?

A: Honestly, I don’t remember what my mother did. My uncle was in manufacturing.

Q: You said your mother died when you were seven. So your grandmother and your uncle kind of became your parents?

A: My uncle was a positive male role model in my life.  He learned the same morals and values that my grandmother taught me. She was a Christian woman who taught us to carry ourselves with respect and honor. She taught us to be the best at whatever we did. We were raised in the church and were always encouraged to follow the examples of Jesus Christ

Q: How would you describe your childhood in Poughkeepsie?

A: It was great. Being born in 1965, the world was a much different place then. Children at that time had a sense of freedom and innocence. We didn’t have the pressures that children have today. We didn’t have electronics, cellphones or social media to distract us.  We played tag and football outside. We rode our bikes all over the city without any worries or fears.

Q: Does anything else stand out from your childhood?

In the summertime we had programs. I was a very energetic kid. And there were things for me to do to occupy my thoughts, my time, my energy. We had the YMCA. Every park had its own summer camp. There were always activities and field trips. We were taken to amusement parks, and there were camping trips. Sadly, the youth today do not have those resources.

Q: As you’ve become an adult in the city and observed changes, such as in opportunities for young people, what is your sense of how the programs and the facilities declined?

A: In my opinion, residents have to be more involved with the changes going on in the city. There has to be better attendance at Common Council meetings. At those meetings residents could voice their opinions and vote on community matters. Parents also have to be involved with matters that concern the development and well being of their children.

Q: So you graduated from Poughkeepsie High School?

A: 1983.

Q: And then what after you graduated?

A:  I’ve always worked, and I like working with my hands. I worked for car dealerships, doing mechanical work. When I was in my twenties I started my own used car dealership as a side business. I kept that going on the side for about twenty-five years.

Around the same time I started my dealership, I also started to work for Verizon Wireless. Back then it  was Bell Atlantic, Bell Atlantic Mobile, and then Verizon. I was with them for eighteen years. I was a service manager.

Q: What have you been doing for work since then?

A: I am a maintenance supervisor at Associa. We provide maintenance and financial management to condo and homeowner associations.

Q: Is your sister still here?

A: She moved to Maryland after college.

Q: What was it like for you to raise your family in Poughkeepsie?

A: My children were actually raised in Wappingers Falls. Their mother and I divorced when they were young. But I do have  younger cousins, nieces and nephews who are products of Poughkeepsie. They grew up on the same values and traditions that I did. They were fortunate to see Poughkeepsie as I did.

Q: Obviously Poughkeepsie is just like other places, it has its strengths and weaknesses. What do you say about its strengths?

A: There are great people here. People like myself who were born and raised here. People who love the city. What makes Poughkeepsie strong is its history. There are a lot of historic landmarks here. For example, the Bardavon, Poughkeepsie train station, Clinton House, College Hill and more. Now we have the Walkway over the Hudson which which attracts people from all over the world. Another strength is the diversity. There are residents of many different cultures in the city of Poughkeepsie.

Q: What places in Poughkeepsie are your favorites? And what about places that you think aren’t very well known by people who don’t live in the city? 

A: College Hill Park is definitely up there. I visit Kaal Rock Park by the river, because it’s less populated and just quieter. The Cunneen Hackett Theater downtown is beautiful.

Q: You’ve lived your whole life in the City of Poughkeepsie. Why have you made that choice? 

A: I’ve travelled a lot. I have family throughout the South, and at a certain point I would go south every two weeks. I have been to other countries. I’m also a creature of habit. I know Poughkeepsie, it’s a simple place for me. But what I really like is the close-knit feeling here. I like living where everyone knows each other. There are generations of people I know. People that I grew up with, now I know their children and their children know me. I like the small town feeling.

I like being able to come out of my front door and being able to walk anywhere in a matter of minutes. I also like that we’re only a hour and fifteen minutes from New York City. If you want that glamorous city life you can easily drive or take the Metro-North and then you can come back to your cozy little Poughkeepsie. For me, it’s the best of both worlds.

Q: How do you feel about Poughkeepsie’s reputation in our area?

A: Poughkeepsie is not as bad as some people make it out to be. It’s usually the people who don’t live here who have the most negative things to say. Crime and problems exist in some of the more affluent towns but are not publicized as they are in Poughkeepsie.  Everything is kept quiet because they want to maintain the peaceful image. With a bigger population and people living in closer proximity, there will be more issues.

Q: What do you think is a key factor when people don’t respect where they live, or take it for granted?  

A: It’s about upbringing. You are a product of your environment. We have to teach our young people this is their city, this is their neighborhood, and this is how they should treat it. 

I think things are going to get better, because there’s more talk about doing things right, and people really want to get things right.