The Plainfield city riot of 1967 and the racial conflicts at Plainfield High School in 1969 were two of the most painful experiences of my life. To see my beautiful hometown so damaged-well, I wanted to put the memories of those events far behind me. However, now at the 50th anniversary of the city riot, it's so clear to me that those two tragedies go far to explain where Plainfield, New Jersey is today. My accounting of those events is from the viewpoint of a black teenager who lived through them. I think it's important for my generation not to forget, and for the current generation to know what happened back then. Plainfield of the 21st century faces equally perilous challenges. Maybe, just maybe, lessons from the past can bring peace to the future.