Walk down Main Street at Westview and you are greeted by a small black elephant.  This is the We Are One gift shop of Irving Anderson.

Irving was born and brought up in New York City but for about six years he lived in Georgia and Florida.  He worked at a 711 Gas Station with his uncle, and also as a short-order cook with his father and uncle at their restaurant.

In 1983, during a holdup and robbery, Irving was shot and is now confined to a wheelchair with the ability to use only one arm and hand.  This has not in any way stopped him from doing what he had always wanted, "owning and running my own store." It took him a while to get started after the accident, for he was a patient at Coler Hospital.  While at the hospital, he went to school in computer training and began to sell small items to the patients.  He later set up a booth at the Roosevelt Island Subway station to sell some of his wares.

After being discharged from Coler, he moved into 580 Main Street and, subsequently, was able to set up his store across the street.  At first, he had only a back room, but this December the storefront became available to him.

His window display and shop are filled with African statues from Kenya, mugs, ceramic plates, toys, gloves, scarves, handbags, artwork, candles, perfumes, and statues of jazz musicians, among many other things.  The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Irving Anderson has worked hard to get the store operating, and says he "would love to see it become busier."