when I wrote this book faces of Hope which is a photo book but I you know I
which is a photo book but I you know I
which is a photo book but I you know I did the text with it looking at these
did the text with it looking at these
did the text with it looking at these children throughout the world in
children throughout the world in
children throughout the world in developing countries Africa Asia Latin
developing countries Africa Asia Latin
developing countries Africa Asia Latin America and the Middle East marian
America and the Middle East marian
America and the Middle East marian wright edelman this incredible woman
wright edelman this incredible woman
wright edelman this incredible woman head of the Children’s Defense Fund hope
head of the Children’s Defense Fund hope
head of the Children’s Defense Fund hope you’re out there wrote the foreword for
you’re out there wrote the foreword for
you’re out there wrote the foreword for this book and she called me and said you
this book and she called me and said you
this book and she called me and said you know I looked through your whole book I
know I looked through your whole book I
know I looked through your whole book I love it but you need to really
love it but you need to really
love it but you need to really photograph children in poverty in
photograph children in poverty in
photograph children in poverty in America and I said let’s do it so we
America and I said let’s do it so we
America and I said let’s do it so we collaborated and for a year I went
collaborated and for a year I went
collaborated and for a year I went around the United States and I
around the United States and I
around the United States and I photographed poverty in America which
photographed poverty in America which
photographed poverty in America which blew my mind it you know when you see it
blew my mind it you know when you see it
blew my mind it you know when you see it in other countries there’s you know it’s
in other countries there’s you know it’s
in other countries there’s you know it’s you do get it you can’t help but be
you do get it you can’t help but be
you do get it you can’t help but be emotionally involved but there’s
emotionally involved but there’s
emotionally involved but there’s something about singing our own country
something about singing our own country
something about singing our own country that you’re like how can this happen you
that you’re like how can this happen you
that you’re like how can this happen you know but this was at a powwow on a
know but this was at a powwow on a
know but this was at a powwow on a Navajo Reservation and the children were
Navajo Reservation and the children were
Navajo Reservation and the children were so you know the ingrained they’re really
so you know the ingrained they’re really
so you know the ingrained they’re really trying to green the culture in them and
trying to green the culture in them and
trying to green the culture in them and you know that very celebratory and in
you know that very celebratory and in
you know that very celebratory and in their traditional clothing and trying to
their traditional clothing and trying to
their traditional clothing and trying to keep them you know abreast of their
keep them you know abreast of their
keep them you know abreast of their their culture in their ways and then
their culture in their ways and then
their culture in their ways and then going home with them seeing how they
going home with them seeing how they
going home with them seeing how they actually lived and this is on an old
actually lived and this is on an old
actually lived and this is on an old school bus in the dead of winter with no
school bus in the dead of winter with no
school bus in the dead of winter with no electricity no water no heat and and
electricity no water no heat and and
electricity no water no heat and and then in the hogans the same thing these
then in the hogans the same thing these
then in the hogans the same thing these sort of you know traditional homes and
sort of you know traditional homes and
sort of you know traditional homes and there’s kind of this I think false idea
there’s kind of this I think false idea
there’s kind of this I think false idea that you know a lot of Indians are
that you know a lot of Indians are
that you know a lot of Indians are making this money from gaming or
making this money from gaming or
making this money from gaming or whatever but they’re you know so many of
whatever but they’re you know so many of
whatever but they’re you know so many of them they don’t even have the ability to
them they don’t even have the ability to
them they don’t even have the ability to work it’s no Matt it’s no longer a
work it’s no Matt it’s no longer a
work it’s no Matt it’s no longer a pastoral culture so they have to go into
pastoral culture so they have to go into
pastoral culture so they have to go into cities to find work so many of them are
cities to find work so many of them are
cities to find work so many of them are living in these sort of old hotels or
living in these sort of old hotels or
living in these sort of old hotels or you know they can’t they don’t have a
you know they can’t they don’t have a
you know they can’t they don’t have a way that they can get back and forth
way that they can get back and forth
way that they can get back and forth from the reservation one of the Hogan’s
from the reservation one of the Hogan’s
from the reservation one of the Hogan’s here now this is a food bank this also
here now this is a food bank this also
here now this is a food bank this also was very enlightening to me because this
was very enlightening to me because this
was very enlightening to me because this was in a part of ohio on the appalachian
was in a part of ohio on the appalachian
was in a part of ohio on the appalachian area that 700 to 800 cars a day go
area that 700 to 800 cars a day go
area that 700 to 800 cars a day go through this one particular food bank
through this one particular food bank
through this one particular food bank and there’s a number of them and I had
and there’s a number of them and I had
and there’s a number of them and I had no idea that food banks worked on that
no idea that food banks worked on that
no idea that food banks worked on that level that this was the only way that
level that this was the only way that
level that this was the only way that people in this country were going to eat
people in this country were going to eat
people in this country were going to eat and this is a you know they’re getting
and this is a you know they’re getting
and this is a you know they’re getting baby food but unfortunately a lot of the
baby food but unfortunately a lot of the
baby food but unfortunately a lot of the food is processed and not good food and
food is processed and not good food and
food is processed and not good food and it’s causing you know the people can’t
it’s causing you know the people can’t
it’s causing you know the people can’t get good foods so even the social
get good foods so even the social
get good foods so even the social workers are bringing mcdonalds coupons
workers are bringing mcdonalds coupons
workers are bringing mcdonalds coupons so they’re getting not not good
so they’re getting not not good
so they’re getting not not good nutrition and I just can’t believe that
nutrition and I just can’t believe that
nutrition and I just can’t believe that it’s on this level so the food banks
it’s on this level so the food banks
it’s on this level so the food banks need to be really really supported or
need to be really really supported or
need to be really really supported or they even are the kids I couldn’t
they even are the kids I couldn’t
they even are the kids I couldn’t believe how many kids just were not
believe how many kids just were not
believe how many kids just were not getting food this was the migrant
getting food this was the migrant
getting food this was the migrant workers in Texas also very interesting
workers in Texas also very interesting
workers in Texas also very interesting to see you know they’re a great source
to see you know they’re a great source
to see you know they’re a great source of our economy and there’s actually a
of our economy and there’s actually a
of our economy and there’s actually a whole band in the Rio Grande Valley of
whole band in the Rio Grande Valley of
whole band in the Rio Grande Valley of where the many mexicans are living that
where the many mexicans are living that
where the many mexicans are living that are giving legal status to live on
are giving legal status to live on
are giving legal status to live on American soil then they have children
American soil then they have children
American soil then they have children that are born as American that then give
that are born as American that then give
that are born as American that then give their parents American citizenship
their parents American citizenship
their parents American citizenship rather than them the parents giving
rather than them the parents giving
rather than them the parents giving their kids citizenship the kids are
their kids citizenship the kids are
their kids citizenship the kids are given the parents citizenship again they
given the parents citizenship again they
given the parents citizenship again they have no water they go to a well like a
have no water they go to a well like a
have no water they go to a well like a well where they have to fill jugs to get
well where they have to fill jugs to get
well where they have to fill jugs to get water on these colonias these girls this
water on these colonias these girls this
water on these colonias these girls this girl on the right suffering from
girl on the right suffering from
girl on the right suffering from clinical depression and I just couldn’t
clinical depression and I just couldn’t
clinical depression and I just couldn’t believe what these kids had like all
believe what these kids had like all
believe what these kids had like all these acronyms I didn’t even had never
these acronyms I didn’t even had never
these acronyms I didn’t even had never heard of you know but you know a TD HDD
heard of you know but you know a TD HDD
heard of you know but you know a TD HDD depression I photographed a little
depression I photographed a little
depression I photographed a little eight-year-old boy that had tried
eight-year-old boy that had tried
eight-year-old boy that had tried committing suicide I photographed a
committing suicide I photographed a
committing suicide I photographed a mother that had she had just tried
mother that had she had just tried
mother that had she had just tried committing suicide because she can’t buy
committing suicide because she can’t buy
committing suicide because she can’t buy food and shoes for her kids and I
food and shoes for her kids and I
food and shoes for her kids and I thought this is appalling in our own
thought this is appalling in our own
thought this is appalling in our own country a mother you know raising her
country a mother you know raising her
country a mother you know raising her kids in Appalachia it’s no longer you
kids in Appalachia it’s no longer you
kids in Appalachia it’s no longer you know these Dorothea Lange days where you
know these Dorothea Lange days where you
know these Dorothea Lange days where you know they’re living in the shotgun
know they’re living in the shotgun
know they’re living in the shotgun shacks you know poverty in America is
shacks you know poverty in America is
shacks you know poverty in America is like a single mother trying to raise
like a single mother trying to raise
like a single mother trying to raise three kids on 425 an hour while
three kids on 425 an hour while
three kids on 425 an hour while working in a strip mall and wendys and
working in a strip mall and wendys and
working in a strip mall and wendys and that’s kind of what it’s like just
that’s kind of what it’s like just
that’s kind of what it’s like just trying to keep it together Mississippi
trying to keep it together Mississippi
trying to keep it together Mississippi went two thousand miles around the
went two thousand miles around the
went two thousand miles around the Mississippi Delta and this was a woman
Mississippi Delta and this was a woman
Mississippi Delta and this was a woman living with 16 people and a trailer and
living with 16 people and a trailer and
living with 16 people and a trailer and this was also you know something that
this was also you know something that
this was also you know something that was discussed when I come back with
was discussed when I come back with
was discussed when I come back with these photos because it was like well
these photos because it was like well
these photos because it was like well these people don’t look hungry and I’m
these people don’t look hungry and I’m
these people don’t look hungry and I’m like this is what poverty looks like in
like this is what poverty looks like in
like this is what poverty looks like in America you know it’s not real thin
America you know it’s not real thin
America you know it’s not real thin people like Africa and India you know
people like Africa and India you know
people like Africa and India you know it’s it’s diabetes and it’s heavy and so
it’s it’s diabetes and it’s heavy and so
it’s it’s diabetes and it’s heavy and so it’s getting them proper food
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