There aren't many people these days that haven't at least heard of Humans of New York. What began as a series of photos documenting New York's various inhabitants soon became much more when HONY owner, Brandon Stanton, began interviewing his photography subjects. As Stanton began posting quotes and short stories alongside photos on his Facebook page, he developed a following of what some call the "nicest people on the internet."
1. Let's Send Kids to Harvard
Many of the people that Stanton talks to have interesting things to say, but Vidal (pictured left) took the world by surprise - not only by what he had to say, but the actions that followed.
While talking, Vidal told Stanton that his life had been most influenced by his principal, Ms. Lopez, a woman who believes in all of her students, no matter how much Brownsville, one of Brooklyn's most dangerous neighborhoods, tends to take them for granted.
"When we get in trouble, [Ms. Lopez] doesn't suspend us," Stanton posted on his Facebook page on behalf of Vidal. "She calls us to her office and explains to us how society was built down around us. And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter."
With the help of officials from Vidal's school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy, Stanton set up an Indiegogo campaign to help Vidal and his classmates take a trip to Harvard to show them that life continues outside of Brooklyn. This campaign quickly became one of the most backed campaigns ever, with over $1 million raised, completely blowing away the original goal of $100,000.
2.The Bonded Labour Liberation Front
Though Stanton spends most of his time in New York, he spent this past summer in Pakistan and Iran, intent on showing the world a different side of the countries we, as Americans, so often prematurely judge.
To say goodbye to his time in Pakistan, Stanton shined the spotlight on one of the world's biggest social injustice -- bonded labor. This practice is common throughout Pakistan and is thought to be a form of slavery as many of the poor laborers of Pakistan are tricked into work with the brick kilns and then forced to stay for the rest of their lives as their debt grows. Much of the time, this debt is passed down to children, who have no chance of escape. It is estimated that 4.5 million Pakistanis are working in the slavery-like conditions of the brick kilns.
Syeda Ghulam Fatima, pictured above, works to end bonded labor and has suffered for her activism.
"I was walking to court to attend a hearing against a kiln owner when suddenly I was surrounded by a group of men," said Fatima. "Everyone ran away except for my brother and me. The men told me that I better drop the case. I told them I would not. Then they knocked me to the ground, pulled back my leg, and shot me in the knee."
In less than 12 hours, over $1 million was donated by 40,000 people with no rewards offered. Instead, every dollar donated was out of pure compassion for our fellow humans.
3. I Just Want Help
Though Humans of New York sheds light on some of the most important issues of the world, money isn't always the go-to answer.
“I left an abusive relationship and I have nowhere to go," said the mystery woman, pictured left. "I have Hepatitis C, so no one is willing to take me in. I don’t know how long I will live. I tried to give [my daughter] up for adoption so that she’d have a good home. The wife of a minister told me about a place where I could drop her off. But when I got there, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
An overwhelming number of comments where people shared their own struggles with Hep C or asked how they could help led to Stanton tracking down the mystery woman and setting up a place where people could offer to help her with medical treatment or accommodations. He also shared that HONY had people near her locations that wished to help.
Though many of the people that Stanton photographs remain anonymous, their stories reach the hearts of those who follow HONY. An overwhelming majority of comments on the pictures are positive, many even offering their own stories to show that no one is alone in their struggles. With more people like Stanton and HONY's followers, we may have a chance to, one day, make this world a better place.
For more information about HONY, visit http://www.humansofnewyork.com/
