How many times have you walked by homeless people and pretended not to notice them?
B. J. Lacasse, photographer and author of The Street, decided to stop “not noticing” and photograph the homeless of Fort Worth to help the rest of us perceive those we usually try to ignore. In addition to photographing the homeless living in and around the city, she took the time to get to know them as well, keeping a journal of their stories and her observations. The Street is the end product of her journey into the lives of the homeless. These photos are poignant, heartbreaking, and at times difficult to look at, but in them there is also an air of hope.
With a foreword by former Fort Worth mayor Mike Moncrief, The Street starts with a note about change that confronts us with the face of homelessness, opening our eyes to the world that we’ve blatantly ignored. In The Street, you will meet B. J.’s friend Johnny, follow the success story of Wild Bill, root for Brenda and Anna, and mourn for Mary Ann. You’ll get to see them in every aspect of their lives, both positive and negative. The ending of the book is positive, with pictures that show the impact housing can have on people who—perhaps for the first time in their lives—have a home of their own.
The photographs and stories in this book will not just open your eyes—they will spur you to action.