We continue our photo series with another installment of brief on-the-street interviews and snapshots from our friend Dijon of Souls of Society.
Today, we present a collection of portraits that Dijon took recently around the Civic Center area.
“I’ve been studying German history, and in the field of science they were far ahead of stuff we were doing here in America. After World War II we took a lot of their scientists to get them to work for us… what does that tell you?”
“I was living in public housing and when they were moving me between rooms they gave me a TB test on my arm. Then they gave me a chest scan, I don’t know why it’s so important to give a chest scan when checking for TB, but that’s how they caught the lung cancer. I’ve been doing chemo and I could die tomorrow, but I don’t feel a bit of pain.”
“What do you think happens after you die?”
“Oh, I know that. It’s in the Bible. God will recreate and resurrect you.”
“This is what I looked like six years ago. Can you believe it?”
“I’ve been homeless off and on 10 years. Talking to people is the hardest part. People don’t wanna hear you.”
“This is a very cold city. All I can do is pray for these people. I got my faults too so I pray we all get better.”
“When I came out here a year and a half ago from Atlantic City I didn’t have shit. I was literally living on the streets.”
“You have a high and low point from your time here?”
“My high was when I got my house. I put my nose to the grindstone and it paid off. It’s a shoebox and I’m paying ridiculous money, but this is an expensive ass city so you gotta expect that.”
“What’s your dream for your time out here?”
“I ain’t really decided yet. I’m starting a new job at one of them SROs so I’ma get my 40 hours a week. Then after 18 months maybe I’ll work my way up so I can make 50-60 grand a year.”
“My girl is locked up on some bogus shit she really didn’t even do. She got about another four or five weeks. So shit is looking up. It ain’t all gravy but it ain’t all bad neither.”
Her - “We were in a foreign service international affairs fraternity in Berkeley and we both pledged together. It’s co-ed on the West Coast so it’s more of a society I guess.”
“What’s your point of connection as friends?”
Him - “Asian eyes.”
Her - “We drank a lot in college.”
Him - "Just more comfortable with Asians I guess.”
Her - “That’s not true!”
Her - “In college after a night out he would always wake up with a half eaten burrito in his hand.”
Him - “And salsa everywhere! I drank too much so I don’t remember everything.”
Stay tuned for more installments coming to a neighborhood near you.
