Humans of New York... Again

I know that someone has already posted about Humans of New York, but I wanted to focus on that blog again.  Just to reiterate, Humans of New York, or HONY as it is affectionately nicknamed, is a photographer who captures the people he sees in New York with a photograph and a quote.  He then uploads these images to a facebook page that has garnered over three million followers (or whatever we're called on facebook).  These photos can get thousands of views within only a few hours, and the comments are filled with the condolences, encouragement, and commentary of thousands of people across the globe.

As I mentioned, these photographs are accompanied by a quote, sometimes only a few sentences, (for example, "'I pretty much only read fantasy because I've had more than enough of reality.") or as long as a few paragraphs.  These captions are sometimes hilarious, often though-provoking, usually witty.  However, a few have received quite a lot of attention.

Since the blog has increased in popularity, some of HONY's pictures and the causes or stories that are embedded within them have caused quite a stir and, as a result, actually caused tangible change.  HONY posted about a man adopting a child from Ethiopia, but who didn't have the funds to bring him home.  HONY's creator, a man named Brandon Stanton, started an online campaign to raise money, titled "Bring Richard Home", with a goal of $26,000.  In less than two days, $79,923 had been raised.

HONY posted a picture of two men with the caption, "We're gay refugees from Iran."  This spurred a news article discussing the human rights situation in Iran, exposing a specific topic not readily known to many.

When the blog posted a picture of a man whose caption discussed the proposed modifications to a historical New York library, a controversy began between the public and city officials over the benefits and detriments of the plan.

Most recently, HONY posted a photograph of a mother, whose caption discussed the difficulty her daughter and her daughter's classmates faced in applying for a prestigious scholarship, one that could decide their academic future, because of the school's administration.  This caused a news article as well as public knowledge of the situation, and with the exposure came an increased chance at resolving the situation.  All of the above situations will show up on a Google search.

It is unbelievable to me that one blog could have such far-reaching effects, and that a photograph with a simple caption could cause such repercussion and progress.  Our words are so powerful, an immense tool that we must be careful with.  If you haven't checked out Humans of New York after the first blog post about it, I really suggest you do now.  It is truly a testament to the influence of people when we come together to support (or denounce) a cause or person.