In January of 2020, just before the Pandemic raged across the globe, an enlightened soul by the name

In January of 2020, just before the Pandemic raged across the globe, an enlightened soul by the name of Lelund Hollins displayed his photo series at an exhibition entitled “How We See It” at the Museum of Social Justice in Los Angeles. The “How We See It” Project gave members of the Los Angeles homeless community cameras to document and express what they see. Lelund took to the streets of LA at night to capture the painful truths that everyday communities overlook, truths and people that our government has discarded and a reality that he too has lived for 7 years. Lelund is a sensitive and selfless gentleman of many unique talents, but among his talents are his ability to intimately portray the harsh constructs of our reality. His photography communicates the social disparity of the housed and unhoused, a study on loneliness and the crisis the homeless community faces emotionally and physically. This very community in which he understands and moves through is the same community that none of us are separate from (making his images and message all the more compelling). Csunscene.net writes, “His work, a collection very much still in progress and being called the “Fallen Legends” series, is made up largely of images of unhoused people asleep on trains, on the street, on benches and in public places. When he began, Lelund’s perception was that he was simply taking pictures of what he was seeing on a nightly basis, the common and accepted scenery of a life without a home. But to a viewer who hasn’t had that life, Lelund’s work pulls no punches as to what homelessness looks and feels like.” Lelund says that “When you see the homeless, you have your opinion. But when you become it, then you understand. You see what it is.”It goes without saying that homelessness is a multi-tiered issue that ranges from mental health treatment to counseling, rehabilitation and social programs that are adequately funded to comprehensively lift people back on their feet again. But without the recognition that all human life has inextricable value and is deserving of even the most basic health, safety, wellness and kindness, the towers which covet our countries capitalist wealth will never come tumbling down. We live in a fabricated and rigged caste system that teaches communities to measure worth by wealth and numb themselves to crisis. What we continue to witness are generations of willful ignorance and no legitimate solutions. When I first discovered Lelunds photographs after we were fortunate enough to have a nice chat online, I was immediately flashing back to my time living in NYC. I remember my trips home as a young student on the Metro North every evening out of Grand Central Station, a city of incredible wealth and privilege. Lining the edges of fences and buildings,100′s of homeless people everyday being stepped around, yelled at, kicked aside and treated with disdain. These people are someones sister, brother, mother, father, son, daughter but most importantly, they are human beings with a history and a story not very different than each of us. My heart was incredibly heavy, and as their fragile bodies curled into the darkness of New York’s neglected corners, I was terrified at how we arrived here at this point of neglect.Not to mention, COVID-19 has also created numerous difficulties. With limited access to charging stations, Lelund has been forced to make choices between charging his batteries for documentation or for necessary technology & communication. Sadly, police will even go as far as to tell him and others they cannot use outlets. All the shutdowns have affected places of socialization for an already isolated community with little to no access to essential comforts.Lelund states, “I call everyone my homeless brother or sister,” Being unhoused has given Leland much insight about mercy and being able to find common ground with others who live a shared experience. It goes without saying that Lelund is a radiant voice for the unspoken and forgotten lives of our homeless community who deserve a real platform. They deserve love and care so that we can be one step closer to crafting a society that vows to protect and value all human life.You can follow Lelund on Instagram or Facebook right here:https://www.instagram.com/lelundnathanielhollins/https://www.facebook.com/lelundnathanielhollins -- source link

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