Yes, I too am guilty of stereotyping homeless people. I almost didn’t talk to Sylvester. From a distance, he looked a little “unstable”. After a morning of making new friends in Atlanta, I had one pair of socks left. I started to cross the street so I would not have to pass him, yet became conscious of what I was doing so I walked back. I didn’t plan on rolling the camera. I was simply going to give him the last pair of socks and move on.
Sylvester’s story is one of the reasons InvisiblePeople.tv exists. His story is powerful. When I walked away I was in tears. Off camera, Sylvester told me he was raped at 15 by the group leader of the foster home he was living in. I felt his pain.
Sylvester describes discrimination on the streets. He looks right into the camera and asks “what makes you better than me?”
Please watch this powerful interview.
