Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 282
February 6, 2015
“When is the time you felt most broken?”“I first ran for...
“When is the time you felt most broken?”
“I first ran for Congress in 1999, and I got beat. I just got whooped. I had been in the state legislature for a long time, I was in the minority party, I wasn’t getting a lot done, and I was away from my family and putting a lot of strain on Michelle. Then for me to run and lose that bad, I was thinking maybe this isn’t what I was cut out to do. I was forty years old, and I’d invested a lot of time and effort into something that didn’t seem to be working. But the thing that got me through that moment, and any other time that I’ve felt stuck, is to remind myself that it’s about the work. Because if you’re worrying about yourself—if you’re thinking: ‘Am I succeeding? Am I in the right position? Am I being appreciated?’ — then you’re going to end up feeling frustrated and stuck. But if you can keep it about the work, you’ll always have a path. There’s always something to be done.”
“You don’t do things alone. Nobody does things alone. Everybody...
“You don’t do things alone. Nobody does things alone. Everybody always needs support. For a young man like you, you should never be too afraid or too shy to look for people who can encourage you or mentor you. There are a lot of people out there who want to provide advice and support to people who are trying to do the right thing. So you’ll have a lot of people helping you. Just always remember to be open to help. Never think that you know everything. And always be ready to listen.”
February 5, 2015
On January 19th, I met a young man on the street named Vidal,...
On January 19th, I met a young man on the street named Vidal, and I asked him to tell me about the person who had influenced him the most in his life. He told me about his principal, Ms. Lopez, and he explained how she had taught him that he mattered. Over the next two weeks, I learned the story of Ms. Lopez and her school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy. By hearing the stories of MHBA students and educators, my eyes were opened to the unique challenges facing a school in an under-served community. Ms. Lopez taught me that before a student is ready for academic training, they must be made to understand that they deserve success. And that can be the hardest battle in education. Ms. Lopez always said that there was no place her students did not belong. Recently we received an invitation that proved just that.
“10 years, 2 months, 7 days. It’s the only tattoo I have on my...
“10 years, 2 months, 7 days. It’s the only tattoo I have on my body. I
was the youngest person in prison, so I withdrew into myself, and I
started writing in a journal every single day. That journal became my
world. I used it to figure things out, and one of the first things I
realized was that I’d stopped being me. It wasn’t so much the crime
that had landed me in prison. It was that I had decided
to stop being me. And I needed to find that nerdy, intelligent kid
that I’d once been. So I started studying in prison. Then one day I
got a letter from Principal Lopez. And she told me: ‘I grew up with
you. And I know that you aren’t the person they say you are. So the
moment you get out of prison, you are going to come speak to my kids,
because I want them to learn from your experience.’ And I immediately
started crying in my cell. And sure enough, two days after I got out,
she called me on the phone, and asked: ‘Why aren’t you here yet?”
“I grew up as a nerdy kid. I was a Jehovah’s Witness. People...
“I grew up as a nerdy kid. I was a Jehovah’s Witness. People were always making fun of me. Then on the first day of
high school, three older kids came up and tried to rob me and my
friends. My friends ran away, so the kids knocked me to
the ground and beat me badly. On that day I decided that being nerdy
wasn’t working for me. I realized that being smart and intelligent
wasn’t going to protect me. So I decided to stop being me. I started
engaging in things, hanging around guns, stuff that I knew was wrong. I
felt like the only way to survive was to not isolate myself from the
pack.”
“I was in technical school when it happened, and I was only...
“I was in technical school when it happened, and I was only three months
from graduating. I was going to be an HVAC repairman. Then one day
these two older kids asked me to come with them to Manhattan. They told
me they were going to do something, and they needed a lookout.
Honestly, it was just something to do. We didn’t talk about money or
anything. We drove to the place and they told me to
stand on the corner. There weren’t even cellphones in those days, so I
don’t even know what I was supposed to be doing. The two guys went
into a store, and after about five seconds I started hearing shots.
They came running back out, and somebody was chasing them, shooting at
them. So I ran straight home and I turned on the TV. And I saw the
faces of the two guys I was with. It said they were wanted for double
homicide. A couple days later, two detectives came and arrested me in
front of my entire family. My mother was screaming. I didn’t think
that I’d done anything wrong. The first time I met with my lawyer, she
told me that she could get me life without parole, like that was a good
thing. It didn’t feel real.”
February 4, 2015
We just finished shooting a segment with Robin Roberts for...
We just finished shooting a segment with Robin Roberts for tomorrow’s Good
Morning America. Robin is one of those rare few whose warmth doesn’t
fade when the camera shuts off. She started crying when she left,
because she said she was thinking about how much her mother would love
the story of Ms. Lopez and Mott Hall Bridges Academy.
“My mother wasn’t supposed to go to college,” she explained.
“My grandmother dropped out of school in 5th grade, and my grandfather
dropped out in 6th grade. So they just didn’t know how to raise a
daughter to go to college. But my mother had an elementary school
teacher named Ms. Wilma Schnegg. And Ms. Schnegg is a legend in our
family, because she made sure my mother knew that she was expected to go
to college. She sat down and helped my mother apply for a $100
scholarship, and my mother used that scholarship to go to Howard
University. And that one act rippled down through several generations.
Because of that, my mother met my father. And they raised four
children who went to college. And because of Ms. Schnegg, I’m where I
am today. So I look at the story of Ms. Lopez and this school, and I
think of Ms. Schnegg, and I think of how much my mother would have loved
this story.”
“On some days, it feels like my scholars are drifting out into...
“On some days, it feels like my scholars are drifting out into the ocean, and I’m trying to paddle toward them to save them, but they keep getting
farther and farther away from me. It can be tough to keep them engaged.
Many of them don’t believe in themselves. If the material gets too
hard, they’ll lose confidence, and try to find ways to not deal with it
directly. Instead of struggling, they’ll decide not to care. So we try
to teach them that struggle is necessary, and it’s alright. I always
remind them of the Frederick Douglass said: ‘Without struggle, there can
be no progress.’”
February 3, 2015
February 2, 2015
“I drive ambulettes right now. When I get a few days off, I...
“I drive ambulettes right now. When I get a few days off, I want to upgrade to a Class A license, save up a bit, and
get my own tractor trailer. You can get a used one for about 15 grand.
Then if I can find some steady contracts, I can start a company, take
out a loan, and get a few more trucks. Then I’ll give jobs to everyone
in my family.”
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