Bringing Some Humanity: Humans of New York

The blog "Humans of New York" by Brandon Stanton has quite the cult following. Started in 2010, the "Humans of New York" blog is true to its namesake, showcasing the diversity in the people of New York. Starting as a photography project, Stanton started interacting with his subjects and adding some of their words to the photographs. It quickly evolved to Stanton meeting New Yorkers all over the city, and documenting their stories in more depth. Young or old, affluent or barely making it, Stanton finds stories that reflect the diversity of the world around us. The amount of people that started following Stanton grew rapidly within even the first few months of this new approach and continues to grow today.  It's clear Stanton knows that everyone has a story, there's a background and a truth every person holds, and he's clearly gifted in getting that story out. The stories in the "Humans of New York" blog are from all walks of life, yet all are incredibly relatable, and remind us of the beauty and struggles we have throughout our lives, which is a testament to his millions of followers.

In addition to the blog, Stanton wrote a book, aptly named "Humans of New York".  Based on the blog, the book contains captivating images of New Yorkers, along with their stories. It's a coffee table book you can't quite put down. The book quickly became #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list and prompted Stanton to write his second book "Humans of New York: Stories" which also became a New York Times Bestseller. The book is an impressive extension of the blog, and is created with the same care the original blog was.

Premiering on Facebook Watch, the documentary "Humans of New York: The Series" launched.  Stanton interviewed over 1,000 New Yorkers for season one. The documentary series provided short episodes with a theme throughout the interviews that let viewers feel like they were on the same sidewalks with Stanton.

With the success of the blog, two books, and series, Stanton has used his new-found fame to pay it forward. He has taken photographs of victims of Hurricane Sandy, and raised money to help those families rebuild their lives. He also used his platform to help raise funds for education, medical treatment, and overall quality of life for others.  Stanton didn't focus all of his charitable efforts in the U.S only, but traveled all over the country in places like Rwanda raising awareness about genocide as well as helping fund the building of new orphanages.  Stanton continues to raise awareness of other's who are in need through his craft.

Stanton continues his work throughout the world today. His obvious connection with others makes us all a little more human.

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