New Voices: Sycamore and Joseph House, Winter, 2017

and I thought something was going to happen. I feel like sometimes black people in general are raised differently. A lot of white
kids are scared of black kids because they think black kids are more dangerous and violent. It’s a kind of stereotype. I also feel like
a lot of black people think they have to act a certain way to fit into the African American profile. You can get accused of being or
acting white if you don’t do that.

Liz: I have a friend who’s in that situation. He was raised by his dad to be polite and respectable. A lot of his friends kid him
about acting white. He lives in a community that used to be very segregated when segregation existed. A lot of people still think of
that community as a black neighborhood.

Emma: I have heard that as well. At Sycamore if you say someone is from Hazelwood, it’s like saying they’re from downtown Cin-
cinnati.

Liz: It carries a connotation of being low class or trashy.

Matilde: I see people acting mean and laughing at things that aren’t even funny. There was one guy who always told me I look like
a man. There’s definitely an issue about black people who act white and then feel like they cannot fit into the black community. If
you did that, you would become an outcast by not taking on a certain style of talking or acting. I think there is an expectation or
stereotype that if you are white you are respectful and if you’re black then you are mean.

Emma: I’ve seen white bullies and black bullies; race doesn’t matter.

Liz: In one sense it doesn’t matter, but we should still recognize each others’ races. It’s important to our culture. We need to
get over the stereotypes behind races though. If race wasn’t important, we would all be the same and we would not have anything
to learn from each other.

Kenn: I think you guys are really awesome, you’re smart young ladies and I am very impressed. I’m interested in this because
part of the process I am going through in my program at Joseph House was to stop doing what I was doing and then start doing
some work on myself. I am trying to become a productive member of society. That’s very tricky because I’ve learned I can’t do this
by myself. I don’t know where my help will come from and I have learned so much from you guys. I use to ask myself if I really
wanted to get back into a society where I may not be wanted anyway. This is close to what we have all been talking about. I am
concluding that I have to see the positive side of the work I’m doing and look for the light in everybody. I know I will not be accept-
ed by everybody. But if I do the right thing for the right reason, that’s all I can do. I am not responsible for the outcome. Reaching
out to you guys makes me vulnerable, but I am still here. I’m just as much afraid of you as you are of me. I just feel like it’s im-
portant to show up.

Liz: You don’t seem afraid to me.

Kenn: Physically I’m not afraid, but when it comes to my feelings, that’s when I become very protective. My heart is very sensi-
tive.

Liz: The only way to build it up is to get callouses on it and just keep going.

Emma: I have trouble opening up to people. Kenn is very open. Sometimes when I see people reaching out, I get resentful. In
one sense being really open seems self-involved. Sometimes I feel like if I reach out that I am just seeking attention. I feel like I
can’t tell people things because they don’t know me or my life. I’m afraid they are thinking I am just trying to get their attention.
It’s a conundrum. It’s easier for me when people initiate conversation and ask me about myself. I struggle with feeling like people
are not caring or loving. It’s a similar feeling of resentment against some of my friends who are middle class and have things that I
do not. They talk about things that are really trivial, and it can define who they are which does not seem healthy.

Kenn: Is it easier for you to talk about these things in this setting here than it is other places?

Emma: It’s a little bit easier for me to talk to a stranger. My dad and sister tell me I talk too much. I am always talking around
them. People assume that my parents’ divorce was hard on me, but it was not. My dad has a girlfriend that he has been dating for
about 15 years.

Liz: I think that a lot of kids with divorced parents have a perception about what a happy marriage is supposed to be; this actu-
ally makes it harder for them.

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Image by Matilde

Image by Emma B
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Emma: I don’t remember my parents ever being together because I was so young. My dad would come over and read books to
me and then he would go home. I lived with my mom at my grandmother’s house. I am OK with this. Sometimes it annoys me
when people talk about problems they have that I have to deal with on my own all the time. I get resentful that they just don’t
deal with these problems because that’s what I do. These are just my general feelings. I understand that everyone has their own
struggles. People talk about issues they have and sometimes these are big issues like racism. That issue doesn’t affect me, but
sometimes people call me a lesbian.
Liz: It seems unreasonable to hold yourself to a certain standard. That can make you unhappy a lot.
Emma: But I don’t think there’s really anything I can do about the situation I am in.
Matilde: This is why you have people in your life like us; we can help. It’s not OK for you to hold yourself to that kind of standard.
Emma: I am content. I have gone through a lot emotionally in my life. I’m at the point where I am just tired. My mom has issues
and I can’t be involved. I have had to be strong. My sister has always had boyfriends who are mean to her. I don’t understand
why she doesn’t just dump them. She comes home every night crying. She should just get it over with. I am happy with being con-
tent.
Kenn: It’s important that we hear what Emma, is saying. My bottom line is that if you are OK with where you are, then I’m OK
with it.
Emma: I don’t understand what’s wrong with being an emotional support for others.
Liz: You were just talking about feeling bad about not having people ask you how you are. You said you want to talk to people
about your feelings. When you say you’re content, that’s like closing off the conversation.
Emma: I am trying to not make this all about me. I’m OK talking about myself but I feel self-conscious about that.
Kenn: I am very interested in this conversation. There’s no other way for me to get to know you unless we talk about what’s
going on with you.
Emma: I don’t have problems with strangers, it’s just with people who I know or who I’m trying to get to know. It’s like when you
go out on a date, it’s supposed to be bad to talk about yourself too much. You’re supposed to talk about the other person.

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Kenn: I want to tell you that you are important and valuable. What you feel and what you think does matter. It’s OK to think
that you have a specific point of view on something.
Liz: I feel like the best way to learn something is to try and teach it to somebody else. This is a learning opportunity for us and
for Kenn. Kenn is teaching things to you that he has learned in his program. It’s good to let him do that. One time I was on a flight
and realized I had lost my wallet. There were people there with me who were offering to give me money and help. They were
offering and I was refusing. Another woman who was there listening looked me in the eye and said “How are these people going
to serve their purpose if you don’t let them.”
Matilde: You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s good to be vulnerable because sometimes you need people to take care of
you.

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Image by Sarah
Image by Sarah

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Nick, Emma Bovard and Sarah Gilmore

Nick: I am from Fairfield, Ohio. Through this program, I have learned that there are a lot of new shops in Over-the-Rhine. My
favorite place to photograph was at the bridge by the river. I liked photographing by the water.
One of the biggest problems in Over-the-Rhine is homelessness. I’m from Fairfield and am not used to seeing that many people
who are homeless. There are none in Fairfield.
Emma: I usually do not see homeless people where I am from either. Economic division is a big issue in Over-the-Rhine.
Nick: I think freedom of speech is an issue. You have to watch what you say and who you say things to. There are also differ-
ences in religion down here. A lot of people down here do not want to hear about religion.
Sarah: I think there are problems with our current president. The ban on Muslims is taking away freedom of religion. I think
that’s a big problem.
Emma: People think that Islam is not a religion of peace. Christianity has been the cause of conflict, including the crusades. Reli-
gion gives people the excuse to be violent.
Sarah: I don’t think any religion is supposed to be violent, it’s just human nature.
Emma: In Blue Ash, there are not very many trans people. If there are, they don’t say anything. I used to know one at school, but
he graduated.
Sarah: I am around a fair number of people who are part of the LGBTQ community. There are some in my church. It’s important
to me that my religion is welcoming. I know a lot of time these people feel excluded and that is upsetting to me. People who don’t
really know about these issues will just say things around them that are ignorant. The problem is lack of knowledge.
Emma: We had a student art show at school a few weeks ago and somebody in New Voices had her work on display. Her project
involved taking close up photos of the human body. One of the pictures is an image of her sister’s hip without any clothes visible.
Another is a picture of an elbow. Someone complained that her work was pornographic even though it didn’t show anything. This
is the only time I have seen something get in the way of artistic expression. I know there is also pressure on the art program at
school. We recently lost one of our fine art rooms. Last year there was a big renovation at school and they added a new shop. It
has a chain link gate that comes down in front of the store that cost a lot of money. That money could have been used for some-

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Image by Nick
Image by Nick

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Image by Emma B

Image by Emma B
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thing else. There was also a mural that the art club at school painted. Over the summer, it got painted over. It was a really good
mural. The school board is having a meeting about it.
Sarah: Generally in school, sports are more important than art programs. People look down on having art as a career. I want to
be a filmmaker and my family thinks I won’t make any money. I feel like art is everywhere around us. People should feel like it is
important to be an artist. Buildings are art, chairs are art and clothes are art. Everything is art. Being an artist should not be deval-
ued.
I also think it’s a problem that certain health care benefits for women are being taken away.
Emma: It’s interesting how Trump did not put his name on the new healthcare bill because it did not contain anything that he
promised. He promised that you could keep your doctor and that you would not have to pay any more for health care. People
were expecting to get a certain amount of coverage over the course of one year, but now coverage is much less than expected,
especially for those who are poor. Under the new health care law, rich people would have gotten much more coverage than poor
people.
Sarah: Why do people who are rich need more money?
Emma: It’s the trickle- down theory that Ronald Reagan talked about.
Sarah: Reproductive rights are an issue. If women do not have access to education, proper birth control, and abortion when nec-
essary, it’s unfair and problematic.
Emma: Some states only have one abortion clinic that’s operating. In those states, if someone wants to get an abortion they
would have to drive to the clinic and get a consultation and then wait 24 hours. Then you have to wait around for approval to get
an abortion, even if it is life threatening. It’s getting to the point where it is not accessible to people.
Sarah: It’s hard to make any change when you are young. But I can talk to people in local government and attend protests and
marches. There are also clubs at school that deal with these things. There are little things I can do. Nothing will change right away.
If everyone does something little, it all adds up.

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Emma: Everyone should vote in the midterm elections. If you don’t like your congressman, vote him out.
Sarah: It’s a problem when people do not vote.
Nick: I have never voted.
Emma: 40% of the country does not vote. I’m curious why you do not vote?
Nick: I don’t follow politics so I would have no idea who I am voting for.
Emma: That make sense. I just turned eighteen in December so I did not vote in the last election but I will be voting from now on.
I am going to vote against Steve Chabot. We vote in district one. The gerrymandering Republicans cut Cincinnati in half. We
should campaign for laws against gerrymandering. Why is that even allowed?
Sarah: I think it comes from the Civil War era.
Emma: And we’re still doing it 200 years later.
Sarah: There are many things that seem ridiculous that need to be changed.
Emma: There was a poll tax until the 1950s.
Sarah: Women were not even allowed to vote until the 1920s.

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Image by Nick
Image by Sarah

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Natalie DeMarks, David and Everett Kohinke

Natalie: I’m from Montgomery and have three siblings. When I did New voices last year, we were talking about the development
of the streetcar. It’s interesting to come back down and see how the streetcar is actually working. My personal opinion is that
there are much better things the money for the streetcar could have been used for. We recently had diversity week at school and
there was a City Council member who is the first openly gay counsel member who was talking about the benefits of the streetcar.

It has also been really cool to get to know you and the other people down here. It’s nice to have new connections. My favorite
place to photograph was either the church or the bridge. I like churches a lot because there is so much to photograph and they are
usually very interesting. I have also never photographed at the purple people bridge, so that was nice.

For me, I think the economic gap is the most challenging issue in Cincinnati. Because of this, there are people who are very well off
and on the other hand there are people who are very poor. This can breed other problems like racism and sexism. It all boils down
to numbers. Looking in from the outside, people don’t realize those who are in economic need down here are suffering. Most of
the new businesses in Over-the-Rhine are serving those with wealth and not helping those who have less means. All of the expen-
sive restaurants are not helping. If there is not more economic opportunity for those in poverty, this just leads to more problems.
I think that if there are people who have nothing left to lose, this can lead to crime.

I think the biggest challenge to personal freedom today is when people are very set in their ways and are not open to other people
doing things differently. I feel like people are more easily offended now by things than they used to be. There’s a lot more security
now and there are cameras everywhere which makes it feel like there is less freedom. We are literally being recorded all the time.

I feel like artistic expression is threatened because people are not being taught how to be expressive as much anymore.

The individual can play a huge part in making change. The first thing we all have to do is to admit our part. People tend to blame
others for problems. I think when people who are not from Over-the-Rhine see people down here on the street, they make as-
sumptions about them that are wrong. They don’t understand how people are born into certain issues. All of the advantages that
a lot of kids get are not available to everyone. Admitting that this is an issue allows you to find solutions. Being nice to people is
something that can really help. A lot of community organizations help, but some do not because it doesn’t seem like there is a lot
of progress being made. I think people have problems working together which prevents organizations from working well. I think
most of the efforts that are being made to improve social and economic issues are impacting people who are already well off.

I also think that freedom can be limited by one’s own expectations. Peer influence can also be a factor. With gender identity, peo-
ple get bullied not because of their gender identity but because they look like they fit within a certain stereotype. If a boy looks
feminine, whether he is gay or not, he will get bullied because of group mentality.

Everett: The standards that are held by the majority of people get in the way of individuals expressing themselves.

Natalie: I think this mentality can seep into expectations we have for ourselves, because these standards just become the norm.

Everett: I wonder if our own understanding of freedom is blocking our path to freedom. Are we just too comfortable in our ex-
isting ways to try something different? How do we get into that place where we cannot find freedom?

Natalie: I feel like we live in a culture where we are not taught to value creative expression. We are taught to work a normal job
just to pay our bills. I see people just spending their lives paying off debt until the day they die. I think everyone has dreams, but
those things don’t necessarily fit into what society expects.

Everett: I think people who follow dreams which do not fit directly into what society expects can become the most influential lead-
ers. They don’t care what the world expects of them. They don’t necessarily have to be loud, they can just quietly just do what
they need to. If you really stick to your dream, incredible things can happen. You have to believe in yourself and know yourself.
You also have to be able to find people to help you who share your dream in order to build a community.

In a community like Over-the-Rhine, there are a lot of people who are not necessarily supportive. I don’t know a lot about Over-
the-Rhine, but the general feeling I get is that there are a lot of people trying to do a lot of different things.

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Image by David

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Image by Natalie

Image by Natalie
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David: In general, people down here do not come together as one to create a full circle, you might say. One person might have
certain aspirations and someone else might have completely different ideas. People have different ideas about how to get things
done. It’s not OK to push anyone into the background and tell them their ideas are not worthy. Everyone should have an oppor-
tunity to at least present their outlook.
Everett: I think people can be born into poverty or brought into it at a very young age. I think people in this situation can think that
they will never have money to do what they need to do. There is a stigma or expectation about those who live in Over-the-Rhine
that they are unable to accomplish anything.
David: If you make assumptions about people based on where they are brought up, that’s a huge mistake.
Everett: If you ask people what the worst part of Cincinnati is, they used to say Over-the-Rhine.
David: You can go anywhere in Cincinnati and find highlights and low points. That could be anywhere in the city. People don’t
take the time to look around and see how they can invest themselves in the whole circle like I was talking about before. We need
to make things better for everybody. It’s not OK to say that we should stay away from a whole area, to say that certain places are
bad or good.
Everett: When we do that, it makes people from that area think that they are less.
David: It also makes people feel like nobody will give them a break or an opportunity if they are from a certain area. It makes
people think they have to do anything they can just to survive. For the most part, people do not want to bring turmoil into their
life or anyone else’s life. We all just need to realize that we need to reach out a helping hand to others. I don’t think people gener-
ally think in these terms.
Everett: I think the question for places like Over-the-Rhine, where the city does not want to invest a lot of resources in certain are-
as, is how one person can impact the community and lift it up?
David: I think as individuals, we have to step out into the community and try to convince people of our vision.

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Image by Everett
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Natalie: One person can only make so much difference until other people start contributing.

David: Until we come together as a group, we can feel lost out there.

Everett: To make change, each of us has to be aware of who we are. You have to understand what you want to get done and be
able to find the resources to do that.

David: You have to find a way to open the door.

Everett: It starts by feeling like change is possible. If you feel like it’s possible, then you can convince other people that it is possi-
ble.

David: It’s one thing to believe yourself, but it’s a different story to get other people to latch onto your ideas. We have to never
give up and try to make positive change whatever the situation is. If you put out positive things, something positive will come back.
There’s no guarantee though.

Natalie: It’s very hard to get people to work together. People think they are supposed to work for their own personal gain. In a lot
of eastern cultures like India and China, people generally work for their family. In this country though, everyone wants to be a mil-
lionaire.

David: Religious background and race should not differentiate us. We all live and breathe the same way. There’s only one race:
human. It’s much easier to get along with people than not to.

Natalie: Life is much easier this way.

David: There’s no sense walking around with a frown and balling up your fists all the time. That’s just a waste of time. I wonder
sometimes if we will ever make change. I have a lot of faith in the human race. Joseph House is a great organization. When we
come in the door, it’s a springboard for guys like me to take a good look at where we are heading and try to change that path. You
have to think you can do better. I have been very impressed with you all in the time we have worked together. Initially I really did-
n’t know what to think. I know that you have good heads on your shoulders. This has really impressed me a lot.

A lot of the new businesses down here are drinking establishments. The way things are being built up now is pricing out people
who have lived down here the longest. They cannot afford to stay down here.

Natalie: It’s like covering up a problem instead of solving it.

David: People are being swept under the rug.

Natalie: I feel like this will just breed anger over time.

David: There’s a lot of new money coming into this area, but none of it is going to people who were already here and who are
willing to work.

Natalie: There is new money coming in to build new things but not to fix things that need to be fixed. I have not seen a lot of
groups working together to make positive change.

Everett: There is a lot of ignorance. People are ignorant to a lot of things. People in Over-the-Rhine are ignorant to things outside
of their community. People who are wealthy are ignorant of many things. To come out of this ignorance, you have to go some-
where and communicate and talk to people you would never talk to otherwise. There are many, many people in Cincinnati and no
one will ever know everybody else. For example, my path and your path would never have crossed. There’s a very small chance
that would have ever happened. If I have the opportunity to hear what you have to say and you have the opportunity to hear what
I have to say, this makes us responsible for making something happen. If people are going to stay in their own bubbles and talk to
the same people and see the same things every day, they are not living in reality. To break out of that, you have to communicate
and hear what other people have to say and listen to their experiences. I think this would solve a lot of problems.

People need to step out of their bubbles. They need to see the world that is around them. For me personally, I have been getting
in my car and driving and getting out in random areas. I will go into a store and talk to a random person and ask them a set of
questions. I’m interested in learning about them and hearing their stories. It’s just fascinating because I might find someone who
is only 15 miles away from my house and I never knew they existed. I hear their opinions and have new insights. I realize that I am

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a lot more similar to other people than I thought. There’s not a lot of difference between people down here anc people in other
places. There are racial and economic differences, but we have the same emotions and we experience the world in similar ways.
There’s a lot of judgment and assumptions that lead us to see only what we want to see.
David: Your environment tends to make you who you are.
Everett: We all adopt to our environment and make it work for us. People in Over-the-Rhine have adapted to a lower standard of
life. I wonder if people even know they can ask for more. The truth is they can do more.
David: People get in a rut and cannot see their way out. They feel like nobody will give them a hand to get out of the rut. People
just go into survival mode.
Everett: When you are in survival mode, you don’t think about how other people are thinking. You only think about paying your
bills and what you are going to eat and where you will stay. If you mess up, you could lose something and it’s all over. You can’t
even think a moment about how other people feel or what they experience and what their reality is.
David: When people are comfortable, they don’t even think about other people’s struggles. They’re not worried about other
people.
Everett: By nature, some people always think they can do more. People think that if they work harder, they can achieve, but then
always want to continue working and achieving and don’t necessarily think about stopping to help others.
David: Nobody thinks about sharing things.
Everett: People underestimate the value of sharing. Personally, I know that giving back and being able to foster understanding is a
very good feeling. It makes me feel good and it makes other people feel good. When they feel good, they do the same to people
around them. It’s a chain effect as long as everyone feels kindness. But it can get beaten out of you when you’re in survival mode
all the time. Even if you want to be kind, you often don’t get kindness back. In my opinion, people who have the means to make
other people’s lives better should be taking more time to make that happen. This doesn’t address the economic and financial side.

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As soon as we start talking about money though, people tend to start thinking about survival mode. People just want to get money
and move upwards. Nobody wants to stop. The question is what will make us feel happy and free. What makes you happy and at
ease? Is it possible to be happy even if you have terrible living conditions? Subconsciously, I think people know they can survive
and adapt. Consciously, they are always trying to move forward and escape.

Natalie: Another thing that makes it hard for people to work together is people thinking that their issues are unique to them and
that they have more to deal with than others do. People just think about themselves. It’s easier to have that mindset. As soon as
you take someone else into account, you have to deal with their emotions and background and environment. A lot of people
would rather just close the door and think about themselves. Someone might be worried about breaking their phone, but there
may be a kid down the street who doesn’t have anywhere to sleep. People don’t reach out a helping hand because they think they
deserve more help than anyone else.

David: People can be very materialistic. People would rather attain belongings than make sure everyone around them has some-
thing to eat. I have never been materialistic.

Natalie: When we die, none of our possessions mean anything. When people stand up at your funeral to talk about you, they are
not going to talk about the things that you possess. They are going to talk about you as a person. Why do we even think about
possessions like watches? What you possess will either be in the ground with you when you die or in a thrift shop.

Everett: Is it best to help people by giving them material things, or is it better to provide emotional support?

David: When you give from the heart, you know you are doing the right thing. If it’s not from the heart, why give it at all? I have
walked around the streets here a lot. My nickname around here is Scrappy. People ask me for help and I give it to them but try to
make sure they are doing something to help themselves at the same time. When I was out there with no job, no income, no any-
thing, I still found a way to make money honestly instead of just begging and asking people for things. If I help somebody who is
standing in front of me, I also make sure they can become better and show me something different the next time. Sometimes
tough love is the best thing.

Everett: There has been poverty since the beginning of time and there’s no answer to that which could be written on paper. I think
the only answer is something subjective that feels good to people. There should be a general consensus on how we help and treat
people in need. We get there through love and support. If someone reaches out for help, don’t slap their hand away, give them a
chance. People get stereotyped as being unwilling to work or not being intelligent enough.

David: If you thought someone didn’t have the intelligence to help themselves, then they should be given some direction to see
what they can accomplish.

Natalie: People shouldn’t be belittled for not knowing how to do certain things.

Everett: It starts with education in high school. You get rewarded for being be able to remember things and write them back
down. Having basic skills can get you into very good jobs. There are many different kinds of intelligence that are undervalued
though. If you are a good communicator, you still might not have very good grades in school. There’s a whole part of the brain
that can be good at connecting, communicating and empathizing with people. The majority of people are just not good at taking
tests. In poor areas, it doesn’t even really matter if you are good at taking tests. People just think that they will not get good jobs
or that they would enjoy a working at those kinds of jobs. These people just follow their gut. The whole world is telling them that
they just cannot do certain kinds of jobs.

Natalie: We need to get away from the idea that money equals success. We need to shatter this belief as soon as possible. Money
is not everything, so why should people be defined by it?

Everett: Certain skills are just devalued because they do not generate money.

Natalie: I feel like many people have had these kinds of conversations. It is irritating because the things we’re trying to prevent,
like thinking of other people in terms of money and success, are really hard to avoid in reality. We are all part of a system that re-
inforces this way of thinking. We are all guilty of this. Everyone is in some way supporting the system even if we don’t believe in it.

Everett: A couple of weeks ago, I realized that a lot of people personify negative ideas in society. They may criticize these ideas,

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Image by Everett

Image by David
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but these ideas are just created by many, many people including ourselves. These systems are just reflections of all of our individ-
ual thoughts.
Natalie: A lot of common ideas in society can create or reinforce stereotypes.
Everett: To break out of this issue, people need to get more comfortable being uncomfortable.
David: Bottom line: there are people who call the shots for all of us. We have to just work through all of this or work around it.
Natalie: There are very few who actually make choices, the majority just follow along.
Everett: The longer we stay in these roles, the more comfortable we get with it. Then it becomes harder to break out of it. To be
aware and conscious that most choices are being made for us by just a few is how we can start to initiate change. We might not
realize this system exists until there is some kind of dramatic change. I think you have to have intention about how you give back
and how you treat people. You’re talking about giving from the heart. I think progress can be made when you really believe that
there can be change. I think it’s hard to believe something unless you experience it first. Whoever has resources in this area needs
to help people believe that there can be change. This has happened before, but people can forget. Politicians can just run around
in circles and nothing ever happens. If people who are challenged can just come home every night and know that they have food,
they will have more trust that things can change.
David: The basic necessities also include clothing and housing. Especially in this country, people should have access to these
things all the time. It’s crazy that we have starving kids in our country.
Natalie: We spend billions of dollars on war, but cannot feed our own citizens. I work at Kroger with my brother and when we
leave every day, we’re locking up an entire store filled with food. The company only gives its workers an average raise of about 5¢
per year. It makes me wonder why I continue to work there. If I could, I would take all the food in that store and give it to people
who don’t have food that day. I feel like the food is being held hostage for people who happen to have money. Money should not
control whether people have basic needs met.
Everett: If people have basic necessities, people will be uplifted, but it’s human nature to want more and more. To make a change
in your life, you have to feel accepted for whatever intelligence you have. People should have an opportunity to continue their
education if that’s what they want to do. People should feel like they can be accepted for whatever their capabilities are. I think
there was a study showing that either Norway or Sweden is one of the happiest societies in the world. The reason why is because

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it is free to go to college there.
Natalie: In Finland, there are no private schools. Public schools serve rich and poor kids. Around here, people choose where their
kids go to school based on their financial means. In Finland, it’s all the same; no one deserves more or less.
Everett: Everyone has a chance to climb their own ladder as high as they can. They know that whatever they end up with is what
they deserve. In America, a lot of people feel like what they have is not what they deserve, and that is really true. If people have a
work ethic but no opportunity, they know they deserve better. I know a lot of people around here deserve more. Providing people
with comfort and knowledge that they can make a change is what we need. People need to have concrete options to choose from.
It’s really up to the individual and smaller communities to make these changes. Neighborhoods should find support within them-
selves to make change and move forward.
Natalie: It’s hard to time everything to make change. I think a lot of people want change, but don’t realize that others around
them also want the same thing. It’s hard to collectively stand up for change at the same time. For change to happen, people have
to stand up together.
Everett: There’s a rapper who says that the only real change comes from inside. You can change your environment and the people
around you, but the only real change that will make any difference is how you change yourself.
Natalie: This is how collective change starts.
Everett: A lot of people around here know they have value but no one treats them that way. They need to start by treating them-
selves that way. This will give them confidence to look up. Until then, there is no clear way for people to get out of bad situations.
Then you can spark other people to make change just by listening to them. When you listen to people it makes them feel like they
have value. People need to be confident to become leaders.

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Image by Natalie

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New Voices is generously supported by:

Ladislas and Vilma Segoe Family Foundation

This catalog is a publication of New Voices, an ongoing series of community photography programs pro-
duced by Prairie, Inc., a non-profit arts organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The New Voices program that took place at Joseph House in the Winter of 2017 was a collaborative pro-
ject between Prairie, Inc., Sycamore High School and Joseph House.