A Comparative Analysis by Kiely Silva
Introduction
What does life look like on the other side? Within our nation, why are things so different? Our climates, our demographics, our stories, are all unique. We come from different homes, different pasts. Homelessness has its diversity in each location and person. Cincinnati, Portland, and Berkeley each have their own community and those communities are portrayed and written in small pamphlets of smelly paper. Street papers each focus on different things, and attend to different audiences. Three papers from three different U.S. cities share many similarities, but how they impact and interact with their community can be of difference.
Cincinnati Living (?)
Cincinnati, Ohio’s largest metropolitan area, is home to the very raw and real street paper: StreetVibes. What does it mean to be homeless in Cincinnati? The 3rd largest city in Ohio, there are many people to live in front of. Humid, rainy, stormy summers mean soggy sleeping bags and dewy tents. Cold and snowy winters can mean death without the proper thermal attire (Cincinnati). Frequent flooding means toxic waters and troublesome shelters. To get from shelter to shelter, many homeless people may frequent the Steps of Cincinnati. There are many streets and bridges of road in Cincinnati, one way pedestrians combat this issue is by using the Steps of Cincinnati. These are a collection of 400 sets of city-owned staircases used as an optimal mode of transportation. Overall, Cincinnati has its own factors that can be of both benefit and stress to the homeless population. StreetVibes allows for civilians to understand these factors on a personal level through stories.
StreetVibes
On the many streets (and steps) of Cincinnati, Ohio, papers full of enriching material are sold each day, and produced twice a month. They have a website, facebook, twitter, and instagram to encourage people online to stay in the know, and to also donate! The street vendors who work these streets often have their own work in the product they promote. StreetVibes, like many other street papers, focuses on homelessness and social justice issues. Its content is full of creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and former homeless individuals. There are news and story reports that are local, global, political, and that have to do with social justice. The most popular are the local news stories, they have over 110 stories! What is unique about this paper is that the content is unedited. There are many spelling errors, capitalization mistakes and improper grammar, but it does not take away from the work. If anything, these imperfections are what make this street paper so unique. StreetVibes is the voice of the homeless people of Cincinnati, and this can be argued that it is the main point of street papers. One voice I found belongs to a woman named Willa Denise Jones.
Willa D Jones
Willa Denise Jones is one woman who has published a lot of her work into StreetVibes and has her own book of poems she published in 2012 as well. Lives That Matter and UPGRADING are two posts I pulled from StreetVibes that stood out to me. Lives That Matter is a poem that Willa has written and put out. She posted this on June 6th, 2019. Though her i’s may not be capitalized and her spelling may be off, her words and emotions are clear. A splatter of anger, frustration, confusion and humanness are all within her writing. She expresses how if we continue to only care about color, religion, and whether a person works or not is going to be the death of us. Willa asks that whether you are rich or poor, you still need respect. She ends her poem with “so whether you support the homeless or not pray it won’t be you someday.” I think she is trying to get at that if you could only know what it was like to be homeless, you would learn that being shown respect and human kindness is sometimes something that can make or break someone’s life. I think she wants people to understand that no one really wants to be homeless, and it is not always their own fault, Willa is trying to show people that no matter where you come from, or if you live in a house or not, your life is valuable and it matters. Her second piece is titled: UPGRADING. To me, this poem was very lyrical and almost as if it could be sung. She uses rhyme to emphasize her points and create memorable lines. “TRYING TO STOP THE HOMELESS FROM UPGRADING BY STOPPING POSITIVE INFORMATION, LIKE THE PEOPLE ARE BEING FLIPPED AND FLOPPED NOW WHO’S CAUSING THE SEGREGATION?” The main point of this poem is that homeless people are not able to keep up with the time. There is a lot of progression and that means a lot of prices are rising. She writes that it is a burden to the homeless people who don’t have much of a leg to stand on. She writes this poem in all caps which I find compelling. She is shouting from the top of her lungs that there is a problem that is getting worse because no one can hear the homeless people.
“Advocating justice, building community”
The tagline for StreetVibes is “advocating justice, building community.” The website makes it very clear that there is a focus on social justice, that they are willing to go there. For example, one article that caught my attention was Racism and Architecture by Katelyn Lusher. Published on July 22, 2021, she writes about her observations of Denver, Colorado and compares it to what she sees at home. She mentions that ” …Over-the-Rhine has been a predominantly Black neighborhood since the 1950’s, the areas which have been ‘redeveloped’ are now primarily white spaces.” Over-the-Rhine became an ethnic neighborhood in Cincinnati, almost one-half of its residents were German immigrants. It got its name because residents said that crossing over the Miami and Erie Canal was like crossing the Rhine river into Germany. Small business owners are “flanked by hip restaurants and brewery,..” increasing living prices. She also mentions that most areas are built by white men, she raises the question: “…how will new architecture ever reflect the needs of the community that already exists there?” She is referring to the additions that are being made to Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati, she is pointing out how a predominantly black community is going to be redeveloped to the needs of the white people surrounding.
For Those Left Unseen and Unheard
StreetVibes street-paper ultimately is the voice of the people. This paper best establishes a network of stories and humans who put themselves out there. They do this through a blog and forum called StreetVoice. There you can find so many creative writing posts by the homeless community, easily available with each post tied to a unique title. It’s where I discovered Willa D Jones and her story. StreetVibes makes it really easy to hear the stories and emotions of the unhoused. You can even see how many people have viewed and clicked on these stories, and though not many people do, you can even comment and spark conversations about what was posted. However, in StreetVibe’s about excerpt, they mention a “forum for dialogue for those often left unseen and unheard.” Though unfortunately, I struggled to find said forum. Though I think that if it did exist at some point, or if it is something that is in the process of being revived, a forum on a website like StreetVibe is impressive and important.
Portland Living (?)
The largest city in Oregon is home to the street paper: Street Roots. Portland, Oregon is also the home to a large population of unhoused. Compared to Cincinnati, summers are more dry, sunny, with heat waves on occasions. The world’s smallest park (two foot diameter circle) belongs to the city of Portland, along with many other more “normal” size parks (Portland,Oregon). Because of this park/city system there are many homeless encampments around these parks. In fact, there are at least 179 parks and natural areas in Portland including Forest Park, the largest park in a major city in the United States. Along with a variety of trails to hike along, there are many routes of public transportation because of the city’s smart transit system. These elements can positively impact the lives of the homeless population, but are also topics discussed in the Street Roots papers. Portland is full of nature, life and stories. In such an urban area, there is always something going on. Street Roots mostly focuses on the stories of the community, focusing on social justice and political movements.
Street Roots
Founded in 1999, Street Roots street paper is sold weekly in the streets and parks of Portland, Oregon. There is a much more broad approach to the actual paper. Similar to the others, they also exist on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Street Roots also has a larger “donate” button and has their Venmo linked to the site. The website itself has less color and les youth, less imperfectness. There is a more professional look about it compared to StreetVibes and Street Spirit. On the home page users scroll through the many different articles with an image attached to each story. I think that this has to do with the fact that the content is more informational and educational. Though they do have vendors who write for them, most of what was published is less raw than what we see from Willa D Jones in StreetVibes. Overall, there seems to be less focus on the homeless population itself, even with the Vendor Profiles.
Vendor Profiles
Something that is entirely unique to Street Roots are the Vendor Profiles. A Vendor Profile is a peek into what the lifestyle of selling for StreetRoots and living in Portland is. These profiles are the most real and authentic bibliographies of some of Portland’s impoverished population. Meet Frank, a vendor who has been selling for Street Roots for over 4 years. He is grateful for Street Roots for allowing him to create his own source of income, though he has conflicted feelings about his city. “Home is where the heart is, home is where my head is, but the city has done everything in their power to make me feel this is not my home. They are not spending money in the right places and are marginalizing the homeless.” His profile talks about his goals and future plans. He wants to have his own New York-style Street Roots stand. He also wants to write a book about his life. “Maybe it will be called the Ballad of Frank Johnson – I’ve had an almost fictional life,” Frank said in his profile. Though the vendor profiles are not written by the vendors themselves, they give readers an intimate look into the life of a street paper seller.
Roots and Shoots
Along with the many archives accessible on the website, there are many community based articles that keep readers up to date on local politics, economic status and important updates. Something that seemed unique to Street Roots was the “Housing” section of their newspaper articles. There, readers can learn more about the housing crisis and what people are currently doing about it. In relation to Street Roots, there will most likely be more support to the vendors if society can understand what the crisis is. They also have their own series that focuses on the well-being and housing stability of children and young adults. They call it “The Next Generation.” This series is a compilation of opinions, news, and stories. The most recent is a story about a small village of youths. One of the youngest but oldest members is an 18 year old named Austin. He was there since the village came to be, he shares a tent with his cat; socks. “My parents abandoned me, kinda.” This section of the Street Roots paper should be larger, it should be one of the first things that pop-up on its home-screen. Even though there are a lot of important topics to be discussed, the priorities of a street paper should be to talk about those living in them.
Berkeley Living (?)
Berkeley, California is a more diverse community compared to Portland and Cincinnati. The weather is less severe, and more consistent. Little rainfall in the winter and sunny days in the summer can draw more homeless people to the Bay Area and California in general, increasing its homeless population. There are also many public transportation systems that are commonly used by the unhoused population. Along with bustling streets and sidewalks, there are a lot of parks and coastal spots to escape too. Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California). Recently the University has faced a lot of backlash from residents about the overpopulation of students and housing problems. The University has more students than they can house, so it is not uncommon for students to end up living on the streets. Because of the high housing costs in the Bay Area, there are many people of all ages living in poverty.
Street Spirit
This Bay Area street paper is youthful. As soon as you click onto their website you notice that there are pops of color, loud images and a variety of stories. This paper is published monthly in the streets of Berkeley and Oakland by around 60-100 vendors. Street Spirit papers are all about politics and policies that impact the community and the works of those in poverty. “Our mission is to provide an economic opportunity for our homeless neighbors while also creating a platform where they can share their own stories.” The paper was published in 1995 and has had its ups and downs, however, though they may be an older paper, they focus on the younger generations.
Youth Spirit Artworks
The paper is published by the Youth Spirit Artworks (YSA). They are an interfaith art jobs and job training program committed to empowering the young homeless and low-income members of the community. Though they were established in 2007, after Street Spirit, they have become an important figure to the paper. It is possible that YSA involved itself heavily with Street Spirit because there is a large housing issue within the University leaving college students voiceless. This connection between the youth program and the street paper gives readers a completely different perspective to homelessness compared to the other papers. Allowing for the younger generation to put out a lot of their own works and opinions make the paper almost seem less down. The youthful essence of the paper colors in what may be missing from StreetVibes and Street Roots, literally. A lot of this may come from the fact that younger people tend to have more hope. It is important to recognize that Street Spirit is influenced by a younger generation and that impacts the style and content of the paper.
Street-Sweeps
Street Spirit is looking out for its people. As soon as a user visits the website, the first resource that shows up is a button. “Eviction Alerts” will guide you to a site that informs people of encampment sweeps in Oakland. This information is important because it can help unhoused individuals to prepare and collect their belongings before there is a chance they could be taken away. Out of all three street papers, Street Spirit seems to provide the most support in terms of watching out for the homeless population. Their paper emphasizes the humanness of homelessness, they keep the lives represented vibrant with colorful and fun stories. The eviction alerts made readily available on the site ensures that the public is aware of who is constantly trying to take from these lives.
Human Hope
Every month the paper releases horoscope predictions. For example, I am an Aries and my prediction for October, 2022 is that I am starting a divine and adventurous era, leaving my gentle and nurturing era. This month will give me momentary silence to keep me “still and vigilant.” Horoscopes are a forecast of one’s future based on their birthday. It is a way to be hopeful and goal oriented. Along with these horoscope features, street spirit posts monthly event calendars. These events are mostly free and resourceful, this pulls homeless people into the community, allowing them to feel more human. Street Spirit has so many stories and movements intertwined with resource and art, it keeps readers on the edge of their seats because there is always something different to expect. This vibrance is youthful, hopeful and more human when compared to the other two papers.
3 Papers
Obviously a street paper is a product of its community, that is where majority if not all of their content is from. But how much of an impact do these papers make back to the community? Well, given its content, how often they post, and where they are located, these papers make a difference. Even if so small and unnoticeable, street papers offer something to a person with almost nothing, and they offer something completely different to a person with almost everything. These 3 papers are creating and providing actual change. When a person purchases a paper from a vendor, there is an exchange of change. The person buying and handing the vendor actually money, gives the vendor change they can use to buy necessity, pay rent, survive. The person selling the paper provides knowledge and resources to inflict change, change of perspective. All three papers offer this to their communities, but each have specific qualities that paint a brighter future.
Remember StreetVibes’ forum? Willa D Jones? StreetVibes is an amplifier. They provide a platform for the unhoused and impoverished community to stand on. StreetVibes creates connections, they focus on bringing together the personalities and words of the people in need. They allow people to connect. Relationships are important to humanity. Feeling heard and being seen create a sense of belonging, it can be even more meaningful than a wrinkled up dollar bill being pitifully placed in a bucket. Building solid human connection is something that StreetVibes does a really good job at. Street Roots keeps the outsiders in. The very unique vendor profiles create a window into a life that may otherwise be invisible to most. Street Roots provides readers with a resource to better understand the underlying causes (or roots) of homelessness. For example, the whole section reserved for housing crisis information is there to expose society’s impacts. Keeping readers really informed about issues in the community, and how to combat them as a society, make Street Roots a strong advocative paper. Finally, Street Spirit does its best to keep the community up-lifting. With its youthful manner, pops of color and cheerful stories and features all roped into social justice issues and heartbreak, Street Spirit is the cheerleader that every struggling person needs. The horoscope posts, eviction notices, and easy to reach information about community events all give a sense of hope and membership. Both impoverished and well-off folks can come together within this paper to have a greater understanding of who we are as a society.
All three papers give right back to their communities, they give back to the community even if the community has taken everything away from them. All three papers offer its people a place to be and find themselves, a place to easily cherish gratitude, and a place to hear a voice. StreetVibes, Street Roots and Street Spirit each create change on different levels, in different ways and in different streets. But nonetheless, they all are a glimmer of light in the darkest of times a human can walk through.
Works Cited
“Cincinnati.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Oct. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati.
“Portland, Oregon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon.
“Berkeley, California.” Wikipedia, 13 Oct. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley,_California.
Papers:
“Cincinnati Streetvibes | News, Social Justice, Creative Writing,.” Streetvibes, www.cincistreetvibes.com. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.
“Home.” Street Roots, 29 Sept. 2022, www.streetroots.org.
—. “Home.” Street Spirit, 6 Oct. 2022, thestreetspirit.org.
