In Dec. 2023, The B-Town Blog introduced a new cartoon series that profiles homeless residents regarding their experiences in Burien.
Each resident has experienced the horrors of homelessness, and has survived harrowing and often deeply disturbing experiences.
In Burien, the homeless are vulnerable, often harassed, and often targets of violence. They wish to be treated with basic human decency, and to find homes as soon as possible, and we are doing our best to share their stories.
Meet Dr. Al Brown
Below is a 3-panel B-Toon focused on Dr. Al Brown, who you may have seen before – maybe when he was a barber, or a frontline worker, or perhaps when he tried to play for the Dallas Cowboys…or maybe even when he spent a summer homeless on the streets of Burien, while he was a student earning his degree (that was his fourth year homeless).
Click images to view closeups of full cartoons:
Learn More About Dr. Al Brown
Here’s a link to Dr. Brown’s in-depth dissertation on homelessness:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4606331
As well as his portfolio:
https://alfonsobrown.journoportfolio.com/
And his book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYPLRMH3
So true, Dr. Brown
Hey JPT,
Thank you for the feature 😊 Great work, and hopefully more awareness can create different perspectives.
Dr. Brown
Much appreciated Stephen 😁
I love this!! Thank you for doing this series. Homelessness shouldn’t even exist and it doesn’t have to. As a Burien resident, I want everyone to thrive but especially those who need support that works for them so they can. Creating services with restrictions they cannot adhere to is absolutely ridiculous. Everyone should have autonomy, dignity and respect. I hope the majority of Burien stands up for this and push those that oppose that out of positions in city council.
Hello my name is Charli. At least, that’s what I go by on the streets. I’ve been homeless in burien/white center for over ten years and let me tell you, being a single female alone AND homeless? Just imagine all the disgusting unimaginable things that could happen to a homeless female, and that’s exactly what happened to me. I’ve been clean and sober and safe now for a couple years I just got a job, but the doctors tell me I’m stage 5 renal kidney failure. There is no amount of money or drugs that would make me homeless again. Every time I think about it I have nightmares and start shaking really bad. I wouldn’t put my worst enemy through what I went through, yet it’s happening every day. So many women and men are going through the Horrors of homelessness, screaming for help… And no one seems to care. I do what I can, now, to help those in need but what’s going to happen to the ones im helping now when I’m gone?? Who’s going to hear their screams for help? Moreover, who’s going to do anything about those screams? They get louder and louder yet, it seems y’all just put on those noise cancelling headphones and go about your business. These people? These precious human beings, are lost and broken and in so much pain it’s unimaginable. Try stepping in a world of theirs for a day. Once you’ve done that then you can come at them pointing fingers and placing blame for bullsh*t. But until than? Please… Handle with care.
Sharylanne,
That was an amazing post. You have courageous insight through experience and awareness. Please, continue the fight to create a voice for the silent. Your story should be featured in B-town.
Dr. Brown