Ben DeSoto
Ben DeSoto - Understanding Poverty Through The lens
Photojournalist and Houston native Ben DeSoto is a former staff member of the Houston Chronicle. During his time with the Chronicle he often came face to face with the homeless population, which grew significantly in the 1980s.
A Nichiren Buddhist since 1984, he found the SGI’s emphasis on peace, culture and education inspiring and decided to create a community darkroom project. “I found Nichiren Daishonin’s explanation of cause and effect, the SGI-USA’s mission for world peace, and members’ encouragement inspiring,” he says, “and began to exhibit on museum walls the observations I couldn’t get published in the Houston Chronicle.” His award-winning photographs, following the daily lives of the homeless in Houston, have appeared in several museums, galleries and private collections.
In his Buddhist practice, Mr. DeSoto says it was often easier for him to chant more during the good times than the bad, but all that was due to change. The combination of ongoing workplace stress, the death of a coworker, divorce and remarriage led Mr. DeSoto to take leave from the Chronicle, at which time, he says, “the practice really became important.” He felt his career had come to an end and his future had become uncertain. The mental strain grew incredibly intense and led to a breakdown. To recover from these traumatic events, his prayer became focused on the health of his family and himself, and to earn a living that would not only provide for his family but also work for the betterment of society.
His own battle with stress and depression has given Mr. DeSoto a deeper understanding of the lives of the homeless. There are things that can “sink your boat” he says, such as loss of a loved one, physical and mental illness, loss of income and other drastic life changes. In contrast, “things that can keep one’s boat afloat” include faith, family, friends, work and purpose.
On July 31, 2007, the Understanding Poverty Project-helmed by DeSoto in collaboration with curator Clint Willour and journalist Ann Walton Sieber-received a grant from the Houston Endowment for developing an exhibit (and eventually a book and documentary) centering in part upon the lives of two people, Ben White and Judy Pruitt, whom he met during his photography projects who have struggled with poverty for many years. The exhibit also highlights the efforts of local groups and coalitions dedicated to end homelessness.
The Buddhist concept of changing poison into medicine holds special significance for Mr. DeSoto in both his personal life and his work with the poor. “A medical treatment sets out to repair, replace or remove,” he says. “Part of the removal process is grieving the loss and the change. Also poisons can be processed and become the antivenin, either destroying the poison or giving the body a chance to fight the toxins within.” In facing his own depression and the hardship of the homeless, Mr. DeSoto has created medicine through compassionate and purposeful work.
