Upstairs Girls (19 pics)

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  • 15 Oct, 2009  |
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Brenda Ann Kenneally’s photo essay, “Upstate Girls,” documents the coming of age of five troubled young women in Troy, N.Y. It is a decidedly unromantic view of poverty, dysfunction and teen pregnancy.



1 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kayla, at 16, with her 2-year-son, D`Anthony.


2 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kayla and James watching a movie after Kayla returned from an alternative high school for young mothers.


3 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kayla and her mother Deborah, at the beginning of their work shifts.


4 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kayla and James.


5 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kaylas son, D`Anthony, just before his third birthday.


6 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Kayla, at 18 with her boyfriend.


7 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Dana became pregnant at 18 by her first serious boyfriend. The couple planned on raising the child until her boyfriend was sentended to two years in jail for breaking and entering. Dana put the child up for adoption.


8 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Dana, now 20, and Ali on their wedding day. She gave birth six weeks later to her second child.


9 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Dana just before taking her baby home.


10 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Dana, Ali and Ali`s daughter at bedtime prayers on the babys first night home.


11 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Staci, Dana`s sister.


12 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Dana`s sister, Jessica, on her 22nd bthday. A friend gave her pellet guns.


13 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)


14 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Lorraine, 34, med with her four children into a co-workers apartment after being evicted for not paying rent. She and the co-workers brother became a couple.


15 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Lorraines daughter Kattyn on eviction day.


16 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Later, Lorraines family moved in with a friends already crowded household of six.


17 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Deana has seven children, fathered by three dfferent men. Four of the children live with her.


18 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Deanas two youngest daughters wait outside for her to finish her shift at a gas station minimart. Half of what she makes goes to the court for child support.


19 Upstairs Girls  (19 pics)

Deana comes to see her oldest daugher, Valerie, off to her fiances sophomore prom. Valerie, 15, was raised by Deana`s mother and calls both women Mom. Valerie is the same age as her mother when she was married.


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№1 Author: salsapopo (15 Oct 2009 10:52) Total user comments: 12723


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weird
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№2 Author: ash666 (15 Oct 2009 10:56) Total user comments: 1856


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thats too bad
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№3 Author: RainbowBitch (15 Oct 2009 11:03) Total user comments: 474


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grim
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№4 Author: ryanjonk (15 Oct 2009 13:12) Total user comments: 110


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Nothing like a bunch of happy pictures to start the day 33
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№5 Author: Fuzzy (15 Oct 2009 14:06) Total user comments: 1130


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Wondering if it should be required viewing for middle school students.
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№6 Author: amaresh (15 Oct 2009 16:36) Total user comments: 0


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Great work...
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№7 Author: Rameshg20 (15 Oct 2009 17:02) Total user comments: 98


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What a world
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№8 Author: 00piko00 (15 Oct 2009 22:15) Total user comments: 63


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sad stories 02
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№9 Author: A.F.K.A.F.F. (16 Oct 2009 00:15) Total user comments: 0


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Well I see the usual well thought out opinions and views on the subject. Very deep and elaborate thoughts put into such beautiful well wriiten flowing paragraphs. I actually think I get more dumb after looking at the comments section on this site. I should just look at the pics and move on.


u all ruinned this site
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№10 Author: mike 98%dead flood (16 Oct 2009 01:45) Total user comments: 0


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Crushing poverty,People wonder why I hate the rich ruling scumbag class.
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№11 Author: Anonymous (16 Oct 2009 01:54) Total user comments: 0


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Ah, white trash. Always good for a larf.
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№12 Author: dodgers01 (16 Oct 2009 06:53) Total user comments: 238


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wtf..lol thats life.
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№13 Author: better then them (16 Oct 2009 09:00) Total user comments: 0


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They have nobody to blame but themselves. Wake up!! It's birth control knocking!! Free clinic anyone?
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№14 Author: olexo (16 Oct 2009 14:31) Total user comments: 839


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sad.......sad
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№15 Author: tapatio (16 Oct 2009 14:38) Total user comments: 2047


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this is another family of red necks sumdofbeaches irresponsible fuckers..

they deserve that and more, them assholes parents DO NOT believe in self control, and thus the consequences , many places in US are fuken swimming in this shits, OK, AR,MO just to name a few..!

fuck every single one of them redneck white trash inbred fuckers.!
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№16 Author: NooFoo (16 Oct 2009 16:04) Total user comments: 799


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real life...
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№17 Author: Dave94897 (16 Oct 2009 21:41) Total user comments: 0


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Seriously though... birth control! Especially if these kids are on welfare.

Just funny how things work, the people with steady jobs and big houses who can afford to have 7 kids usually end up with 1 or maybe 2. The people who can't even feed themselves breed like rabbits.

Love the fact that they have a cat! They can afford kitty litter and cat food, but not the rent!

My ex-gf and her 3 siblings were all welfare babies, and a few of them came out as productive members of society, but some of them just continued the cycle. Pregnant, on drugs, in abusive relationships, moving from place to place, etc.

Just sad, and there is no easy solution. Even if you threw a big pile of money and public housing at these people you might not fix the problem.
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№18 Author: victoria lee (16 Oct 2009 22:31) Total user comments: 0


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Great photo essay. The photographer has an excellent eye for expression and space. Glad I stumbled across this.
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№19 Author: A.F.K.A.F.F. (16 Oct 2009 23:21) Total user comments: 0


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tapatio,
Dave94897,
THANK YOU BOTH FOR A REAL ANSWER. I do not want everybody to agree or kiss each others ass but real opinions especially ones that do not agree with each other is what makes the comments worth reading .. and who knows maybe we all learn something we never knew or gave any thought.


My point has beenmade so I AM going to stop being a complaining little bitch now,, even if all we get are one worded answers and smileycons.

U all can save this site
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№20 Author: mudassargold (17 Oct 2009 14:47) Total user comments: 1951


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wired
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№21 Author: bruce88lee (18 Oct 2009 07:35) Total user comments: 1818


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thats weird and scarry
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№22 Author: cuervo1957 (18 Oct 2009 19:16) Total user comments: 0


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tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,
tapatio,


It's obvious that based on many of these comments that people like you who don't have a heart, don't seem to care, hate people who are in this situation, or are just numb to these pictures because you THINK people living this way doesn't affect you, that people like you are what makes the world what it is. You are the people who are responsible for the same people you HATE so much.

Many of you will read this and get it because you have bothered to figure out how humanity works and have evolved enough to become part of the solution and not be part of the problem.
Others who are humanity's cause of all our problems will simply put me down for my comment. But you can change yourself anytime you choose, each second of your life is an opportunity for you to start helping to reshape the world. It's up to YOU.

29


If you want to send me any comments, my email is: cuervo1957@gmail.com
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№23 Author: Jami (23 Oct 2009 02:29) Total user comments: 0


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mike 98%dead flood, How is this the fault of people who are more fortunate? This is a case of girls simply not keeping their legs closed and not bothering to pull themselves beyond their circumstances. I cannot feel sorry for them if they chose not to better themselves AND bring innocent children into it. I feel sorry for the children who are suffering. Hopefully they won't repeat this vicious cycle, but chances are, they will.
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№24 Author: deaf gulf (26 Oct 2009 11:23) Total user comments: 0


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29
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№25 Author: strzyga (28 Oct 2009 17:09) Total user comments: 211


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poor women 02
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№26 Author: MWarrior (30 Oct 2009 02:06) Total user comments: 1024


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"they deserve that and more, them assholes parents DO NOT believe in self control, and thus the consequences , many places in US are fuken swimming in this shits, OK, AR,MO just to name a few..!"

tapatio, yeah, you don't see this kind of shit in Mexico.
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№27 Author: RUSauditor (9 Nov 2009 14:29) Total user comments: 417


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15
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