HCC student rises from homelessness to documentary producer
Nov 26, 2018
Using her own experience with life on the streets, a Houston Community College student has produced a documentary she hopes will create understanding and compassion for America’s homeless.
Justice Butler’s documentary, “Invisible,” shares the stories of students who once found themselves without homes and focuses on their harrowing experiences, and the lessons they learned. “It’s called ‘Invisible’ because that’s how we see the homeless,” Butler explains. “But those people aren’t invisible. They could be you tomorrow. That’s the message I want people to receive.”
Butler believes she is the perfect person to deliver that message. As a young woman, she envisioned a bright career in radio and entertainment. “I thought I knew my future,” Butler says.
Instead, she fell on hard times. Butler ran out of money, out of food, out of shelter. “Turns out I didn’t know my future,” Butler recalls. “I became homeless.”
Butler lived in despair, but never completely lost faith in herself. Friends, former HCC students, convinced her to enroll at the college. “So, that’s what I did,” Butler says. “I came to HCC and that’s where this journey started for me.”
Butler’s journey took her to film classes at HCC and a conference on student homelessness at Temple University in Philadelphia. She learned her situation was not unique. So, with encouragement from an HCC professor and fellow students, she decided to make a documentary about student homelessness.
Butler says, “I’m not the only student who struggled. There were many homeless students who attended HCC, as well as other colleges throughout the nation.”
Butler says the documentary was well-received at a Temple University screening and is being entered in film festivals. She hopes to schedule public screenings early next year. Butler plans to graduate from HCC in May, 2019 and views “Invisible” as her legacy to inspire other homeless students to make the most of their talents.
“I really want to make sure that when I leave, we have students more involved in shaping their lives,” Butler says. “We know what we need and “Invisible” allows others to see what we need as well.”