Sidewalk

Sidewalk is about a group of men - Hakim, Marvin, Mudrick, and Ishmael, among others - who sell books, magazines, and recycled trash on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Most of them are black, some are homeless and have prison records and histories of addiction; they are the targets of politicians, moralists, greedy business owners, and the police. Mitchell Duneier spent much of five years in their company: working at their vending tables, hearing their stories, and observing the roles they play. He came away convinced that these men, in their struggles to better themselves, are fundamental to the well-being of the city.