Last year, two New Orleans high school teachers began the Neighborhood Story Project, which enables local, predominantly African-American students to write about their lives. Since then the project has published five books of personal stories, such as how residents in a downtown Lafitte public housing complex became one young writer’s surrogate family after her mother, who struggled with drugs, passed away, the Associated Press (via USA Today) reported.
The books sold 2,000 copies at local bookstores, corner stores, and block parties. A print run of 4,000 more copies was slated to go when Hurricane Katrina struck, and all existing books-for-sale disappeared in the storm and ensuing flood. Soft Skull Press is helping raise money to print more books. The Neighborhood Story Project plans to use proceeds to help refugee high school students document the stories of life in the Astrodome, the blog Galleycat noted.
If you are working on youth media related to Hurricane Katrina, please contact Youth Media Reporter at editor@youthmediareporter.org.