Our main objective in going on this tour was to conduct workshops, develop extra curriculum as well as document what we saw, heard and viewed. The tour was attended by high school and college students nationwide, and supported by community elders.

The cities that we visited while on tour were Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana. The nature of our visit consisted of healing and emphasizing unity, culture, and bringing back New Orleans life to these people.

Artists such as Danny Glover and the Hot 8 Band were there to celebrate and enjoy the festivities as well as attend the workshops. We had a second line, which was a parade where native New Orleans music was being played, which also in the process reminded these people of their hometowns and made them come out and dance with us.

What surprised a lot of us was how these people continued to smile even through all of their struggles and their ability to continue going about their lives; basically starting from scratch even in their predicament. They reminded of us of how glad they were to still be living, and grateful for still having some of their family members still with them. Many of them also expressed how they felt about George Bush, FEMA representatives, and how the United States fails to acknowledge their tragic circumstances.

YPP recently sat down at the Boston Public Library-West End for a discussion with fellow Boston-based youth organization, Project Hip Hop (www.projecthiphop.org), who also had youth recently visited the South. Below are some excerpts from our discussion:

What surprised you the most about your visit to the Gulf Region?

"The thing that shocked me the most about the visit to the Gulf Coast was the actual stories from Hurricane Katrina Survivors dealing with adversity but still rising their head up to overcome the struggle." - (CRLS senior Fritz Alexander, YPP)

What have you done to share your experiences? And what have people’s reactions to that been?

"Since we’ve come back from our trip, we have done a lot public speaking concerning what we saw. CBS interviewed us and we told them exactly what we felt needed to be done in order to raise awareness of the issues the survivors told us they had with George Bush and the media. We also had a night where we showcased our videos, pictures and stories and let people know then too about how our experiences on the tour." - (CRLS senior Yerusalem Amanuel, YPP)

"People had a hard time facing reality. It was like a mental block if you weren’t involved." - (YPP director Chad Milner)

"We gotta start making moves. What happened can’t be ignored. Do something to rebuild where they live, locate people, and provide job opportunities" - (CRLS sophomore Helen Amanuel, YPP)

What do we do next? "Want to see different communities come together as a whole. Different people should go to the Gulf Coast to experience. We should meet once a month with other groups and organizations." - (Project Hip-hop’s Shane Bass)

"Youth have a say but only youth that are committed and want the power to make a difference." - (Dorchester High senior Portia Dixon, YPP)

"We should visit middle schools, high schools and colleges, and have them watch and hear what these people experienced." (CRLS sophomore Luis Arias, YPP)

Healing

Destruction

Brand New

Respect

Remains

Rise Up