History
Finding Our Folk began as a student led response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the failures at all levels of government to meet the needs of the residents of New Orleans. Up until the devastation of the hurricanes, YPP had been cultivating New Orleans as a national hub for the development and deployment of young people to organize around Quality Education in their local communities. After the hurricanes, we were forced to take a step back from our original vision and strategy. We began to engage young people and others in our communities in a new dialogue, with a new set of questions. What would it take to continue this vital youth organizing work, but in a way that would be relevant and responsive to the Gulf Coast hurricanes and all of their social, economic, environmental, political and cultural consequences?
The Finding Our Folk tour provided students with an opportunity to expand the themes, as well as the reach and impact, of their work, to acknowledge and reflect the dramatically altered conditions and priorities in their lives, and in those of their peers. One of the most painful and destructive repercussions of Hurricane Katrina was the dismantling and dispersion of interdependent communities of people. FOF was launched, first and foremost, to bring people back together again, to provide a venue for the sharing of stories and legacies of culture and resistance. YPP received initial funding from QECR and redirected unrestricted funds to begin researching and planning the tour and developing a website and promotional materials. Three college-aged students from Jackson, MS, Chris Adagbonyin, Albert Sykes and Tiffany Edmondson worked with Omo Moses and Anasa Troutman to organize and launch the initial tour.
Purpose
Overall we seek to document and share the stories of Katrina survivors, to connect these stories with the narratives of individuals in marginalized communities across the country, to share the cultural spirit and heritage of the people of New Orleans and offer the work that they and Gulf Coast residents must do to rebuild their communities and lives as an indicator of the work that needs to take place across this country to shift social, political and economic arrangements. We seek to enliven campus debate, encourage student activism and introduce students to one of the most unique cultures in America.
Tour Overview
This Spring, Summer and Fall the Finding Our Folk College Tour will travel to college campuses and communities throughout the country to create opportunities for conversations with students, community members and faculty, using art, culture and New Orleans as the focal point for a broader reflection on social change. The tour will feature the Hot 8 Brass Band and involve hip hop artists, poets, elders, historians and educators, activists and organizers, and young people.
Through workshops, performances, panel discussions and open forums, college students will have opportunities to learn, discuss, and enjoy the intersections of culture, race, history, and politics in America as evidenced in New Orleans. Through these activities we seek to build awareness that New Orleans is serving as a litmus test for the future of America with regard to housing, education, economics, and racial justice and to help draw connections between what happened and is happening in the Gulf Coast, their communities and the country.
Click here to Download Finding Our Folk Press Kit or to view Current Schedule.
For More Information Contact:
Le’Kedra Robertson, Tour Organizer
(985) 215 - 2333
fofcollegetour@findingourfolk.org