Radio Rootz began working in the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when communities were devastated and their voices were not being heard. Through multiple youth reporting trips to the region, we struck up relationships with youth communities who wanted the nation to hear what they were experiencing.

Here’s a sample of the work from youth in the Gulf Coast. Take a listen!

On Super Tuesday youth from Paz Christian, Mississippi, hit the streets during Mardi Gras to find out what people thought about the Presidential Election Campaign. They produced one minute pieces that aired nationally on Super Tuesday as part of Pacifica Radio’s national coverage. The youth reporters are members of “Students Against Infectious Diseases N Today’s Society” (SAINTS).

Reporter: Tina Salazar:

{mp3}radiorootz/super tues GULF COAST MIN 1 {/mp3}

Reporter: Tiffany:

{mp3}radiorootz/Super Tues GULFPORT Min 3{/mp3}

Reporter: Mayra Willis:

{mp3}radiorootz/Super tues GULF COAST Min 2{/mp3}

Reporter: Crystal Edwards:

{mp3}radiorootz/Super Tues GULF COAST Min 4 {/mp3}

Reporter: Vinny:

{mp3}radiorootz/super tues GULF COAST MIN 5{/mp3}

Radio Rootz began in DC in 2005! Expanding on the success of our program in New York City, we figured that youth in the nation’s capital needed to learn the skills to make their voices heard!

In DC, our staff are journalists and media makers who believe everyone
should have a voice. To accomplish our goal, we teach others how to make media.

You can hear DC Rootz work from our schools and summer interns by clicking on the links to the right ————->

Here’s how we do that:

• Train high school youth at public schools across the district. We have taught at:
  • Bell
    Multicultural High School
  • Coolidge High School
  • Cesar Chavez Charter School

• Train participants at other community organizations. Our partners include:
  • Sexual Minorities Youth Alliance
  • Youth Educational Alliance (YEA)
  • Youth Action Research Group (YARG)

• Provide a paid youth summer internship called “Summer
  Media Organizing Project” in which youth learn about community organizing and the media, and make an radio documentary on a critical social issue.

In just three years, Radio Rootz DC youth have reported from
their communities

{mp3}radiorootz/BELL The Block{/mp3}

from polls on Election Day,and brought you voices from the historic Inauguration
Day

{mp3}radiorootz/FSRN election 08 Rrz DC{/mp3}.

The work was aired across the nation on the Pacifica and NPR networks.

In DC, we have trained more than 50 youth how to make media,
to have a voice in their community, to create a better community in which they
live.

Photo: Minority News

The US government is planning on deporting over 30 thousands Haitians back to Haiti despite the fact that the country was hit last year by four major hurricanes, causing the death of many, and displacing thousands others. The US government has so far refused to grant Haitians a temporary protective status otherwise known as TPS. Last Friday, many Haitians and their supporters gathered in front of the Federal Plaza building in lower Manhattan to demand an immediate stop to the ongoing deportation of Haitians. Our reporter, Ravi Ragbair attended the protest, and he brings us this audio postcard.

The Community News Production Institute (CNPI) in partnership with Global Movement Urban Struggles aired a show on March 24th 2009 at 10AM on WBAI 99.5FM. This month’s show features Ramona Ortega of the US Human Rights Network talking about the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Rob Robinson of Picture the Homeless giving details about a building takeover in Harlem. The show also covers the ongoing gentrification in East Harlem, the impact the current economic crisis is having on small businesses owners in Brooklyn, and a recent protest by Haitians and their supporters asking an end to the deportations of Haitians back to their home country.