Overview: 

My project will involve speaking to and interviewing various community members and leaders from low-income communities in Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta. Climate Change has worsened the annual flooding of the region exponentially. Low-income communities are being destroyed annually, without the ability to rebuild and prepare, they continue to suffer. I will be talking directly to those who are experiencing the issue daily. I have family in Northern Louisiana in an area that is devastated by floods every year, and as someone passionate about Climate Change and its effects on communities, I felt I had to explore the issue in the area of Southern Louisiana. As well as my interviews and conversations with local leadership, I will be speaking with a Civil Engineer based out of New Orleans who had a large role in rebuilding the water infrastructure post-Hurricane Katrina. I will also be making a short documentary of my experiences including footage of the damage floods have done to the region which is extensive to say the least. The documentary will consist of the interviews and conversations as well as the captured footage. I will also include the interview I conduct with the Civil Engineer, as it will provide context to the water infrastructure in place in the state of Louisiana as well as the legislative failures that have contributed to the deterioration of said infrastructure and the worsening of the annual flooding. This portion of your Proposal will also serve as your blog post for 3/10, so be mindful that this is for a public audience who will not be familiar with you or your project. Write at least one full page.

Measure of Success: In my view, I will have succeeded at my project if I am able to hear and document the experiences of those dealing with this issue daily in an authentic way that does justice to the struggle these communities and individuals face. Climate Change will only worsen over time, and Southeast Louisiana’s flooding will mirror that of countless communities around the country and world. It is imperative to me that the effects this is having are documented and shared as soon as possible and with as much truth and transparency as possible. I have the ability and motivation to do this, and I feel I must if I’m to call myself passionate about the issue of Climate Change. If I am able to make a documentary that at the very least sheds light on the issue and those suffering as a result of it, I will feel I’ve succeeded.