DC Youth Writers Oral History 3-Week Program

Hurston/Wright 2024 | 3-Week Summer DC Youth Writers Oral History Program

July 30-August 20th

About Us

The Hurston/Wright Foundation’s mission is to honor, discover and mentor Black writers. We do that by providing services, supports, and opportunities that provide community and recognize accomplishments. Our community resources include in-person workshops and classes that have been our signature offering for almost 30 years. Workshops and courses are taught by award-winning authors and serve emerging and midcareer adult writers. More than a thousand Black writers have taken our classes since the first one in 1996, increasing diversity in the cultural community as they have gone on to create books and careers as professors, local cultural workers, and national thought leaders. Through a social justice lens, our work provides the necessary services, supports and opportunities for Black writers seeking to publish work within a publishing industry that has traditionally failed to publish work by Black writers proportionate to their population. We also recognize that our social activism aids in disrupting systems that hinder Black writers from having access to certain opportunities—from writing residencies to participation in quality writing workshops and craft talks.

Mission of Program: The mission of the DC Youth Writers Oral History Program is to equip high school students with the skills to conduct research and capture the narratives of Black writers living and working in Washington, DC.

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the program is to cultivate youth writing and research skills while honoring Black DC writers living and working in Washington DC.

Program Description

The Hurston/Wright Foundation's 2023 DC Youth Writer Oral History Program provides high school students with the opportunity to research and document the impact of Washington, D.C.'s political, social, and economic culture on the Black literary arts community-- and vice versa. By conducting interviews with Black writers in the area, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the community's history and the significant role that Black literary arts have played in shaping it. Through the creation of written and multimedia projects, participants will develop critical thinking, research, and communication skills, which are essential to engaging with diverse perspectives and fostering cross-cultural understanding. By sharing unique and universal stories, the program contributes to a broader understanding of the city's cultural diversity and history and helps to build a more inclusive and equitable society.

Participants will receive hands-on virtual instruction on capturing compelling historical narratives and presenting them publicly through written and digital platforms. Participants will research the impact of Washington, D.C.’s culture, community, and transient population on DC’s Black literary arts community in conjunction with in-person and virtual field trips. Youth participants will interview 5-10 Black writers based in the Washington DC metropolitan area to create written and multi-media projects documenting their findings.

Participants will learn:

How to develop interview techniques and meaningful queries to pose to interviewees.

How to evoke relevance and highlight the importance of writers through the use of writing and media technology.

How to optimize storytelling strategies by creating a multimedia presentation of their findings.

DC Writers Interviewed in 2023

• Brian Gilmore
• Dinahsta "Miss Kiane" Thomas
• Melanie Henderson
• Taylor Johnson
• Chantal James
• Darlene Taylor
• Dwayne "Crochet King" Lawson-Brown
• Derrick Weston Brown
• Laini Mataka
• Briana Thomas

See interviews here:

Tangibles

Upon successfully completing the program, participants will be awarded 20 community service hours. Moreover, two outstanding projects, aligning with Hurston/Wright's criteria and produced by participants attending college in either Fall 2024 or Fall 2025, will be eligible for a small scholarship. The specific criteria will be shared at the start of the program. Participants will be recognized at the Legacy Book Awards ceremony.

Who Should Apply

This program is for youth ages 15-18 years-old who live in the Washington DC metropolitan area (which includes Maryland and Virginia). Participants must be current high school students enrolled in public, private, charter or homeschool. Applicants should have an interest in writing and using technology.

Meeting Times

Participants will meet on in-person on Wednesdays from 1 pm-3 pm and virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm-3 pm. Fields trips are incorporated into this program's schedule.

Register here to indicate your interest in the program. Please ensure your email is provided and Hurston/Wright will follow up with an email.

If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].

Event Venue

Online