Young Men’s Voices Have Power

In the spring of 2015 to the winter of 2018, as part of an innovative W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant, Andre Lambertson partnered with Camp Restore, a volunteer camp in New Orleans.

Andre both filmed and taught documentary filmmaking and photography to six New Orleans youth while helping them define their stories. They learned how to talk about their experiences, share their truth, and work toward healing the trauma in their lives. These Leaders in Restoration developed a documentary film currently available on Amazon Video:

https://www.amazon.com/Young-Mens-Voices-Have-Power/dp/B08LMD2PZ9

The film project’s main goal was to help introduce to the nation and the world a more accurate narrative of young men and boys of color.

The program was funded by a grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which “is committed to community-led solutions that tackle the complex and inequitable barriers faced by young men and boys of color that begin before birth and follow them throughout their lives. The legacy of structural racism has created long-lasting barriers to their success. Addressing and resolving these inequities has tremendous potential to strengthen economies, create jobs, revive neighborhoods and broaden opportunities for all children, families and communities to thrive.“

Future Guardians of Peace:

Teaching Former Child Soldiers in Liberia

Andre Lambertson has taught photography to former child soldiers in West Africa to aid in their transformation and healing.

An estimated 250,000 children are exploited every day as child soldiers around the world. There are more than 30,000 former child soldiers in the West African nation of Liberia alone, many of whom are eager to help rebuild their country. Andre was part of a unique photography program helping some of these children see hope and beauty again, and regain the respect of their communities as peacemakers.