63106: The Struggle to Survive the Pandemic in St. Louis' Most Vulnerable Neighborhoods

In this series, storytellers with the 63106 project engage with families in St. Louis' most vulnerable neighborhoods to learn how they are coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team aims to tell their stories episodically with words, photography, and videography that will appear on the project website—beforefergusonbeyondferguson.com—and in legacy media. Media partners include the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio, Riverfront Times, and St. Louis American. Unlike many other coronavirus stories which are one-and-done pieces, the 63106 project will follow families over time and write fresh stories about their experiences and challenges. They will add new chapters approximately once a month until the pandemic abates.

Each family story is unique to a particular media partner, but all will be curated and archived at the host website. 63106 will also sponsor webinar sessions where families will bear witness to their experiences and speak to residents from across the region.

The goal of this project is to shine a bright light on underserved communities so that policymakers always keep them in mind, and more privileged citizens will keep them in their hearts and in their thoughts as they advocate for change or cast a vote.