Individuals work in countless ways to promote equal housing access and reduce tensions.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a ten-minute video can speak a lifetime. Thatís true for the dozens of young people who have created documentaries about their own lives through the Mirror Project, founded by artist Roberto ArÈvalo in 1992.  

As the projectís literature describes it,

 ìThrough their participation in the project, young people from historically marginalized ethnic, racial, and social groups become more aware of themselves and their communityÖ[the videos] reflect the diversity of the participants and the range of their imaginations. Cumulatively, the videos show the housing projects and other Boston area communities as vivid and lively, while also exposing the harsh realities of an impoverished environment.î


Many of the young filmmakers, as well as the Mirror Project itself, have won awards for their work. They have done workshops throughout the US and in Europe, and help to start similar efforts around the country.  Through their website, www.mirrorproject.org, media coverage on their work, and their exhibits and public screenings, the young people involved with the Mirror Project teach a broad audience about the realities of life in a public housing community. 

Photos courtesy of www.mirrorproject.org

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"Through their website, media coverage of their work, and their exhibits and public screenings, the young people involved with the Mirror Project teach a broad audience about the realities of life in a public housing community."