Narcisse| the art of storytelling

Welcome to: 

A collection of stories produced and edited by Nijah Narcisse.

Narcisse is a multimedia storyteller and creative writer in New Orleans.  

Narcisse  features her work as fellowship producer at Lede New Orleans. This includes fellowship content and the monthly newsletter,  The Notebook.

This collection of articles, photo-essays, documentaries and short stories are written by Narcisse

Stories

Medium •

The Intersection of Land and Water

The Intersection of Land and WaterNijah Narcisse narrates the stories of farmer and artist Utē Petit and The Water Collaborative’s Jessica Dandridge-Smith as they navigate climate change in Louisiana.·10 min read·1 day agoPhoto by Christopher RhoneBy Nijah NarcisseOver the years we’ve kept silent about our losses, hoping to bury them deep and never to be found. Today we reflect on the past and recognize the future. We are thankful for what the storm taught us, about life and death. The cycle of...

Exploring Greenspace🌿

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THE NOTEBOOK
A newsletter by Lede New Orleans

The Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellows, from left to right: Nala Henderson, Mylah Joseph, Frederick Quinn, Lyric Thompson, Joanitah Nakiggwe and Patrick Soliz. (Photo by Bryan Tarnowski)

Allow us to introduce the Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellows! The six-member cohort started their training in April and has spent the summer researching, interviewing and making media exploring what access to public parks,...
Medium •

Instead of Prisons

Behind This Story: Louisiana currently has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world, but our communities don’t feel any safer. What are the alternatives to mass incarceration? Our Fall 2023 Community Reporting Fellows spent several months researching abolition concepts and talking with local advocates and formerly incarcerated people to learn more about why so many people are locked away, what impact that has on communities and how we might be able to change course. The result is our S...
Medium •

Abolition Dialogue: Formerly incarcerated men share their thoughts on punishment, re-entry and…

Behind This Story: Louisiana currently has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world, but our communities don’t feel any safer. What are the alternatives to mass incarceration? Our Fall 2023 Community Reporting Fellows spent several months researching abolition concepts and talking with local advocates and formerly incarcerated people to learn more about why so many people are locked away, what impact that has on communities and how we might be able to change course. The result is our S...

Abolition Dialogue

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THE NOTEBOOK
A newsletter by Lede New Orleans

Welcome to the 104th issue The Notebook, a monthly newsletter by Lede New Orleans with original stories, behind the scenes looks at our equitable media work and info on upcoming events. Thank you for being here! Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

What will it take to ‘scrap the cells’ in New Orleans?

Through journalism, art and community engagement, the Lede New Orleans Community Reporting Fellow...
Medium •

Breaking down the school-to-prison pipeline

Last October, Friends and Family of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children hosted “Educate Liberate Elevate: School to Prison Pipeline,” an interactive event that invited attendees to engage in a series of role-playing scenarios to experience what punishment in schools looks and feels like from the perspective of local students. The scenarios were informed by the experiences of young people involved in FFLIC’s advocacy work. We caught up with FFLIC Youth Organizing Manager Cameron Dumas during the ev...
Medium •

The Therapeutic Power of Growing Food in New Orleans

When Jonshell Johnson-Whitten was pregnant with her second child in late 2020 and early 2021, she knew the healthiest option for her was being outside and working the produce fields at Grow Dat Youth Farm in New Orleans City Park.Johnson-Whitten experienced extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting during her pregnancy, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. At the time, she was taking three different types of nausea medication to manage what felt like “morning sickness times 100,” Johnso...
Medium •

Finding Balance

This work is part of a series of essays written by the Lede New Orleans’ Fall 2021 Community Reporting Fellows exploring the intersection of food, family and identity. The fellows are telling stories about food access in and around New Orleans this fall.Nana was a boss. She opened Fay’s Take Out in Gretna in 2001 and she ran her business with an eye for detail. She personally oversaw the kitchen as chef and owner for more than a decade. I spent my childhood in that restaurant watching her work....