Peacock to stream a new documentary, Hope in High Water: A People’s Recovery Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina, on Friday, August 22, 2025. The film, created by Pulitzer Prize and Emmy-winning journalist Trymaine Lee, marks his return to New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast two decades after Katrina. It tells the story of recovery through the voices of those who stayed, rebuilt, and reimagined the systems that faltered long before the storm.
What you’ll see in Hope in High Water
The documentary spotlights a number of W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) grantees and the wider ecosystem of community-led work driving change across the Gulf South:
In New Orleans
– Sankofa Community Development Corporation, improving access to fresh food, health resources and green space in the Lower Ninth Ward
– Grow Dat Youth Farm, helping young people build leadership skills and gain work experience by growing food and supporting their communities
– STEM NOLA, providing hands-on science, technology, engineering and math learning for children and families
– Saul’s Light, supporting families navigating neonatal loss and advocating for maternal health equity
– Ashé Cultural Arts Center, a cultural anchor in Central City using art and programming to support community and economic development
– Black Education for New Orleans (BE NOLA), supporting Black educators and schools to improve outcomes for Black children
In Mississippi
– Mississippi Center for Justice, working to ensure families access healthcare, housing, education and legal support when rights are at risk
– Boat People SOS – Gulf Coast, assisting Vietnamese American families in East Biloxi with recovery services, language access and resources for small businesses and fishing families
A close look at post-storm life
From the frontlines of floodwaters to the front porches of residents who stayed, Hope in High Water blends intimate storytelling with archival footage and on-the-ground reporting to examine what recovery has meant and what it still demands. The film centers health, education, food access and environmental resilience, elevating the work of educators, organizers, farmers and families who are building lasting change from the ground up. It presents a region still in motion, where progress is real and the work continues.
Lee describes the film as a coming-to-term with a world disrupted by disaster but still moving toward equity and belonging. “This is a story I’ve been living and telling for 20 years,” he says. “From reporting on the devastation on the ground and in real time to returning with a new lens, I hope this documentary reminds people that while the waters may have receded, the fight for equity and belonging continues.”
The role of WKKF and the Gulf South
Guided by a mission to create conditions where all children can thrive, WKKF has partnered with Gulf South communities since the 1940s, investing in locally driven efforts to improve health, education and economic opportunity. In Katrina’s immediate aftermath, WKKF provided $27 million in emergency funding. Today, the foundation maintains a staffed presence in New Orleans and Jackson and invests about $34 million annually in region-wide efforts led by and for local residents.
Upcoming screenings and opportunities to engage
Wednesday, August 6, 5:00–6:30 p.m. ET: The Charles Ogletree Public Forum Series at Union Chapel Education and Cultural Institute in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. The event is free and open to the public, with a livestream on Union Chapel’s Facebook page.
Sunday, August 24, 5:00–8:00 p.m. CT: Ashé Cultural Arts Center, New Orleans.
Monday, August 25, 5:00–8:00 p.m. CT: Biloxi High School, Biloxi, Mississippi.
For those who want to explore more about the leaders driving transformational change in the Gulf South, the I Am New Orleans: Katrina 20 page offers further stories and details about upcoming screenings.
Additional thoughts and value
– The film provides a hopeful, action-oriented lens on disaster recovery by centering communities that rebuilt themselves and reimagined public systems from the ground up.
– It reinforces the importance of long-term investment and sustained partnerships between foundations, local organizations and residents to achieve lasting change.
– The documentary can serve as a resource for policymakers, educators and community organizers seeking models of equity-driven recovery that address health, education, access to food and environmental resilience.
Summary
Hope in High Water chronicles a legacy of resilience and ongoing work two decades after Katrina, highlighting local leaders and organizations who have shaped a new path for recovery in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through intimate storytelling and documented progress, the film emphasizes that while the waters receded, the journey toward equity and belonging continues—and that community-led efforts remain the heart of sustainable recovery.