"As our president, I respect you, and you need to do the same for my community in Louisiana." -Alania, Grade 7

"I hope that you love New Orleans citizens as much as I do. (That is where I am from.)" -Rocio, Grade 6

"By just using the power of youth, we can make this earth better than it's ever been, all it takes is young minds like yours and mine." -Ashanti, Grade 8

In the weeks following the 2016 presidential election, young people ages 8-18 across New Orleans wrote letters to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, friends, family, and their future selves. Their thoughtful letters range from angry to hopeful. I Want You to Know Something About Me presents the depth and breadth of what New Orleans' youth are thinking about in this moment. It also points to how much more they'll have to say and the urgency of hearing them, in the coming months and years.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly towards the build out of Big Class's new youth writing center, slated to open January of 2018. The Big Class Youth Writing Center will be a space dedicated to freedom of expression, offering creative writing and publishing opportunities to around 3,000 young people every year.