10 Years After Hurricane Katrina

Black Lives Matter. I remember the events of Hurricane Katrina like yesterday. It was the worst hurricane
national disaster in our generation. It heavily damaged the Gulf Coast region with lives ruined forever. It is
important to note that lives have been strengthened and the courageousness of the people of the region is
amazing too. Also, the events five years ago further confirmed the anger that my black people had at
systematic racial discrimination and economic oppression. Katrina opened the eyes for others that
investments in public infrastructure was a necessity in order for human beings to have more productive,
happier, and blossoming lives. The hurricane hit U.S. soil in the Gulf Coast on the date of August 29, 2005.
Katrina was about 175 square miles at its peak. Almost 1,800 people died (almost 40 percent of the
people who passed away in Katrina were elderly) and more than 500,000 human beings have been
displaced from the region after Katrina. I was 21 years old and a senior in college during the time when it
happened. From the start, New Orleans experienced disgraceful neglect from all levels of the government.
Hundreds of bodies floated in the streets of New Orleans. Charity Hospital, founded in 1736 to provide for
the poor and indigent, was shut down in 2005 despite minimal flood damage, depriving thousands of
uninsured residents of a crucial source of health care. There is a new hospital completed in August 2015 was
named University Medical Center New Orleans. However, in some neighborhoods (including the Lower 9th
Ward, which was among the hardest hit by the flooding) the population is still barely a third of what it was a
decade ago. Other sections of the city, such as the Trem neighborhooda historic center of jazz and
working-class culturehave been gentrified. Many media people have talked about triumphalism (which is a
falsity). New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is working with the Rockefeller Foundation to advance neoliberal
policies in the city.
Black people in New Orleans were on roofs begging for help. There were people starving to death and
others have died. The black people and the poor were not only mistreated, but they were unfairly
scapegoated by many disgraceful right wing commentators like Glen Beck and Sean Hannity. Not to mention
that many black people and other human beings (of every color) during the disaster, helped the victims of
Hurricane Katrina, gave food including water to people, and they saved lives. Their courage, sacrifice, and

activism must be acknowledged and respected. Hundreds of people (like Larry Bradshaw and Lorriet Beth
Slonsky) tried to escape across the bridge over the Mississippi River, and they were stopped from doing so
by armed police firing live bullets over their heads. 10 years later, many of the people were left behind,
forgotten, and ignored when Katrina happened are still left behind, forgotten, and ignored in the recovery
and rebuilding New Orleans.

Some police officers tried to frame black Americans on the Danziger Bridge too. This incident happened on
September 4, 2005. Members of the New Orleans Police Department killed 2 unarmed black people, who
were 17 year old James Brissette and 40 year old Ronald Madison. 4 other black civilians were wounded too.
Each of the people never committed any crime. Madison was a mentally disabled man and he was shot in
the back. The murdering cops are total disgraces. The New Orleans police fabricated a cover up story for
their crimes. They falsely reported that seven police officers responded to a police dispatch reporting an
officer down, and that at least four people were firing weapons at the officers upon their arrival. This was a
racial tragedy as said by Raymond Brown (or the local head of the National Action Network). On August 5,
2011, a federal jury in New Orleans convicted five police officers of myriad charges related to the cover-up
and deprivation of civil rights. An attorney for the Justice Department described it as "the most significant
misconduct prosecution [in the U.S.] since the Rodney King beating case." The Justice Department appealed
the decision to vacate the convictions, but a federal appeals court agreed that a new trial was warranted. The
bad news is that the convictions were vacated on September 17, 2013, because of prosecutorial misconduct,
and a new trial was ordered. The Justice Department appealed the decision to vacate the convictions, but a
federal appeals court agreed that a new trial was warranted. The cop involved in the killings should be
prosecuted, convicted, and sent to prison. So, Justice must come in the case of overt police terrorism against
Brothers and Sisters.

It is important to note that Hurricane Katrina caused destruction in other places of Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama, and other places in America. Any victim of the storm should receive sympathy and respect.
Waveland, Mississippi was the location where Hurricane Katrina had a direct impact on August 29, 2005.
Many people have died, homes have been destruction, and massive grief has happened in the town (and in
other locations of the Gulf Coast). 95 percent of the homes in Waveland were damaged in the 2005 Katrina
disaster. Today, the town is in the process of recovering and rebuilding. Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40
Mississippi libraries, gutting the Waveland Public Library, as a total loss, requiring a complete rebuild. Many
religious organizations (like Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Waveland and Pastor Ed Murphy, etc.) have
aided Waveland in massive ways in order to help the citizens of Waveland. Mobile, Alabama also
experienced damage from Hurricane Katrina. A storm surge of 11.45 feet (3.49 m) damaged eastern sections
of Mobile and caused extensive flooding in downtown.
There is a huge amount of economic inequality and other racial discriminatory policies in New Orleans plus
in other locations nationwide. There are sick people who are openly exploiting the situation to allow poor
people and black people to suffer. The Lower Ninth Ward has not received adequately resources to rebuilt
(it was the last region in the city to receive electricity, etc.) while the French Quarter and other areas are
massively rebuilt. The Sanchez Center in the lower Ninth Ward was only opened in May of 2015. Today, there
are 100,000 less African Americans living in New Orleans than in 2005. The storm was originally a national
disaster. Later, it became a man-made disaster when many people suffering via neglect, negligence, and a

disgraceful response by various governmental agencies. Classism and racism certainly are serious problems
in New Orleans. I watched where one person said that people in the 9th Ward have to take buses in long
distances to go into Walmart to just get groceries. Spike Lee has shown the truth. The BP disaster was about
BP polluting waters, which harmed people and killed wildlife in the Gulf Coast region too. I read that many of
the FEMA locations had poisons in them too. The Bush/Cheney team was shopping, celebrating in a baseball
game, etc. while people were dying in the streets of New Orleans. What made me angry was about how the
cowardly racists were blaming the black people and the poor when they were victims of a natural disaster.
Koch Industries being involved in corporate exploitation doesn't surprise me. The Koch Brothers were
involved in aiding three strikes laws back during the 1990's. Malik Rahim, who is founder of Common
Ground Relief, is one of the heroes of Katrina.
10 years later, we have a long way to go. While richer neighborhoods in New Orleans have been massively
invested, many poor and black communities are filled with decaying homes and lax investments. We must
continue to promote mental health resources in New Orleans. We live in a new era where Black Lives

Matter is a powerful motto where people are confronting police terrorism, racial injustice, and
economic inequality. We also face poverty, health care, housing, education, and the environmental
issues. These issues existed in 2005 just like today in 2015. We have a long way to go, but we fight on. We
will fight for more solutions and we will always believe in justice for all.

Warnings
There were tons of warnings about an awaiting disaster that was about to come to the Gulf Coast,
especially New Orleans for years and decades. In 2001, the Houston Chronicle published a story which
predicted that a severe hurricane striking New Orleans, "would strand 250,000 people or more, and
probably kill one of 10 left behind as the city drowned under 20 feet (6.1 m) of water. Thousands of
refugees could land in Houston." For the record, the victims of the Hurricane are not refugees at all. The
Houston Chronicle story is wrong to call people refugees. So, I want to make that perfectly clear. In 2002
the Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute at Louisiana
State University (LSU), and the authorities in Jefferson Parish, modeled the effects and aftermath of a
Category 5 strike on New Orleans. The model predicted an unprecedented disaster, with extensive loss of
life and property. The study identified the problem: the New Orleans area is like a bowl, surrounded by
levees which are strongest along the outer Mississippi and primarily intended to contain river flooding.
When a hurricane drives water into Lake Pontchartrain, the weaker levees bordering Pontchartrain and
canals leading to it are overwhelmed. Water then flows into the below-sea-level city, accompanied by
water overflowing the levees along the Mississippi on the south side of the city center.
Spike Lee and Greg Palast interviewed Dr. Ivor Van Heerden or the Deputy Director of Louisiana State
Universitys Hurricane Center. Van Herden said that his job was threatened for giving the information
(about who knew what and when before, during, and after the storm). The Louisiana State Universitys
hurricane Center had developed a hurricane evacuation plan that was totally ignored by the local, state,
and federal governments. Van Heerden personally tried to make the government aware of the dangers, if a
Hurricane hit New Orleans. After Hurricane Betsy, the levees were never rebuilt to withstand a flood
brought on by a Hurricane, not even a Type 1 Hurricane, which Katrina became as it hit the Gulf Coast east
of New Orleans. He said that someone in the government ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to build the
levees one and a half feet lower than their original plans, which were inadequate. People knew that the

lower 9th ward was going to be flooded and part of Lake Pontchartrain. Van Heerden points out that
129,000 people without transportation were going to be left to the whims of the flood waters, if the
government did not use its resources to evacuate them from harms way. His warnings fell on ears that
would not listen and eyes that would not see.
He told Palast that FEMA knew at eleven oclock on Monday August 29 that the levees had breached, at 2
oclock they flew over the 17th St. Canal and took videos of the breaches, by midnight on Monday the
White House knew, but none of us knew. The Louisiana State Universitys Hurricane Center was never
informed of the levee breaks until noon on Tuesday. Refusing to inform the citizens of the 9th ward about
the impending danger and the local governments, if they were so inclined, from helping them get to higher
ground. The 12 hour silence of the White House was deafening and an example of the conscious decision to
begin the process of the Ethnic Cleansing of New Orleans to remove the working class and Black poor
from New Orleans.
Spike Lees documentary called When the Levees Broke Spike Lees 2010 documentary entitled, If God Is
Willing and da Creek Don't Rise, and Greg Palasts documentary called, Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold
Story of the Drowning of New Orleans are excellent resources of information for people to understand
about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in New Orleans including the rest of the Gulf Coast region.

The Events
The events of Hurricane events started in a realm of numerous calamities. On August 26, 2005, the
Hurricane was approaching the Gulf Coast and Governor Kathleen Blanco declared a state of Emergency in
Louisiana. On that date, the Gulf Coast states requested troop assistance from the Pentagon. In order
words Lt. General Russel Honor (the commander of the commander Joint Task Force Katrina) said that the
Gulf States began the process of requesting additional forces on Friday on August 26. On Saturday,
Hurricane Katrina was upgraded to a Category 3 Hurricane on 6 am. EST. Governor Haley Barbour declared
a state of emergency in Mississippi. Governor Blanco asked then President George W. Bush to declare a
federal state of Emergency in Louisiana. She said so in the following statement from her: I have
determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the
capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is
necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a
disaster. The federal emergency is declared and the DHS plus FEMA has given full authority to respond to
Katrina.
On Sunday, August 28, Hurricane Katrina was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane by 8 am. EST. On 10:30
am. EST, Mayor Nagin issued the first ever mandatory evacuation of New Orleans in August 29, 2005.
During the Afternoon, Bush, Brown, and Chertoff were warned of levee failure by the National Hurricane
Center Director Dr. Max Mayfield. By 5 pm., the National Weather Service issued a special Hurricane
warning: Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. At least one-half of wellconstructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those homes severely
damaged or destroyed. Power outages will last for weeks. Water shortages will make human suffering
incredible by modern standards. On the late pm in August 28, 2005, there are reports of water toppling
over the levee. About 30,000 human beings gather at the Superdome with roughly 36 hours worth of food.
The Louisiana National Guard requested 700 buses from FEMA for evacuations. Yet, FEMA only sent 100
buses. FEMA and other agencies did a terrible job in helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane on Monday, August 29, 2005 (in
8 am. EST). George W. Bush was notified of the levee breach in 8:30 am EST. 30 minutes later; Mayor Nagin
reported that the water is flowing over the levee. He said the following words: Ive gotten reports this
morning that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, weve
had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just a matter of
how much. [NBCs Today Show]. The White House circulated an internal memo about the levee breach
being so bad that its sends 6-8 feet of water throughout the 9th ward area of the city (on 12:13 pm. EST).
Brown warned Bush that this is the big one, this is a catastrophe, and the Superdome was ill-equipped to be
a refuge of last resort. In the morning of August 29, 2005, in the same briefing, Max Mayfield, National
Hurricane Center Director, warned, This is a category 5 hurricane, very similar to Hurricane Andrew in the
maximum intensity, but theres a big difference. This hurricane is much larger than Andrew ever was. I also
want to make absolutely clear to everyone that the greatest potential for large loss of lives is still in the
coastal areas from the storm surge. I dont think anyone can tell you with any confidence right now
whether the levees will be topped or not, but theres obviously a very grave concern. [AP].
George W. Bush talked with Secretary Chertoff about immigration and he shared a birthday cake photo op
with John McCain in Monday morning. By noon EST, Michael Brown finally requested that the DHS dispatch
1,000 employees to the region. He gives them 2 days to arrive. By the late morning, the levee is breached.
17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new hurricane proof Old Hammond Highway
Bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrinas fiercest winds were well north. When
this is happened, George W. Bush is visiting an Arizona resort to promote Medicare drug benefit instead of
immediately calling radical actions in helping the people of the Gulf Coast. Rumsfeld in 9pm. EST attends a
San Diego Padres Baseball game. In 9pm. EST, Governor Blanco again requested assistance from George W.
Bush. At night, George W. Bush goes to bed without acting on Blancos requests. Katrina was a total
catastrophe in New Orleans and in the rest of the Gulf Coast region.

These human beings are Karina survivors who made their way out of flooded buildings.
Then comes Tuesday, August 30, 2005. George W. Bush on noon EST speaks on Iraq at the Naval base
Coronado. Chertoff claimed that he knew that the levee failed in midday EST. The Pentagon (via spokesman
Lawrence Di Rita) claimed that there are enough National Guard troops in the region. People are in
rooftops fighting for help. Many people are rescued and many die. Also, people are desperate food and
water. People are desperate for survival in the French Quarter. On that day, the USS Bataan sits offshore
and is virtually unused. The 844 ship was designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults. It has
helicopter doctors, hospital beds, food, and water. It can make its own water up to 100,000 gallons a day. It
was out in the Gulf of Mexico. President Bush on 3 pm. EST plays guitar with Country music singer Mark
Willis while people are dying. Bush returned to Crawford for the final night of vacation. On Wednesday,
August 31, 2005, FEMA requests for ambulances, but the DOT doesnt have them. In 12:20 pm. EST, FEMA
staff warned Brown that people were dying at the Superdome. The National Guard troops arrive in
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. They arrive 2 days after they are requested. Tens of thousands
of mostly black people are trapped in the Superdome. The conditions continue to deteriorate there. A 2
year old slept in unsanitary conditions. The restroom is filled with vials. Blood stained the walls next to
vending machines. There was rape and one man jumped to his death from 50 feet in a suicide. These are
horrible conditions as a product of lack of infrastructure and an abominable state, local, and federal
government response. These human beings in the Superdome are victims of economic oppression and
negligence. Finally, George W. Bush organized a task force to coordinate a federal response. Bush said on
Tuesday that he will fly to Washington to begin workwith a task force that will coordinate the work of 14
federal agencies involved in the relief effort. [New York Times, 8/31/05]. Jefferson Parish Emergency
Director Walter Maestri said that the food and water supply are gone and that FEMA including other
national agencies are not delivering the help as fast as it needed. During this time 80,000 people are
believed stranded in New Orleans. Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy estimated 80,000 were trapped in
the flooded city and urged President Bush to send more troops. [Reuters]. Mayor Ray Ragin had ties with
Cox Communications and was convicted on corruption charges.

There are more than 3,000 people stranded at the Convention center without food and water. There is no
apparent contingency plan or authority to deal with the problem. Some people have been there in Tuesday
morning without food, water, or instructions. A public health emergency declared for the entire Gulf Coast.
President George W. Bush on Tuesday, 30, 2005 surveys the damage from Air Force One. He has a 35
minute rotor without landing in the area. He saw the stadium in New Orleans including flooded
neighborhoods, wiped bridges, and slabs of foundations where houses used to stand. George W. Bush on
that day never lands in New Orleans or immediate send National Guard troops or other forces to help the
suffering victims. Chertoff said that hes pleased with the response of the government. He is totally wrong.
Blanco again request help from President George Bush. She called for 40,000 troops. On 5pm. EST,
President George W. Bush gave his first major address on Katrina on August 31, 2005. Condoleezza Rice on
8pm. EST, goes to a Broadway show called Spamalot! or the Monty python musical at the Shubert. FEMA
Director Brown said that the storm was bigger than anyone expected Bush on September 1, 2005 claimed
that no one expected the levees to break, but as former FEMA Director Michael Brown told CNN, the
president knew from our earlier conversations that that was one of my concerns, that the levees could
actually breach. [Situation Room, 3/2/06]. Condoleezza Rice visited the U.S. Open in NYC. There has been
no command and control in three days as said by Terry Ebbert or the New Orleans Homeland Security
Director. On 3pm. EST, Mayor Ray Nagin issued a desperate SOS to the federal government as the buses
arent readily there; the convention center is unsanitary and unfair. New Orleans runs out of supplies to
help people. People are raped, fights are occurring, and corpses lay out in the open. Rescue helicopters and
law enforcement officers are shot at. Condoleezza Rice on the same day goes sue shopping at the
Ferragamo on 5th Avenue. Michael Brown learns of the evacuees in the Convention Center.
On Friday, September 2, the Rove led campaign to blame local official begins without blaming all levels of
government (since the disaster is a regional problem). On 11 am., President Bush staged the photo op with
Brown. In 11:35, Bush praised Michael Brown with the famous words of Brownie, youre doing a heck of a
job. Later, Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers
Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of
President Bushs visit to New Orleans, officials said. [Times-Picayune]. Bush has a photo op with
firefighters. He said that hes satisfied with the response, but not with the results. Congress approved initial
funding in $10.5 billion in initial aid for rescue and relief efforts on September 2. On Saturday, September 3,
the Bush administration lied and said that Gov. Blanco never declared a state of emergency. FEMA finalized
the bus request. Only a dozen of buses come into New Orleans on the same day of September 3. Kanye
West said the famous words to the worldwide audience in a charity campaign that: George Bush doesnt

care about black people. Chertoff said that one could have predicted Katrina. The Louisiana Superdome is
fully evacuated when trash in there was 5 feet deep.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush made disrespectful, patronizing comments about the poor victims of
Katrina by saying (on September 5th) that: Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many
of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well
for them. Bush suspends the Davis-Bacon Act on the next day. That act set the minimum wage pay for
workers on federal contracts. That move was outrageous. More relief funding was approved by Congress.
FEMA chief Michael Brown was removed of his overseeing relief operations on Friday, September 9th. He
resigned on September 12. Bush takes responsibility for the terrible response on Tuesday September 13,
2005. Allstate refused to reimburse the victim on September 20. The evacuated victims of Hurricane Katrina
live in hotels, FEMA units, and some go across the nation in cities like Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, North
Carolina, etc.
Republican Congressman (and former real estate entrepreneur) Richard Baker of Baton Rouge told
lobbyists in Washington, D.C. the disrespectful, blasphemous words of: We finally cleaned up public
housing in New Orleans. We couldnt do it, but God did. Many authorities left thousands to die and some
of them left corpses to rot in the street. That is a total disgrace.

This is America.
Malik Rahim was a veteran Black Panther Party member of the 1960s and is a local activist in the Algiers
neighborhood. Rahim wrote that: the people who could help are being shipped out. People who want to
stay, who have the skills to save lives and rebuild are being forced to go to Houston (San Francisco Bay
View, August 31, 2005). Rahim described, gangs of white vigilantes near here riding around in pickup
trucks, all of them armed, and any young Black they see who they figure doesnt belong in their community,
they shoot him. When a group of about 200 people including visiting paramedics from a downtown hotel
tried to walk out of New Orleans over a Mississippi River bridge into a white area, suburban cops turned
them back and fired over their heads, saying, This isnt New Orleans (New York Times, September 10th,
2005).
There are other events during this time too. Jeremy Schaill reported on how the private contacting group
Blackwater existed in New Orleans to act as mercenaries. The city of New Orleans was like an armed camp
with National Guard troops and active duty soldiers. The local police superintendent back then illegally all
weapons (even legal ones) to be confiscated. But as the Times noted, that order didn't "apply to hundreds
of security guards hired by businesses and some wealthy individuals to protect property[who] openly
carry M-16's and other assault rifles." So, the Blackwater agents acted as vigilantes. Members of Common

Ground Collective (like Vietnam veteran and community activist Malik Rahim) helped to give people basic
aid and medical services to people in the first days after the hurricane. Rahim said that the police and the
troops patrol the streets and treated him and other as criminals or insurgents. Many African American
men were harassed and even shot by these vigilante Blackwater groups. So, Common Ground had to use
white volunteers to move through a city that was dangerous for black people during that time period.
Common Ground heroic helped more than a half of a million people. They operated feeding stations,
opened free health and legal clinics, and rebuilt homes plus plant trees. But they "never got a dime" from
the federal government, says Rahim. The feds did, however, recruit one of Common Ground's founders,
Brandon Darby, as an informant, later using him to infiltrate groups planning actions at the 2008
Republican National Convention. Malik Rahim is one of the heroes of New Orleans.
The House of Representatives releases a 600-page report on February 15th, 2006 that further criticized the
White Houses response. The report lays primary fault with the passive reaction and misjudgments of top
Bush aides, singling out Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Operations
Center and the White House Homeland Security Council. The House of Representatives releases a 600-page
report that further criticizes the White Houses response. Also, the Report lays primary fault with the
passive reaction and misjudgments of top Bush aides, singling out Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff, the Homeland Security Operations Center and the White House Homeland Security Council.

The Aftermath
It has been 10 years since the Katrina catastrophe in the Gulf State region. We have seen the disaster of the
storm in New Orleans, the rest of Louisiana, Alabama, and other states in America. After 10 years, we have
seen how much New Orleans have changed. A decade later, about 100,000 people (mostly black people)
have not returned still to New Orleans. White people in New Orleans have gotten a lot richer while poverty
still is a problem in many Black neighborhoods of New Orleans. We have seen New Orleans schools
chartered, rents skyrocketing, and other realities in the name of renewal and privatization. Obamas

education secretary Arne Duncan said: The best thing that happened to the education system in New
Orleans was Hurricane Katrina. That comment and was and disrespectful. That is why he had no choice,
but to apologize or what he said. The population of New Orleans a decade later is smaller. There has been
billions of dollars poured into Louisiana, but the impact on the poor and working class people in New
Orleans has been minimal. Not everything is bad news in New Orleans, so we have to be fair and
progressive with the facts. We know that rent in New Orleans is up 33 percent for one bedroom
apartments and 41 percent for two bedroom apartments since Katrina hit. 55 percent of the residents rent.
The national average is 35 percent. In 2005, one bedroom was $578 and two was $676. In 2015, it is $767
for one and $950 for two.
In 2005, 38 percent of the children in New Orleans lived in poverty, 17
percentage points higher than the US as a whole. The most recent numbers show 39 percent of the
children in New Orleans live in poverty, still 17 percentage points higher than the national average. Only 32
percent of African Americans believe that the new nearly all charter school system is better than the public
school system before the storm versus 44 percent of whites (as over 7,500 mostly African American public
school teachers and paraprofessionals have been fired after Katrina when Louisiana took over the New
Orleans public school system). Many students have graduated in 2005 and we should celebrate any student
graduating from high school.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal of the fired teachers in May of 2015. New Orleans now
has 44 school Boards and before Katrina nearly all public schools in New Orleans were overseen by one
Orleans Parish School Board. New Orleans is now 59 percent African American, which is down from 66.7
percent in 2000. The city is 31 percent white, up from 26 percent in 2000; and 5.5 percent Hispanic, up
from 3 percent in 2000. Before Katrina, New Orleans incarcerated more of its citizens than any city in
America or five times the national average. There have been ongoing efforts of community members and
local officials, the number of people held in jail have been reduced by 67 percent. 73 percent of New
Orleans students who start high school graduate on time. There are now 3221 fewer low income public
housing apartments in New Orleans than when Katrina hit. In 2005, New Orleans had a population of
455,000 and in 2014 its population was 384,000. So, we have a long way to go, but New Orleans is a strong
city with great people and great culture. In the future, New Orleans will be better and justice will be made
real.
We still have a long way to go after 10 years of Katrina in New Orleans. There are massive injustices in New
Orleans that must be addressed. Kristen McQueary of the Tribune editorial board made the disrespectful
comment that she wished for a displacement of people in Chicago similar to what happened in Hurricane
Katrina. After Katrina, many black people were displaced. There are fewer black politicians who can
represent the aspirations of the people of the black community in New Orleans. There are 2,006 public
housing units now available in New Orleans as compared to 12,270 before Katrina. There are 4,444 families
on the waiting list for public housing. It is a fact that poor and working class Black New Orleanians face
discrimination in the housing market. As reported by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center,
African American shoppers were either denied the opportunity to rent or received less than favorable
treatment than white shoppers 44% of the time. We see a massive privatization of housing as well. There is
the environmental justice issue in New Orleans. The Gulf Region including New Orleans has the issue of
being exposed to toxic soil, air, and water.
The BP disaster has enhanced this problem. Many of the FEMA trailers have been filled with toxic
formaldehyde. Environmental racism has caused many high rates of asthma, cancer, and other health
problems among many African Americans in the Gulf region. Louisiana has one of the highest cancer
mortality rates in the nation, with African Americans ranking 30% higher than the state average. In June

2015, the Louisiana legislature failed to pass a bill that would have prevented the construction of public
schools for grades K-12 on contaminated waste lands. 2,000 truckloads of toxic waste and debris per day
entered a landfill located in mostly African American east New Orleans. There is the issue of economic
inequality in New Orleans as well. This has increased as a product of the massive displacement of New
Orleanians after Katrina. The majority of job creation in New Orleans exists among low wage jobs in the
service industry. There is 49 cents that Black women make for every dollar that White men make in
Louisiana. 52 percent of black men in New Orleans are classified as unemployed.
*Also, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (who is running for President on the Republican ticket) refuses to
expand Medicaid to cover more low income adults. There is much more rebuilding to do in terms of child
poverty and access to health care.

Three Presidents Visiting New Orleans (10 Years After Katrina)

Three American Presidents (who are current President Barack Obama and ex-Presidents George W. Bush
and Bill Clinton) recently came into New Orleans to remember the 10 years since the terrible events of
Hurricane Katrina. There has been a new community center opened in the Lower Ninth Ward. President
Barack Obama gave his remarks. He tried to say that the capitalist system caused progress in New Orleans.
Even he had to admit that he had a long way to go. He cited economic reports released that showed a 3.7
percent rise in GDP in the second quarter, but we face massive economic stagnation. The United States of
America remains an anchor of global strength and stability in the world, he claimed. Its important for us
to remember that strength. Its been a volatile few weeks around the world. There have been a lot of
reports in the news: stock market swinging; worries about China, and about Europe. But the United States
of America, for all the problems we still have, continues to have the best cards. We just have to play them
right. Our economy has been moving, and continues to grow, and unemployment continues to come
down.
People in America are struggling for economic survival. He hailed the work of Democratic and Republican
politicians who intervened to replace the shattered infrastructure of the city, but there has been massive
privatization of public services (like schools, hospitals, and public housing). New Orleans is a victim of
neglect and free market experiments. We know that 7,500 public school teachers (most of them are city
residents and victims of Katrina. A lot of these teachers are African Americans) being fired from their jobs
as the public school system was dismantled and replaced by charter schools. There is a higher graduation
rate from New Orleans schools, which should be praised and acknowledged. Yet, nearly half of all children

in New Orleans live in poverty and there is massive poverty in poor neighborhoods of New Orleans.
Democratic Mayor Mitch Landrieu has praised he neoliberal policies established in the region.

Former President George W. Bush spoke too in praising charter schools as he spoke at a local charter school
in New Orleans. During this time, there have been many speeches, parades, roundtable discussions, and
other public conferences. The ruling elite is celebrating since they have used policies of gentrification,
privatization, etc. in order for their vision of New Orleans to be promoted. George W Bush coming into New
Orleans is like him returning to the scene of the crime. He expressed indifference to the plight of the citys
poor, mostly black residents 10 years ago. The citys Democratic mayor Mitch Landrieu embraced Bush with
open arms.
Speaking at Warren Easton Charter High School on the edge of the black working class neighborhood of
Treme, where he also spoke on the one-year anniversary of Katrina, Bush seemed completely at ease. The
polite applause from the auditorium was punctuated only by a small handful of protesters as the event
wound down to a close. As the BBC put it, Ten years ago, the idea that President George W. Bush would
receive several standing ovations in front of a predominantly African-American audience in New Orleans,
might have been unimaginable. Warren Easton was closed down and now it is a charter school. Bush
spoke about that: I hope you remember what I remember, and that is 30,000 people were saved in the
immediate aftermath of the storm by US military personnel, by Louisiana law enforcement, and by citizens
who volunteered, Bush said. Yet, many of the 7,000 National Guard troops guarded private property in the
city. Many cops used police brutality against residents of New Orleans. Much of the aid that was to go into
the city was prevented temporarily. The New Orleans Police Department was ordered by then-mayor Ray
Nagin (since convicted on racketeering charges) shortly after the storm to cease rescue operations in order
to crack down on human beings (who were slandered as looters) attempting to procure food and medical
supplies for their families.
So, George W. Bush used his speech to whitewash his role (including the ruling class role) in the terrible
governmental response to the Katrina disaster. He wants charter schools to be a mandate that is replicated
nationwide. No one criticized Bush among the mainstream media heavily since the establishment is in favor
of destroying public schools to be replaced with privately run charter schools. Bill Clinton spoke at an event
entitled, Katrina 10 Commemoration: The Power of Community in downtown New Orleans at the
Smoothie King Center, home arena of the citys professional basketball team. There were many people
there from the Democratic establishment and musical performances from local artists. Lord only knows
how many miles I have run through the French Quarter, Clinton said. Nothing sounds like the French
Quarter. When I was president, I came here 10 times. Clinton concluded his remarks by saying: Laugh
tonight and dance to the music. You earned it. And tomorrow, wake up and say, Look at what we did. I bet

we can do the rest, too. Many of the poor are in no mood to celebrate. Corporate-sponsored events
arent solutions. American capitalism seized on Katrina as a way to make an American city more in line with
the interests of the rich. So, that is why people are fighting back against the agenda of austerity,
privatizations, and gentrification. Many people in New Orleans want freedom and justice and we are in
solidarity with them.

Hope for the Future

There are always hope for the future. The good news is that the future will be better than the past. Many
people are graduating from high schools in New Orleans. There are strong people in the Gulf Coast region.
There has been a great rebuilding of homes in the Gulf Coast including in New Orleans. We will never forget
about the Katrina disaster and we will always remember the heroes then and now who are helping people,
educating students, and making a difference in the lives of human beings every single day. We want New
Orleans and the Gulf region in general to be much better 10 years from now in 2025. We will never give up
and we will always love the truth and fight for freedom and justice. There are many organizations and
activists who are doing great work from charities, community develop programs, and other individuals who
are engaged in social justice activities. Many people in New Orleans are rebuilding. There is the Creative
Alliance of New Orleans and Alembic Community development. They are displaying an exhibition of murals
painted by hundreds of people in New Orleans. The African American Leadership Project has been working
constantly to end racial injustice and oppression in the region as well. They have worked with others in
improving public policy since Hurricane Katrina. Trymaine Lee is a journalist who covered Katrina back in
2005. He has interviewed people in the city and he won a Pulitzer Prize for the breaking news coverage of
Hurricane Katrina. He has worked in many media companies and now he is a national reporter for the
MSNBC, where he writes for the networks digital arm. He interviewed many people including Sister Lucrece
Phillips. She was a victim of the storm and she loves her family.

To this day, she is fighting for justice in New Orleans. Her story will not be forgotten. General Honore was
one of the leaders in New Orleans during the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He organized people to help

the victims and he gave speeches on the necessity to build infrastructure and for all levels of government to
organize solutions to the disaster. Today, Honore is still in New Orleans to help New Orleans citizens, work
in an pro-environmental organization, and he has called on Congress to establish funding for further
rebuilding efforts in New Orleans in 2015.
There are non-profit organizations that are doing their part in rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward with
affordable and sustainable housing. There are many activists in New Orleans. One activist is Deon
Haywood. She is the Executive Director of Women With a Vision Inc. This organization is a New Orleansbased community organization. It was created to improve the lives of women, their families, and the
communities. It specializes in health, education, and other issues. In other words, no human can be
liberated without women being liberated. That is just a fact. Sister Deon Haywood has worked hard in
addressing health disparities and socioeconomic injustices. There are many black businesses in New
Orleans like DBLBLK Caf, Caf Du Monde, Dooky Chases, Lil Dizzys Caf, etc. Community organizers are
pushing for new housing and educational plus social justice. Sister Tracie L. Washington is a strong New
Orleanian resident with deep roots in Louisiana. She is also the President and CEO of Louisiana Justice
Institute.
This organization is dedicated to make New Orleans a city filled with recovery and justice. This organization
want all displaced human beings to return to their land in NOLA, they want people to have selfdetermination, they endorse housing rights to exist for all, they believe have the right to work, the group
want all citizens to have affordable, accessible health care, and the organizations promotes the truth that
all citizens the right to have access to technological services. Sister Chrissy Percell is part of Grow Dat Youth
Farm (which is a nonprofit organization who is dedicated to growing healthy food, improving the
environment, and build communities in New Orleans). Katrina Truth is an important website. It shows
accurate statistics on the realities found in New Orleans 5 years after Katrina. It is also filled with people
who want social justice and want the end to racism, economic oppression, and environmental injustices.
We have much more to do. We have the situation of gentrification in New Orleans where select
corporations buy up property and sell them at exorbitant, expensive rates (which causes poor people to
leave while the wealthy gets the property in the process). The city of New Orleans has less black people
than before and many people are struggling with emotional hurt. There is massive unemployment and
overtly in many areas of New Orleans. This reality is a product of Western capitalism and how exploitative it
is. Decades of neglect of social infrastructure, the incompetence of the political establishment, and the
indifference of the ruling class (like when Mayor Landrieu recently said that New Orleans is a little more
expensive and poorer people from New Orleans can just live in the suburbs and the exurbs if they cant
afford to live in New Orleans, which is disrespectful). Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat,
declared at the time 5 years ago that, They have M16s and are locked and loaded. These troops know how
to shoot and kill and I expect they will. So, both Democrats and Republicans have great responsibility for
the terrible consequences of the Katrina disaster (by diverting social resources from infrastructure and
social programs to the corporate and financial aristocracy for decades). We want a real recovery not a
commerce, free market driven faux recovery where gentrification is the order of the day. We want people
to return to New Orleans and the poor areas of the city to develop. What works is about community
connections where people get to know each other and where communities are respected. So, we have to
fight to have justice and freedom. We are in favor of the masses of the peoples interests.
By Timothy

Power to the People.