Really...card...oh sorta like that Race/Gender card huh?
I guess it stings a little more from people that look just like you asking you "why haven't ya'll done anything yet?" "What's taking so long?" "Why can't ya'll just move on"
I tell you, I've never been one to remember anything but August 28-29, 2005 are two days in which I can recall every second of the day. And now there are only two ways to define time...before Katrina and after. It doesn't matter if your house withstood the wind/water damage of Katrina...nothing in your life is the same. I guess that's why I'm so unaffected by everything else...which can be a bad and good thing...but real shit. I approach most things like "This isn't the worst thing that has ever happened to me...so eff it"
Katrina Card 145666 As of this school semester there are only 2 schools in New Orleans that offer MSW programs and 1 that offers MA Sociology program
Upon completing my first semester in my MA Sociology program I began working with residents of Greater New Orleans housing projects contesting their right to return home. A class action lawsuit had already been filed against HUD and HANO. and I could see every aspect of my trainings of intersectionality of oppressions come full circle. Then I started reminsing about the Hope VI victory of the St. Thomas projects. Ahhh affordable mixed income housing...lol.
Last week I had to make a couple of runs to City Hall last week. And I saw this on City Hall's front lawn
Shiiittt then I started to reminise about the images I saw the days after Katrina.
So we have hundreds of homeless people literally sleeping on the mayor's front lawn.
Rent is still sky high
and in other news...HUD/HANO have decided to forgo the aformentioned pending lawsuit and throw some Demolition D's on the Pjs.
4 comments:
My sister told me about this situation a while back. She's a district manager with the Housing Authority here. I asked about demonstrations but I hadn't gotten any answers from her. Mind you, those displaced by Katrina have first priority in Federal Housing here.
There are alot of people across the country that sympathize/empathize with the (lack of) housing situation in post-Katrina New Orleans. But the problem is so daunting that its hard for anyone to feel like they can make a real difference. There's a 6 month long wait list to join Habitat for Humanities in the area (some ridiculous bullshit if you ask me).
So here's my question, how can I (anyone) help? I'm not talking about sending letters and signing petitions. What can we do to make a real difference?
"those displaced by Katrina have first priority in Federal Housing here"
the weird thing about that is it's not the same way in New Orleans
Kid Che,
That's crazy about the Habitat situation...didn't know that...check with some grassroots organizations (People's institute for undoing racism and beyond to see if they can recommend other programs)
Your last question has been on my mind for the last two years...shit i wonder everyday if i'm doing enough...or anything at all. I dunno in some ways i feel like my move back simultaneously was a gift and curse. Immediately I jumped into work then my masters program taking several race/class sociology classes...even taking a class specifically called Race and Katrina...effed up my world. It's different to directly be the subject of your studies and in part to deal with some people from around the US with this "i've come to save your city the right way" attitude...expressing their disguist with a so-called "Katrina card"...yeah and that "Race Card" doesn't exist to huh?
So overall i dunno...New Orleans is a unique and special city from it's conception, slave years, civil rights era...the Black experience...but in a lotta ways it's the same as an urban center in other parts of the US...gentrification, high poverty neighborhoods that breed crime infested neighborhoods that kinda stem from residential segregation and poor access to greater educational means from public schools...so all that to say this...there's a lower 9, downtown, tent city, magnolia projects in each and everyone of our cities...Katrina was a natural disaster as much as a social disaster that is effecting the United States as a whole...you don't have to fly down south to change the world...you can start with your own backyard...
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