Now a decade later, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says Katrina shocked the city – and nation – into changing our entire response to these storms. “And sometimes this third party, an art object, is what allows us to kind of use it as a vehicle to bridge some of those misunderstandings”, explained Monica Ramirez-Montagut the director of the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University. All needed clothing, food and shelter.
When they got on the plane, they had not been told their destination. That last weekend in August 2005 was a defining moment for Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, which taught us many lessons. “We interpreted these tattoos as forms of memory making and storytelling”.
The Urban League of Greater New Orleans published a book, which was distributed at the event, entitled “The State of Black New Orleans: 10 years post Katrina”. Our business community responded with financial contributions, as well as assigning personnel to assist in the effort.
Like many who had to rebuild their lives, she came here because a relative offered her a place to stay.
Here at home in Shreveport, we learned our own very valuable lessons.
The storm’s devastation was so horrific the name “Katrina” has been retired and will never be used again by the National Weather Service. We treated everyone with dignity and respect – even a dog named Boogie.
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If you want to see New Orleans’ glass today as half full, watch BET’s 10th-anniversary report on Hurricane Katrina. Whites were twice as likely as African Americans to say that their overall quality of life is better than it was 10 years ago before Hurricane Katrina.
