Monday, February 17, 2020

Monday, February 17, 2020

We started our day with the wonderful smell of Jack Studley making some delicious egg sandwiches. We took our time getting up this morning and we did not depart until around 9 AM. Once we departed, we began our driving tour of the city and we learned how it was affected by hurricane Katrina. Over the bridge we saw industrial areas next to impoverished neighborhoods which were deeply affected by the flooding during Katrina. In the center city, we took note of the horrible sight of the Hard Rock Café building collapse which has been in the same condition since October and is planned to be imploded in March. Numerous times on the tour, we became lost due to the many detours caused by parades.  While we were stuck at the opening of the drawbridge at the Industrial Canal, a caravan of floats escorted by police motorcycles passed behind us. 

 We traveled through the Lower Ninth Ward which was most affected by Katrina and we saw how many lots still lay empty after the houses were destroyed by the flood waters. The Lower Ninth Ward is a black majority neighborhood and it still is in need of recovery, compared to the white majority neighborhoods of Gentilly and Lakeview which was also devastated by the flood waters but has been able to recover much more. In one of the neighborhoods we viewed, we saw the newly constructed levees that were built after the hurricane.

After the driving tour, we visited a resident of New Orleans, John Taylor, a man who lead us in discussion of the swampland and the state of the ecosystems surrounding the city. John has an incredible knowledge of the land and an amazing fascination with nature and its systems that have been devastated by man-made disruptions. He told us in minute detail how the creation of canals that diverted ocean water during the 20^th century lead to the contamination of freshwater swamps, thus killing hundreds of Cyprus trees and miles of swampland. The swampland provides an important buffer during storms, and it was clear how the destruction of ecosystems as a result of human interference was a direct cause to the extent of the devastation that was brought upon New Orleans in 2005.

Once we found our way back into the French Quarter, we parked the cars and we dispersed into the wonderful epicenter of food and culture. Some of us got crepes, and alligator, and really spicy jambalaya. The assortment of food is truly beyond compare. We also toured Jackson Square and walked around to the street performers and artists to get a taste of the unique New Orleans culture.

This afternoon we attended a meeting of an organization called Justice & Beyond, a community organizing group that rallies other organizations into union and discussion, understanding that their combined efforts are more effective at dismantling widespread oppression than those of their parts. This specific meeting was a panel of potential candidates for various local government positions. The common topics of discussion were about unity, the disenfranchisement of African American communities, the importance of voting, and the importance of protecting our environment. This meeting was evidence of the power of putting ideas into practice in a passionate and motivated community.

Our ride home from the community meeting was quite an adventure. It took us about an hour to get on the highway to head back to the North Shore because we got stuck behind an unmoving train and the highway closed down due to an accident. In the middle of all this we had to drive through a flooded road and we got a little taste of the Katrina experience. Once we finally arrived back at the house, we had some quiet time to reflect on our experiences of the day.

Brandon Thomas and Christopher Recupero