a people orphaned by their city

My drive began from my Uptown apartment on the cross streets of Broadway and Claiborne. My visual senses were heightened as I drove away from my apartment, down Claiborne. I passed a Salvation Army warehouse with a line of African American New Orleanians wrapped around the building waiting for some sort of service. It was 11 o’clock in the morning and the wind reminded me that night had been cold. Further down Claiborne nearing I-10 there were groups of people bundled up in blankets and sleeping bags from the night before not ready to be shaken from their slumber, waking only to a dismal reminder of their surroundings and situation. I had barely left ‘my part of town’ and already was having my reality checked. I traveled beyond all of anything that was familiar to the New Orleans I know. The houses began to regressively look smaller and more weathered by time until I found myself in a large field next to a cement wall. The wall is a brand new levee; it protects what used to be a neighborhood filled with houses and what is now an obviously forgotten community orphaned by its city.
I have had plans to travel to the Lower 9th Ward; it has been an area of interest for me since I moved here three months ago. I had been told it was the hardest hit as well as the least provided for prior to and post Katrina. Today I realized that not only were there not provisions for those living in the Lower 9th Ward there is also an apparent current disinterest in the residents. The neighborhoods remind me of the time I spent in underdeveloped countries in Africa or the poorer areas of Bangkok, Thailand. It was surreal to be driving down streets only 15 minutes away from where I live and see a scene that is so destitute and barren. I saw only one community organizing building and it was attached to a church, and I cannot be sure if either is currently functioning. Because of the state of many of the houses and buildings it was unclear to me whether or not people were residing or working in them. Most of the houses I drove by were clearly abandoned. Occasionally I would drive by a house I thought to be vacant but would have a car in the driveway and drapes in the windows and residents sitting on the porch.
It was surreal and saddening to drive down vacant streets lined with slabs of concrete representing what was once someone's drive home from work; walk home from school; route to church on Sunday morning.
I chose to have lunch in the Lower 9th Ward today. I found a small grocery store to stop in and use the ATM and was greeted with a friendly conversation by a fellow customer. I then drove around looking for a place to eat. I wanted to find somewhere “local” rather than a chain restaurant like McDonald’s and while it was difficult to find a place open and operating it was easy to avoid the chain restaurants, because there were so few. The only open business that is of corporation size was a Church’s Chicken restaurant. While driving I found only two restaurants, both proclaiming great po-boys and red beans so I chose one and had a great shrimp po-boy. I mention this only to highlight the lack of normalcy restored to this neighborhood. There are so few places to get groceries, eat a meal, shop for cosmetic purposes (such as Walgreens or CVS). I wonder how this affects individuals living without means of transportation.
Overall my experience driving to and through the Lower 9th Ward was daunting. My emotions ranged from confusion to frustration to extreme irritation and anger. As a future social worker it impassions me to become more involved in understanding the process behind preparation for disasters as well as preventative measures taken at the state and federal levels. The poor in this city are no different than the poor in any other city in the United States: they are neglected, ignored, and oppressed. I believe that it is our responsibility to take care of one another, regardless of race or class. It's two years later and we've allowed a certain population to live in these conditions:










this is someone's home


abandoned





the front doors.



the sanctuary




















the kitchen























the levee