Masking the Shame in NOLA

I'm still processing my immersion trip to NOLA. I feel conflicted with mixed emotions. Trying to understand my feelings, led to a free write and the first half of my personal statement for law school. Figured I'd share it with some pictures from my trip.

New Orleans was rough. I remember driving passed a high school. The date read: August 17, 2005.

How sad. After six years, the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisian nor our United States of America could figure out a remedy to mask the shame of Hurricane Katrina. Of course, in some areas like the Garden District – where the city’s wealth is concentrated in the pockets of the same people that abandoned the city that demonic day in 2005 – have completely rebounded. The city restored those beautiful homes. The city preserved

Bourbon Street

and the Superdome. The city was able to patch up the broken windows and eroded parks. The city has not patched up one thing though. The poor, mentally disabled, or socially rejected people on the streets and in the alleys. They have upgraded from what the rest of the country recalls seeing on August 29^th, 2005. Instead of waving white flags and surrendinering themselves for their country’s help, they wave cardboard signs that simply say “I just need a drink.” At organization where we worked, they wave the queen of hearts in a spades game because that is what they do to pass the time in between their doctor’s appointments because the people there have HIV. Why does it bother me so much? Because it took me flying across the country to know that my people are living in third world conditions in the richest country on Earth. While I was studying and stressing about the LSAT, my people are trying to find food, protect themselves from a corrupt New Orleans Police Department, and avoid cancer-causing FEMA trailers. Going to law school and attaining my BA and MA will allow me to go into places like NOLA and advocate for sustainable community development.



Cafe Reconcile



Literally, where the levees broke



At our home in NOLA



Greek Festival

Just one of our many adventures