Katrina - Race Against Time - Nat Geo Documentary [View all]

Cross Posted from the African American Group.

So we binged this on Hulu. My husband and I have a deep love for NOLA. I could go there ten times a year and always find something new and interesting – a new person to meet, a song to hear, a story to be listened to.

New Years 2018 we visited and went to the Katrina Museum. We thought we had absorbed all of the pain. Then Sunday and yesterday evening I had to explain something to my Italian Immigrant Husband: Refugees.

Well not really. He pointed out “They were ‘refugees’ because they were Black people”.

If you google Reddit Katrina Stories you will find threads from a decade ago where they were still referring to the displaced Americans as refugees.
They were still telling lies about sexual assault at the Dome.
They were still telling lies about rampant looting and theft.
I learned something new – that a Black man was shot by a NOLA Police Officer for asking a question. A question.

I think now we are able to see the full scope of the lies and worthlessness of the Bush Admin.

Having walked down by the WW2 Museum and crossing into the city from the airport – we’ve been over US 10 multiple times. The desperation of human beings – Americans – walking through those flood waters only to be met by guns at the other side. Reminders that where the levies broke had been leaking for some time.

The economy of poverty was a directly connected to those who died in their homes in the lower 9th. Their poverty was deliberately inflicted on them by Racism.

The economy of white supremacy allowed these Americans to be called ‘refugees’.

The economy of white supremacy also called people moving racks of meat to be GRILLED looters and thugs.

I shared with my husband a water cooler discussion I had with several people at my employer at that time. A woman I deeply admired said: “It’s bad, but I literally saw someone steal a rack of meat”. I was not at a loss for words.

“Sandra, there is no power and won’t be for a long time. There are hungry thirsty American children. It’s just going to go bad. Watch a few minutes longer and you will see they are having an ad hoc cookout. Don’t waste food.”

She looked at me and said – “I didn’t think of that.”

When it was all said and done – the removal of the lower 9th residents was by design. Even today – TODAY – you will see slabs on their lots that simply don’t exist in Uptown. It’s not a thing.

For the Black Americans, hundreds of years of living in that city: I know what it means to Miss New Orleans. I hope some day your families can return, and stake out their territory as the original inhabitants.