Hurricane Ida Brought Us Together
Through the devastation of a natural disaster, the Afro-Creole and Bayou communities of Louisiana come together.
Mardi Gras Zulu King Photo Courtesy of ForditoHurricane Season is among us, and once again, ‘these women ain’t playing fair.’
Back Down Memory Lane
On August 29th, 2005 Southern cities along the Gulf Coast of Mexico were devastated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Crescent City of New Orleans received faulty-delayed government assistance, families with generational blood ties to New Orleans were labeled refugees, and the city’s infrastructure never recovered.
Sixteen years later, on August 29th, 2021, Hurricane Ida landed in LaFourche Parish (53 minutes outside of New Orleans). The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rated Hurricane Ida at Category 4 wind speeds. Deadly winds destroyed family homes and small businesses. *Boukou cities, flooded, residents are without electricity, and the current death toll has risen to 82 people.
The Black-Melanated population of New Orleans, Louisiana sits at 59.5%. Black people are the majority in New Orleans. There are thousands of Melanated families outside of Louisiana who hold ancestral familial ties to New Orleans and Southern Louisiana. New Orleans remains ancestral grounds for African-Indigenous bloodlines. Gentrifiers, like leeches, see New Orleans as a potential place to suck the culture out of, while creating an exclusionary veil.
The Storm Before The Storm
For instance, New Orleans Mayor, LaToya Cantrell created noise around relocating City Hall to the Historically Black/Afro-Creole community of Treme. To add insult to injury, the historical Municipal Auditorium in mind remained abandoned and destroyed due to the damages from Hurricane Katrina.
The beautiful people of New Orleans were not having it. Impromptu marches, protests, and second lines commenced, subsequently lasting for weeks. A motion to block the Mayor’s request signified a unanimous vote from New Orleans City Council.
Weeks later, Hurricane Ida ‘brewed up’ and numerous New Orleans natives decided to “ride it out” and stay home. Somewhere familiar and familial. In addition, some natives could not afford to leave town. The natural resiliency from the Melanated communities of New Orleans remains painfully inspiring to witness.
The Aftermath
Dampened Souls appeared together following the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Local residents, rescue groups, community-based organizations, and businesses responded fairly immediately to survivors impacted by the Hurricane.
Unfortunately, residents from surrounding areas (Houma, LaPlace, Lafitte, etc.) are receiving the shortest end of the stick from local government officials. A LaPlace resident states, “The local government has been completely inept from day one. Jaclyn Hotard (St. John Parish President) has seemed to be caught off guard before, during, and after the storm. Residents are doing more, sooner for themselves and each other than the government is. It’s ridiculous.”
Social media platforms became beneficial during the gut-wrenching week of Hurricane Ida. Viewers saw the devastation occur in real-time. Social media users aided when they could, but photos & retweets can never capture the raw reality of survivors living through a new frame.
People have lost everything but their lives…
Coming together and helping each other remains our only viable choice.
New Orleans native Jheran Denzel says,
“Here was where I needed to be, I ain’t even worried, I’m fully letting Holy Spirit have its way...”
Federal Assistance
On Monday, September 13, 2021, the Urban League of Louisiana will host a free Hurricane Ida disaster relief information session from 10:30 am-11:30 am CST. Southeast Louisiana residents affected by Hurricane Ida are now able to register for disaster assistance with FEMA and to obtain needed support from the SBA (Small Business Administration). For culturally competent assistance and services, please click below and register for the Urban League of Louisiana’s information session.
Follow FeedTheSecondLine and M4UNOLA on Instagram to donate directly to community members.
Please share any additional resources and helpful information for individuals and families affected by Hurricane Ida in our comments section.
Take care of our people,
D. Quinn Foster
*Boukou means “A lot” in kouri vini Kréyòl.
