Personal Narrative: Living In New Orleans

We all have our problems in life, whether it’s lack of friends, food, or even money. That’s one thing that makes us all similar. We’re all struggling in some way or another. What’s important is that us human beings are all here to help each other. That makes handling our problems much easier, right?

There were very few opportunity for black children growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the cities.

Author Kristina Kay Robinson wrote in her short story 10 Years Since: A Mediation on New Orleans, “I don’t know how long my city has for me, but every day that I remain, I am working, searching for a newer, truer meaning for the concept of forward.” This sentiment remains true to this day for those devastated by the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath and trauma that victims of Katrina faced in New Orleans, Louisiana, left many people homeless and with psychological issues. Levees in New Orleans failed as large waves flooded the city that was already below sea level. Hurricane Katrina’s course of major destruction left many southern states, including Louisiana, with billions of dollars in damage and destruction and a more than 1,800

If I had a ticket to go anywhere, i would go back to New Orleans, Louisiana because that's my home town where I was born and raised. Half of my family that i haven't seen in awhile is down there. I miss the food there, it was extremely delicious.

proven true. I too experienced the effects of this statement. When I first moved to Northville during my early elementary years, I was quite lonely and shy. It was very difficult for me to adapt to a new school district and leave my old friends from Farmington behind. To try and fit in better, I decided to become an aggressive wall ball player since wallball was the favored recess activity at the time. I became very talented at the game, but one day, I threw the ball too hard and it hit someone in the eye, landing me in major trouble. In many ways, my experience was similar to those of the characters in both the novel Things Fall Apart and the movie Chocolat . In the novel Things Fall Apart , by Chinua Achebe, and the movie Chocolat , directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the methods characters use to respond to changes in their surroundings demonstrate that actions carry consequences.

The article ""My FEMA People": Hip-Hop as Disaster Recovery in the Katrina Diaspora" written by Zenia Kish serves as an interesting source of information concerning the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the reaction from different musical communities. The hip-hop musical genre presents itself as a form of advocating for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The author examines the connections in between musical debuts and disaster recovery. Zenia Kish successfully accomplishes her purpose of informing her multiple audiences about the history, role, and effectiveness of hip-hop as a form of disaster recovery by using facts, examples, and an effective structure to convey her message to her audience.

On August 29, 2005, one of the largest hurricanes ever recorded hit the city of New Orleans, devastating millions and changing their lives and their city forever. The category 3 hurricane created mass displacement and mass destruction that the city has yet to fully recover from. The residents of this once lively and culture-filled city are still attempting to rebuild what was washed away for them ten years ago.

Over a recent long weekend, I went to New Orleans, Louisiana with my best friend Sylvie. It was amazing to see what a different place New Orleans was, then the peaceful calm, Boulder Co. Day 1 In New Orleans we went to Cafe Du Monde, one of the most famous places to go while in New Orleans. On that day, I ate 6 beignets. After that we went back to where we were staying, an original part of the French Quarter, almost 300 years old. In the back of the house, we saw the slave quarters, an untouched piece of history.

Trinidad and Jamaica. I saw men and women in afros standing proudly on their soapboxes selling the revolution and waving Pan- African flags. The same poets my former teachers ignored I had the privilege of walking the same streets they walked and breathing their air. I had the privilege of seeing a new type of Black individualism that bleed not only in Harlem but throughout the city of

I have a lengthy history with Urban Promise Miami. I first joined their program when I was ten years old along with my brother and cousins. The mission of their organization is to equip Miami’s children and young adults with the necessary skills to attain academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth and leadership rooted in the Christian faith, and that is a goal that I have become testament to them achieving.

I was born in Ormond Beach, Florida on October 25, 1997. One year later, we moved to Cleveland, Ohio. It was there where my father completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic and my little brother was born.

A year past since Katrina did it. The fall of her life, such a terrible incident. Through the time Kitty was herself, I never thought she would ever do something like that. I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about the noise of her hitting the ground or wondering how her body went splat. At the worst times, I have vivid dreams of that day. I dream of looking up at her from the entrance of the building watching her flail her arms and legs for anything to grasp on to. Nothing is there except for air that she thought was being wasted with each breath she took. That isn’t even the worst dream. The worst one is when I’m on top of the building with her, talking to her to come down from that ledge. She starts to come down but then for some reason I push her off myself. I can’t ever do anything to stop myself, no matter what I end up pushing her off.

This past week I saw that purple and gold tour bus from Louisiana State University in my town, not only surprising me but also forcing me to think back on my childhood in the south. Growing up in southern Louisiana one must be prepared for major storms and flooding at less than a day’s notice. Hurricanes are powerful storms that can ravish towns and can be deadly for people and animals alike. Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast in August of 2005, and I was in the midst of that wreckage. My family and I were living in a small, close-knit community, named St. Amant, about an hour west of New Orleans. On the third day of the hurricane, my family experienced a loss greater than we could have ever imagined. This

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Man can endure anything, once he gets used to it.” In many ways, however, this statement is faulty: man lacks the capacity to endure oppression and social isolation. In fact, recent studies released by Lifeline—a crisis support and suicide prevention center—conclude that long periods of oppression, loneliness, or social isolation can have a negative impact on physical, mental, and social health. In particular, such may result in bodily aches and pains, low energy, an increased risk of depression and paranoia, feelings of worthlessness/hopelessness, or thoughts about suicide, and increased substance abuse. Human interaction and freedom of identity are fundamental necessities; like food and water, they are

I grew up in an extremely disorganized life style; there was very little that was consistent. My family is riddle with divorces, separations and disagreements that forced me to move nearly every year. I know firsthand what’s it’s like to be pushed, or forced out from your home. I feel for Katrina victims. They had no choice but to move and watch as everything they once had washes away.