In 2006 and 2007, I had the tremendous honor of working under a Katrina Media Fellowship from the Open Society Institute to write stories about the social and economic impact of Hurricane Katrina. About 25 print journalists, film makers, photographers and radio producers were cut loose to uncover what we could, and our collective work is now on display at the OSI website. Here’s what OSI said in introducing the site:
“Katrina: An Unnatural Disaster” chronicles the struggles and triumphs of Gulf Coast residents since the destruction more than two years ago. Through stories and images, the site explores what is preventing residents from recovering from the disaster and returning home. It features the work of dozens of award-winning print and radio journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and youth media organizations, all of whom are OSI Katrina Media Fellows. “Our goal is to spark a national debate around poverty and racism in America beyond the Katrina anniversaries,” said Erlin Ibreck, director of grantmaking strategies at OSI. “The site is devoted exclusively to the aftermath of the hurricanes as documented by investigative reporters. Very few news outlets have the resources to do this.”
My section, “Rebuilding Inc.,” focused on the corporate forces – including the casino, real estate and oil and gas industries – that directly benefited from the rebuilding of the Gulf at the expense of the poor and the working class. I hope you agree that our efforts were worth it. My thanks to OSI and the many people I worked with in New Orleans and the Gulf to chronicle one of the worst natural calamities to ever hit the United States – and the utter failure of the Bush administration to respond to the cry for help. Thank god George W.’s days are numbered. Our country and this world deserves much, much better.
This photo was taken by my friend Kike Arnal in December 2005 from a wrecked car in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Kike and I spent two weeks in the city on assignment for Mother Jones.
