New Orleans recovery entrenches inequality critics say
- 9 years ago
New Orleans has been resurrected since Hurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast, ten years ago. Nearly 2,000 people lost their lives in the destruction, and the disaster changed the face of the city.
Now the historic French Quarter is more inviting than ever; 9.5 million tourists visited last year. But while some areas are flourishing, others still struggle.
The Lower 9th Ward, a mainly African-American neighborhood, was hit hardest in 2005. Only a third of its resident have been able to come back.
Errol Joseph, 64, is finally rebuilding his house, with the help of unpaid volunteers. He said racism hampered earlier efforts: “It’s because we’re black.”
The number of African-American New Orleans residents has plunged by nearly 100,000 since the storm. There are now 10,000 fewer white residents, according to Census figures. Ten years ago, roughly eight tenths of New Orleans lay under water.
Steve Robinson and his father Fred have been able to rebuild, but want more help from
Now the historic French Quarter is more inviting than ever; 9.5 million tourists visited last year. But while some areas are flourishing, others still struggle.
The Lower 9th Ward, a mainly African-American neighborhood, was hit hardest in 2005. Only a third of its resident have been able to come back.
Errol Joseph, 64, is finally rebuilding his house, with the help of unpaid volunteers. He said racism hampered earlier efforts: “It’s because we’re black.”
The number of African-American New Orleans residents has plunged by nearly 100,000 since the storm. There are now 10,000 fewer white residents, according to Census figures. Ten years ago, roughly eight tenths of New Orleans lay under water.
Steve Robinson and his father Fred have been able to rebuild, but want more help from