Notes from Post Katrina

Congratulations Ray Nagin

2006-05-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now Mayor Nagin was re-elected to his position. There was a lot of conversation generated about his performance during the hurricane. As an outsider I was at loss of word for what to say. This man faced an unprecedented disaster that left thousands homeless, dead or displaced. Every level of government also abandoned him. It amazes me why he would even want to continue being Mayor. However Mr. Nagin possesses determination and a won't quit attitude that I believe will take him far. He didn't run away when trouble came along. He proved to New Orleanians that he wanted to stick it out and help everyone get back on their feet.

He is not without some critics that say he is riding out his popularity. That he is not equipped to handle the challenges of the rebuilding efforts. I understand these sentiments but I think the one strait that stands out in my mind can be found in Proverbs 24:
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

What that verse means to me is there everybody wants to be around you when your days are sunny but a true friend is one who sticks with you on cloudy days when the rain comes. I believe that Mayor Nagin is that friend to New Orleans. There are going to be some tough trials ahead and bumpy spots for New Orleans and Mr. Nagin.

New Orleans has lots of crimes, including drugs and murders, corruption and poorly performing schools. These problems must be addressed if New Orleans is to claim its glittering star in the country and world.

Last night I had the privilege of attending a town hall hosted by Tavis Smiley author of the New York Times bestsellers (Go Tavis!) The Covenant with Black America. Over the next weeks I am going to use the principles in this book as a background on what I think New Orleans should be doing to make improvements. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Shout Out
Congratulations to Tyler Perry on his New York Times bestseller Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings both of these books are excellent and I highly recommend that you purchase them for your library.

Starting the Editing process

2006-04-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

I am starting to look at the footage that I taped while I was in New Orleans. I missed so much when I was taping because I was concerned about the lighting the sound and other things that come with making a video documentary. Now I am concentrating on the people. I look at their faces and I see their pain. I also see the fierce determination they have. They are going to rebuild their city and their lives. (The house on the left belongs to Cindy Allen. She lost everything in the storm and is living in a trailer on the property.)

Over the next few weeks I will be editing my documentary and this blog will contain commentary in regards to this. I will be looking at everything with fresh eyes. My focus will be on editing down 6 hours of footage to 1 hour. It is going to be tough but I can do it.

The inspiration to keep on with this project despite working and going to school comes from everything around me. I look at the achievements of other writers and I get encouraged. I am so happy for Tavis Smiley and Tyler Perry who are both on the New York Times bestsellers list. I am happier because their writings uplift people rather than tear people down.

10 Things learned from Katrina

2006-04-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

I write a column for msfinancialsavvy.com. My latest articles gives tips on how we should prepare for an natural disaster such as the one residents of the guld experienced with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Here is a sample of my article. Please click on link below to read entire story.

What I learned from Katrina: 10 Tips to have you plan for an emergency.
I traveled to New Orleans and saw the devastation of the 9th Ward and spoke to the people
directly effected by the horrific hurricanes. Houses were down all around me and no one had
electricity or lights in the 9th Ward. Walking through the area got me thinking of my owns
finances. Would I be ready in the event of a natural disaster? Here are a 10 tips to help
you prepare for a horrific event.
1. Make use of electronic storage.I do my banking online and have records of my accounts, debts and files on my banking site.
It keeps everything together in a secure environment and in an event of a tragedy I could
retrieve this information. Sign up for online banking at your bank or consider banking up
important files once a month.
2. Put your money in a bank account.This may seem obvious to you but there are still people putting their money into mattresses.
while in New Orleans a person cleaning out a house found $30,000 in a home. This was an
honest person and they returned the money but you may not be so lucky this time. The
government insures money in banks up to $100,000.
3. Keep all important papers in a centralized location.This brings me to lessone three and that is keep all important papers filed neatly in a
binder or folder. Important papers include bank statements, 401K statements, investing
statements from stocks and mutual funds, mortgage/lease agreements, car rental or purchase
agreements, passports, birth certificates, a copy of your driver license, your resume and
portfolio. I have a folder that holds all my important papers that I could grab in an
emergency.
4. Develop a plan.No one knows when a tragedy could strike and it is better to prepare for the unexpected.
Create a will, organize your finances and keep everything in a safe place. YOu might even
consider using a safe deposit box at your local bank as a back-up.
5. Review all important documents on a regular basis at least once a month. It is important to become familiar with what you have so you don't miss anything. I had
friend who found out she had thousands in a bank account that she didn't remember. It was a
great windfall for her but what if she had invested that money? She have more to be excited
about.

click on link below to read more.
What I learned from Katrina: 10 Tips to have you plan for an emergency.

Easter Sunday

2006-04-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

(Picture at right is the inside of a church that was cleared out.)
Many of you spent your holiday at church with family and friends. I ask that you all remember the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita who want so very much to attend their church services but cannot. We should no longer take for granted that we can freely go to places of worship because there are so many Americans cannot. While I was in New Orleans I saw dozens of churches completely destroyed due to the horrific storms. Many people look for the church for help and it is bad when churches suffered also.

I saw that BET honored Bishop Paul S. Morton. Bishop Morton lost personal propherty and his one of his churches. Bishop Morton is a successful man but he didn't leave his parishioners. He came to the affected areas using his resources and praying for the people. These acts gave many people hope and sometimes hope is the only thing that you have to hold on to. I saw billboards in New Orleans letting members know how to contact Bishop Morton and his ministries.

Churches may have lost their physical structure but the purpose of why people worship is still there. I was greatly moved by how determined people were to find a place to thank God in spite of everything. It reminded me of slavery times when African-Americans didn't have a physical building to worship and had to use fields or whatever was available. That same spirit of giving God thanks despite a harsh reality is evident in New Orleans. These people have nothing but faith but that is more than enough. I was extremely humbled to be able to go to my own church to worship. I had a beautiful building to go to while so many people in New Orleans did not.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter and let the people of New Orleans know that they are inmy prayers.

God Bless New Orleans!!!

The Elections in New Orleans

2006-04-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

Most of you have heard about the elections going on in New Orleans. The election was scheduled for February but due to the after effects of the horrific hurricanes it was put off until April. I have been reading about the elections. Black political leaders are claiming the federal government is not doing enough to help displaced survivors vote. Many survivors are going to voting centers set up around the country to vote having little faith in absentee ballads. The whole situation is tense.

One of the questions I asked everyone that I came in contact with in New Orleans were their feelings for Mayor Nagin. I was surprised to learn that Mayor Nagin had the support of both white and black constituents. People seem to feel that under the circumstances Mayor Nagin did the best he could especially since he didn't have adequate support from FEMA or the federal government.

I also asked about the plan Mayor Nagin has released that he feels will help the citizens of New Orleans. Some people weren't familiar with all aspects of the document but they felt it was a start. The local television stations showcased the various forums allowing people to comment about the plans. It definitely encouraged discussion and at times heated debate.

I admire Mayor Nagin for sticking by the citizens of New Orleans and not giving up on the city. A hurricane as horrific and destructive as Katrina and then Rita don't come around often (Thank God) and under the circumstances Mayor Nagin did the best he could with the resources he had. There was a lot of talks that I heard regarding the idea that the federal government knew about the hurricane but didn't act. There was talk about a released tape showing the president and aid being briefed about this tragic event. I am not sure that this is true but I did see the condition of the houses and where people stayed for days without water, food and light. It is unbelievable that people were forced to live like that for days without help.

I heard the stories of how people were afraid and slept outside waiting for help. It was the worst feeling to feel that you have been forgotten, betrayed in a place that you call home. The only thing we can do now about that is to learn and put into action a plan so this never happens again. Mayor Nagin is taking a positive step on the local level to protect his city but change has to come from the federal government and I pray that something positive will come out of all the suffering and death.

Spiritual Joy

2006-04-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of attending the First African Baptist Church 6th District combined with Faith Fellowship Church under the leadership of Pastor Moses Gordon II. He is truly a gracious man. He allowed me to tape his service and afterward to interview his beautiful members. Pastor Gordon has two churches that are greatly reduced in number. His son who preached a sermon out of the book of Phillipians told me that one church had 1400 members and the other abu 1,000. There were only 200 people in church that Sunday (March 26) and many of them had traveled great distances to be in service.

Watching them and listening to their stories put my own life in perspective. I have no reason to complain when I can get up and worship on Sunday. These people wish that they could do that. They had true spiritual joy. The joy that Paul talked about. He said he had learned to be content in whatever stage in life whether he was rich or poor, healthy or sick because true joy comes from within.

When I saw the peace the members exhibited, I got a glimpse of what Paul was talking about in Phillipians. It is something I am going to strive for. The photo you see is a picture of the original church. Rev Gordon III told me that the church had more than 6 feet of water.

God Bless New Orleans

2006-04-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of putting together my videotape and I am revisting the sadness all over again. It is so hard to look at the people and to see their suffering.
They are happy with the little things. Today I edited the tape at First African Baptist Church in the 6th District. Many of the members are scattered all over the South. They just want to come home but they can't. Help has been slow coming.
I hope that my documentary will make others want to help these people. I know that God is able. Even with this great tragedy these people have a great attitude and spirit.
God Bless New Orleans.

Notes from Post Katrina

2006-03-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

Notes from Post Katrina

Deeper Into the 9th Ward

I went directly to the lower 9th ward the next day in New Orleans. Deacon Griffin and I were less than 1/2 mile from one of the levies that broke. I had never seen a levy. They are basically dirt surrounded by a cement walls. I don't understand construction so I couldn't begin to tell you how these things worked.

I was fortunate to run into a woman who was was willing to talk with me on camera. She was living out of her car along with her two children, her husband and her sister. Her house was standing but everything inside had been destroyed. Her walls were covered in black mold. The furniture was unusable.

However she was smiling a little because the roof had been repaired. Everyday she does a little bit more to get her house in order. She's sees the progress but knows that it is a long way from being done.

When I asked her why she was living out her car she told me that she was waiting on her FEMA trailer (I will post tomorrow and describe what those trailer homes are like.) She had no flood insurance and is receiving little assistance but she is going to be rebuild because in her eyes New Orleans is home.

The 9th Ward

2006-03-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

My first trip to the 9th Ward was a real eye opener. The first thing I noticed as walking down the street was the lack of people. The 9th ward looks like ghost town. The houses are inhabitable. All the furniture in the houses is water damaged and moved around. The roofs have holes in them. Trees are uprooted from the ground.

I was lucky to meet with a woman who lived in the 9th ward and she took me around. She showed me what was left of her house. Everything inside the house was destroyed. When I asked her why she didn't leave. She told me that NewOrleans would always be home to her.

The trailer that FEMA gave her was so tiny. Her closet was only large enough for her to hang up 2 outfits. With all the tragedy I was impressed with her spirit. Cindy was going to stick it up and make a life for herself.

I will be going back tomorrow to get more footage.

Peace,
Scoopnewz

First Impressions

2006-03-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

This has been a world wind for me. Two weeks ago I found out that I was would be receiving money to go to New Orleans and report on the church's response to Hurricane Katrina. I had to arrange the trip for myshelf and another missionary. I had never been to New Orleans before but I heard all the stories.

The television coverage after the hurricane was sensational. I wanted to come to New Orleans so that I could see for myself what the are looked like, what the people were feeling and most importantly what I could do to help. There is no place like New Orleans as a discovered within minutes of coming here.

The people I met were extremely friendly. I can't describe their accent in words. It is southern but with a twist. I found people to be extremely warm and open. People waved and said hello. This was a refreshing change from this Northerner. A gentleman said New Orleans is a five finger city and New York is a one finger city. When I asked him to explain he said when you wave to someone in the South, they wave back. When you wave to someone in New York you get one finger. I bet you can guess which finger you get.

Being in New Orleans for a few hours I can say that I agree.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I share with you a little bit about the night life in New Orleans.

Peace,
Scoopnewz