Two years after Katrina, the Gulf Coast is still recovering, and thousands of personal stories remain unheard. Experience them here. Tell us yours.

Linda C. Woodland said:

It is amazing that it took me over year to realize the affect katrina had on so many lives and how our government ignore them. My heart goes out to all of the dead, (which the correct amount was not release to the public)and to the misplace families. I am sure no one cannot deny the government and local official intent. It is so sad to know that our country is so ruthless and cruel but yet we talk about Iraq (at leas they know who they are and what they are fighting for). Our officals their I do believe sold the souls to the devil. My prayers goes out to all of the Katrina victims.

Permalink | Posted: August 24, 2007 10:45 AM

Aldene Sligh said:

Dear Voices From Katrina,
The "man made disaster" of Katrina is never far from my mind. What you are doing is exactly what we as a people have to do to help ourselves and one another. There is no alternative!!!!

I will be forwarding this e-mail to my entire address book and prayfully, they will become involved on a meaningful level. Anger, talking and complaining gets us no where. We have to channel all of it and be about direct and intensive action in every area of our lives in this country.

It is not my practice to conduct financial dealings over the net. Please send a valid address to my e-mail address so that I can have someone to correspond with to get more information in regards to how I can assist this organization.

Thank you,
Aldene Sligh

Permalink | Posted: August 24, 2007 3:09 PM

maura said:

Thanks, Kawana and Luisa for making this little film. Kawana speaks powerfully and I hope she knows that there are so many people that support her. Hang in there and keep being such a great mom!!! I cannot believe the st. bernard projects are STILL CLOSED! That is SUCH A CRIME!
thanks for the website and the film.

Permalink | Posted: August 25, 2007 12:24 AM

dana said:

Great video. Ms. Jasper clearly articulates the problem of residents trying to return home and the ways in which the government is doing everything but supporting them.
Well done. Thank you for allowing us to hear these stories that must be told.

Permalink | Posted: August 27, 2007 3:57 PM

Joyce Goodlatte said:

Wow, what Kawana Jasper said in just 4 minutes really had an impact on me. To see her walking around a neighborhood, the St Bernanrd Housing Development, completely empty but with buildings intact and no one living in them, and nobody working to make them livable again. I really liked how she talked about not just her family who had 4 generations who had lived there but also a whole community torn apart not just by Katrina, but more by everything that has come after. It is thanks to people like her, a mother with three kids, who have returned and are fighting to be a part of the rebuilding process so that this community can live again and not be turned into a playground for tourists.

The way in which she talked about raising her kids with the right values contrasted so much with the values in Washington, or the only value that seems to exist: to make the rich richer, with all funding going to big businesses that arent even from New Orleans.

Why cant the government give jobs and resources directly to people who lived there to rebuild their communities themselves.

Kawana: you are making a difference. You inspire me.

Permalink | Posted: August 27, 2007 4:14 PM

Martha O'Bryan said:

For 5 years in the 1960s New Orleans was my home.
There were plenty of inequities then as now. I was disgusted by what I saw there everyday regarding the poor and the lack of assistance for the black residents especially. I am white and Life plans took me away to Maryland, but I was young with 4 babies and would have left anyway. As I remember telling people, "because of the racial injustice" all around me. A vivid memory was the building of a sparkling "million-dollar" Catholic cathedral when a few blocks away was the tiny dusty church for the black folks. Had I had more life experience I would have protested. But now I AM older, we have the current problem and, again, I'm at a loss for what to do and how to do it! LET'S DO SOMETHING!

Permalink | Posted: August 28, 2007 2:36 PM

mary said:

We need a change in government from the highest level on down. Even the poorest citizen pays taxes in one way or another. The government squanders the money to kill people in other countries. Soldiers often come back to find zero help from the country that sent them overseas and wind up homeless.

Kwana said it so eloquently. Common sense and compassion would restore this development for those who lived there prior to the hurricane. People that earn low wages are the ones servicing those rich folks, and they should have affordable housing.

Permalink | Posted: August 28, 2007 6:04 PM

Amazed said:

Watching Kawana just makes It more real then you can imagine. Shortly,after Katrina I had a sick feeling that they were not going to re-build New Orleans for the current residence. I just felt that they were going to use this unfortunate opportunity to change the make up of the city. Hearing Kawana say It and seeing what is happening just confirms my horrors. It is really sad that we can protect other countries and not look after our own. Their definitely has to be change in power in this country.

Permalink | Posted: August 30, 2007 4:21 PM

Ms. C. said:

Dear Ms. Kawana Jasper,

I just finish listening to your voice on the youtube video. What you said touch me very deeply. I will encourage you to stand strong for what you feel you must do which is right.

I can relate with you in so many ways when it comes to living in public housing. My reason are because of this.

I was in a abusive relationship twice. I left with just the cloths on my back both times with my 2 kids and never looked back. I had to start out living in public housing. It's not where you live that makes you a great person, it's how you live while you are living in any area of these USA.

Ms. Kawana, just continue to keep in mind that God sits high and looks low with all POWER IN HIS MIGHTY HANDS. The ones that are in Federal Government and the ones that holds other office seats will have a very high price to pay when the Almighty say it's there time to come before him.

In my state we have the same injustice here with people in office on a POWER TRIP. Always let your voice be heard as much as possible. Speak your feelings with the truth from your heart.

DON'T GIVE UP ON WHAT YOU FEEL IS RIGHT AND NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND OTHERS. There's a real reason why you went back to your home state.

Think about it, God and his Angels could be speaking to you in a small and mighty way dear. I will continue to keep you and all others in my prayers. It was a SPIRITUAL REASON why this massive storm happen in your state and the other states.

If anyone knows there Bibles, then they should already know the answer. Just know it's all not done for all the wrong do's toward it's fellow man/woman on this earth. The ones that sits on the high hills making the laws to fit them will at the end lose it all.

It's this way dear, if it's not in there back yard they really don't care about "small people" like us. But guess who have the real big hearts in all the mess that goes on in these USA? We do, "the samll people".

Like my Mother and Granny once said to me, "Don't cry over me and give me flowers when I die, plant your flowers, water them well, then let my and your speak for itself". People once remebered the good things you've done and thank you for it from there hearts.

Now it's all about the bad things you do that will follow you more so these days, all you have to do is one bad thing if you are African American. It's still some great people on this earth, sorry to say it's only a hand full of them though.

Great people have came from many public housing, I mean really great upstanding folks like yourself and I. Some men makes it's own laws and die at the hands of it's own laws and bring down some of us with them.

We must be mindful of the false faces that comes before us in there NICE PRESSED SUITS WITH THAT FAKE SMILE AND SHAKING OUR HANDS WANTED US TO VOTE FOR THEM TO BE PUT IN OFFICE.

Think about it, are they really going to work for us as a people? or are they going to get our votes and look the other way when we need the help the most. The answers has already been said with the storm in your states and the other states.

God comes just as he is with no falseness whatsoever. We can always trust God's words, but we can't ever trust man's words in doing what's really right and good for all mankind, some are just out for himself.

Keep speaking out Ms. Kawana Jasper as much as you can. From a Strong African American Woman In The State Of Georgia.

Permalink | Posted: September 1, 2007 9:12 AM

C. Scott said:

Kawana,

Thank you for speaking about life in public housing. It is individuals like you who decide to speak up & stand for what you believe to make a change. You are right, where are our politians? They know how to find the people when they need them. People outside of public housing need to know that not all bad things or people are in public housing. They need to know that the residents may not have riches, but live as a close knit community, where people enjoy life & the comforts of family & friends. As a former resident of the St Bernard with many generations living there, I feel your pain. Some of the happiest days of my life are memeories from the St Bernard. I feel a sickening in my stomach every time I pass the abandon developement. It reminds me of looking at a movie of the Holocust. We know the developement can be repaired, which would cost less than rebuilding. The rebuilding phase would probably be 10 years or more. The Desire Housing Developement is a prime example of that. How long has it taken? I encourage you to stay strong & keep up the fight.

Permalink | Posted: September 11, 2007 12:54 PM