“Angisakubekezeleli, ukuphakanyiswa bese ngishaywa futhi, lapho nje sonke sasizama kanzima ukuba nethemba,†umngane wami uyangitshela.

Ubengomunye wabantu abambalwa engibaziyo ababebukele ukudubula kwangoMgqibelo eNew Orleans.

Ngempelasonto edlule, abathandi bobumnandi bagcwalise imigwaqo kwelinye lamasiko abalulekile edolobha lethu, umugqa wesibili – umgubho ozulazulayo wasemgwaqweni owenziwa izikhungo zomphakathi zaseNew Orleans ezaziwa ngokuthi I-Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. Lo mugqa wesibili wawumkhulu kunayo yonke engake ngake ngayibona kuwo wonke umuntu, ifakwe amaKlabhu ahlukene angama-30. Abantu abaningi beza bevela ngaphandle kwedolobha usuku nje, futhi phakathi nombukiso izinkulungwane bezicula, “sibuyile, sibuyile!â€

Usuku lwethemba nomgubho lwaphazamiseka lapho, ngasekupheleni komzila, kudutshulwa abantu abathathu ezigamekweni ezintathu ezihlukene ku-Orleans Avenue phakathi kwe-Claiborne ne-Broad, e-Treme, indawo yabaNsundu enomlando omude nesiko lokumelana.

UMichelle Longino ongomunye wabagqugquzeli balo mcimbi ucashunwe ephephandabeni i-Times-Picayune ethi, “Kuvele kungiphule inhliziyo ukuthi abanye abantu bangaphandle bangenza into embi kangaka bahlanganise nento enhle, ekhazimulayo, enokuthula. besihlanganisa,” wengeza ngokuthi umcimbi uhlelelwe “ukufakazela ukubaluleka kwamakilabhu omphakathi kanye nokubaluleka kokuhlinzeka ngezindlu ezingabizi kakhulu nezikole ezisezingeni eliphezulu ukuze abantu babuye.â€

Ukuphela kosuku olunobudlova kwakubuhlungu kakhulu. Kwakwethusa ukubona umzamo omkhulu womphakathi ubhidlizwa futhi nokubuya kodlame oselucekele phansi idolobha lethu.

Phezu kosizi lwethu siqu, kukhona nengcindezi esizizwa sonke lapha eNew Orleans, lokhu kuqwashisa ukuthi sahlulelwa abezindaba kanye nosopolitiki eBaton Rouge naseWashington. Umbuzo uvela njalo, ingabe sifanelwe ukwakhiwa kabusha? Nginomuzwa wokuthi alikho elinye idolobha lase-US elizobhekana nalo mbuzo, kodwa kufanele sihlale sizibonakalisa “sifanelekile.â€

Sonke sazi ngokushesha ukuthi labo abangafuni ukwakhiwa kabusha kwedolobha bazosebenzisa lesi sigameko njengobufakazi kithina, njengoba nemibiko yakamuva yezindaba ijabule “ukuntuleka kobugebengu†okulethwe ukuxoshwa kwabantu abaningi ezindaweni zethu. inani labantu bedolobha.

Ngesonto eledlule, ikhomishana ye-Bring Back New Orleans ikhomishini ikhiphe izincomo zayo zokwakha kabusha, ezigcwaliswe ngenkulumo ephindwe kabili elindelwe kanye nezithembiso eziyisigamu mayelana nokuthi yiziphi izindawo ezingakhiwa kabusha, ezikhonjwe ezivivinyweni ezingacacile nezilinganiso.

Kodwa okucasule kakhulu, okuvezwe kukho konke ukusakazwa kombiko, isilinganiso esinikezwe ikhomishini, osopolitiki, abathuthukisi nabezindaba ukuthi ingxenye kuphela yabantu bedolobha kulindeleke ukuthi ibuyele eNew Orleans eminyakeni embalwa ezayo. . Labo abazibiza ngochwepheshe baseluleka ngokuthi “sibe namaqiniso,†futhi samukele ukuthi idolobha kufanele libe “umkhondo omncane†ngoba abantu abaningi ngeke babuye.

Zivelaphi izibalo zabantu ezincishisiwe? Iqiniso liwukuthi “ochwepheshe†bakhohlisa iqiniso ukuze bafeze izinjongo zabo. Bakha isimo lapho ingxenye yedolobha ivinjelwa ukuba ingabuyi; bese sithi sidinga ukwehlisa amathemba ethu kuleli qiniso abalidalile.

Kuleli sonto, u-90% wabafundi baseNyuvesi yaseTulane babuyile ukuzoqhuba amakilasi enhla nedolobha laseNew Orleans. Iningi lalingenalo ubudlelwano besikhathi eside nedolobha, kodwa labuya ngoba uTulane nedolobha lalifuna babuye, basebenza ukuze babuye. Ngezindlu nesikhuthazo, iningi laseNew Orleans lizobuya namuhla. Lokhu ukufuduka okungagwemeka ngokuphelele, okwenzeka ngokuhamba kancane phambi kwamehlo ethu.

Futhi kuwububaba, njengoba kukhishwe ochwepheshe, belandelana, ukuze basitshele – ikakhulukazi abampofu namaBlack New Orleanians– ukuthi yini engcono kakhulu. Awukwazi ukuza kule ndawo okwamanje, akuphephile kuwe. Awukwazi ukwakha kabusha, asazi ukuthi indawo yangakini izosebenza yini. Awukwazi ukubuyela emuva eNew Orleans – sicabanga ukuthi uzoba ngcono kwenye indawo, lapho inhlalakahle ingcono khona.

Kwabampofu bedolobha, izithiyo eziningi ziyabekwa. Ezinye izakhamizi ezibuyile zivimba ukufakwa kwama-trailer e-FEMA ezindaweni ezihlala kuzo. Amahhotela ahlela ukukhishwa kwabantu base-New Orleanians ukuze balungiselele izivakashi zaseMardi Gras. Idolobha lihlela ukubhidliza izindlu ngaphambi kokuthi abantu babuye bazozibona.

Mhlawumbe kuwuphawu lokubusa kweRiphabhulikhi kanye nobugwala beDemokhrasi ukuthi abadayisi bamahhala bakhethe leli dolobha eligcwele iDemocratic Alliance njengomugqa ophambili empini yabo nezikhungo zikahulumeni ezidalelwe abampofu. Isibhedlela iCharity siphoqelekile ukuthi sihlale sivaliwe. Abaqashi bezindlu zomphakathi bacindezelwa ukuthi bakhiphe izimpahla zabo. Izikole zomphakathi zihlala zivaliwe, kuyilapho uhlelo lwesikole luba indawo yokuhlolwa komphakathi ngabazimele bezikole abaphiko lwesokudla.

Emasontweni amabili okuqala ngemuva kokuba iNew Orleans igcwele izikhukhula, ithimba labacabangi elingakwesokudla I-Heritage Foundation ikhiphe izinhlelo zayo zokusebenzisa le nhlekelele. Eduze kwaphezulu ohlwini bekuphromothiwe “inketho yesikole†namavawusha esikole. Izikole zasePre-Katrina, eNew Orleans zaziphakathi kwezindawo ezihlukaniswe kakhulu esizweni, kanti ezinye zezizwe zisebenzisa imali ephansi kakhulu ziya ezikoleni zikahulumeni, ezazinezinkinga eziningi ezihlanganisa ukuwohloka kwengqalasizinda kanye nemali encane yezifundo zokukhetha ukuthi kwezinye izikole i-JROTC. , uhlelo lokubuthela amasosha ezikoleni eziphakeme, kwakuyikilasi eliyimpoqo.

Izinguquko ezihlongozwayo azenzi lutho ukubhekana nalezi zinkinga, kunalokho zibhebhethekisa inkinga, zichezukise izimali ezikoleni ezimpofu kakhulu, kuqhutshekwe nohlelo lwezikole ezisezingeni ezimbili, esinye ngesalezo ezinenhlanhla, esinye ngesabanye abantu. Njengenzuzo eyengeziwe yabamabhizinisi azimele, inyunyana yothisha - phambilini eyayiyinyunyana enkulu kunazo zonke edolobheni - ibhekene nokuqedwa ngokuphelele ngaphansi kwalolu hlelo, njengoba abasebenzi bedilizwa futhi kuvulwa izikole ezintsha neziyalezo zokunciphisa amaholo nokuqeda umshwalense wezempilo.

Izibhedlela iCharity, uhlelo lokunakekelwa kwezempilo lukahulumeni lwaseLouisiana, zasungulwa nguMbusi u-Huey Long ngeminyaka yama-30's. Lolu hlelo lwaluyisibonelo esihle sokunakekelwa kwezempilo okuhlinzekwa nguhulumeni, futhi iLouisiana isewukuphela kwesifunda saseMelika esinoxhaxha lwezibhedlela ezizinikele ekunakekelweni kwamahhala kwabampofu. Ngisho neminyaka yamuva nje, uCharity uziqhayise ngokunakekelwa okusezingeni lomhlaba kwamanye amayunithi – njengokunakekelwa kwabahlukumezekile, kanye nesibhedlela esikhulukazi i-New Orleans Charity Hospital, esinye sezibhedlela ezimbili ezindala eNyakatho Melika, sasiza izinkulungwane zeziguli ezingenamshwalense isonto ngalinye. Abantu abavela eNew Orleans, abazalelwa esibhedlela, ngokuziqhenya bazibiza ngokuthi “Izingane zosizo.â€

Odokotela baseCharity bathi isibhedlela sihlanzekile futhi siphephile futhi sikulungele ukuvulwa kabusha, kodwa baye bavinjelwa ukwenza kanjalo – kunalokho, kunezinhlelo zokubhidliza isakhiwo esikhulukazi.

Izakhamuzi zezindlu zomphakathi zibhekene nokuphikiswa okukhulu kokubuya kwazo. Njengoba uKhongolose waseBaton Rouge uRichard Baker ejabula ngemva nje kokugadla kwesiphepho, “Ekugcineni sazihlanza izindlu zomphakathi eNew Orleans. Besingeke sikwenze, kodwa uNkulunkulu wakwenza.â€

Ngikhulume no-Elizabeth Cook, isishoshovu se-New Orleans Housing Emergency Action Team (NO-HEAT) kanye ne-C3/Hands Off Iberville, iqembu lendawo elihlanganisa ukulwa nempi nobulungiswa bomhlaba wonke kanye nezindaba zendawo ezifana nezindlu zomphakathi. UCook ukhulume nenqwaba yabaqashi bakwa-B.W. Cooper Housing Complex, futhi usebenze nabaqashi abalwela kanzima ilungelo labo lokubuya.

Ngaphandle kosopolitiki nabathuthukisi abangafuni ukuthi babuye, izakhamuzi zaseCooper nazo zibhekane nokuphikiswa ngabaphathi benxanxathela yazo. A B.W. Omele abaphathi be-Cooper utshele u-Cook – “(izakhamuzi) kufanele ziguqule isimo sazo sengqondo ngaphambi kokuba sizivumele ziphinde zingene.â€

Njengoba ngike ngabika ngaphambilini, izakhamuzi zase-Cooper nazo zike zabhekana nokugetshengwa okusabalele, okuningi kwakho kukhomba izinga elisolisayo lokufinyelela. U-Cook, okhulume nezakhamuzi eziningi ezigetshengiwe, uyabika, “Kubonakala kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi othile onokhiye, othile okwaziyo ukufinyelela nguyena onesibopho… U-HANO ubephethe, futhi bebengase banikeze uhlobo oluthile lokuphepha. . Noma yiziphi izinkomba zokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi bekungabasebenzi, bekudingeka benze okuthile ngaso leso sikhathi. Namanje, lokhu kusenzeka – sisathola imibiko, futhi u-HANO akenzanga lutho.â€

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, u-Cook unomuzwa wokuthi kukhona futhi isizathu sethemba – amanye amayunithi aphinde avulwa kumaphrojekthi e-Iberville, futhi amanye ahlelelwe uLafitte noCooper. “Ingcindezi ku-HANO ibe yimpumelelo. Kuyinto yempumelelo ukuthi baphinde bavule (amanye amayunithi) nhlobo.†U-Cook uzwa sengathi ubone imiphumela eqondile evela emphakathini, amakholi wefoni nezincwadi.

“Bazwa ingcindezi yomphakathi – iyabathinta,†usho kanje. “KwaB.W. kwakuhlale kukhona ukubandakanyeka okukhulu komphakathi, futhi bayaqhubeka nokuzilwela,†behlanganiswe abameli nezishoshovu. “Izwi lomlomo kanye nezakhamuzi ziphusha le nhlangano, futhi siyabalandela. Kufanele simelane nenkulumo-ze yokuthi iningi laseNew Orleans alifuni babuye.â€

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U-Jordan Flaherty ungumhleli wezinyunyana kanye nomhleli we-Left Turn Magazine.

Izindatshana zangaphambilini zika-Jordan ezivela eNew Orleans sezikhona http://www.leftturn.org/articles/SpecialCollections/katrina.aspx

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