THE LAST WORD 08-25-15

THE LAST WORD This week marks 10 years since Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans and took houses and lives with it. Many who watched the relief efforts from high ground surely remember the physical destruction and human sorrow that seemed to be a direct result of the devastating storm, but, as Mic’s Darnell Moore and Jamilah King point out, it’s now clear that the problems plaguing Louisiana’s city are not all solely due to the natural disaster. New Orleans was already facing a stagnant economy, poor housing and health care and an education system so faulty that 40% of adults were functionally illiterate. Rebuilding in the wake of the storm resulted in gentrification that may have deepened existing inequality and created a rift that can’t be repaired with new buildings and an uptick in tourism.