Blogging From An Altered Universe

To live in New Orleans as a child has always posed problems for many
of our less resourced children but never has it become more difficult
than living here Post Katrina. Many children remain displaced from
their homes, either still living in trailers 3 years later or with
relatives as their families await Road Home money.

Everyday, Katrina still colors our lives in small and big ways. For example, New Orleans was the only city of all affected to turn ball fields and playgrounds into group trailer sites. Even though the trailers have all been gone for 6-8 months, it has taken the pressure of our City Council to demand that the City Administration and FEMA refurbish the 15 sites before yet another summer passes with no place for children to do the job of children- play.

The one positive outgrowth of the nation's largest man-made disaster
is the attention to correcting our long failing public school system.
Parents have banded together to form Charter schools, the state has
taken over many that are now called Recovery District Schools and a
few still remain under the control of the New Orleans School Board.
There is hope for better educated children which will lead to higher
paying jobs and greater financial success for them instead of the
grinding poverty so many have experienced for generations.

We believe that Katrina's Children highlights the amazing raw talent
of our children and would like it to inspire people to continue to
help in our long recovery, making children's issues one of the top
priorities. Hopefully, our film will make people never forget how our
city fell to its knees through levee failures and sluggish
governmental responses from the Federal on down to local levels and
how much our children and families suffered but also how through sheer
willpower and self determination our families are helping our city to
once again stand tall and proud.

Babs Johnson