twenty years later...
This space was lovingly curated to document, honor, and amplify the stories that have defined the two decades since Hurricane Katrina. Through stories, conversations, and action, we reflect on where we’ve been and take action toward where we need to go.
the storm that changed everything...
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana, unleashing destruction that claimed 1,392 lives and caused $125 billion in damage. Entire neighborhoods in New Orleans were submerged as floodwaters from failed levees overtook 80% of the city. Tens of thousands were left stranded without food, water, or shelter. What began as a natural disaster quickly became a man-made crisis, magnified by decades of flawed infrastructure, environmental neglect, disinvestment in black and low-income communities, and an uneven response from those in power.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita magnified the deep cracks in the nation’s systems, cracks that communities had long warned about and fought against. in the aftermath, the people of new orleans and southeast louisiana did what they had always done:
They organized, they called out the injustices that had left them vulnerable, and they fought to rebuild, even when systemic barriers made it an uphill battle. Twenty years later, their stories continue to shape the fight for racial justice environmental justice, economic repair, and community-led recovery.
This project honors the lives lost, the communities displaced, and the generations still fighting for justice and equity twenty years later. Through stories, conversations, and action, we reflect on where we’ve been and take action toward where we need to go.