In the beginning of July, I arrived in New Orleans for an internship at the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. I met with Anne Rolfes, the coordinator and one of the founders of the nonprofit health and environmental-justice organization, and we discussed the work I would be doing. I was to organize a photo exhibit displaying images of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, taken by the residents of St. Bernard Parish.
For three weeks I worked with members of the community to create a collection of more than 300 photographs taken by 18 parish residents and four visiting photographers. The result was an exhibit dedicated to remembering what was lost and celebrating what has been recovered. “Life in the Wake of Katrina” is an attempt to bring the insider’s view to the outside and provide a deeper understanding of what happened to St. Bernard Parish, one of the worst-hit areas and the location of the million-gallon Murphy Oil spill. It is also for those who are in the process of healing — to show them they have not been forgotten.
Here’s what a few of them had to say.
Photos: David Taylor
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