Summary Gena Quest Dequir [GQD] is a Hurricane Katrina Survivor from New Orleans, Louisiana. Gena talks about her family life in New Orleans before the storm. She grew up in the 6th ward on St. Philips St. It was a neighborhood filled with family members, great-grandmother, great aunts and great uncles. She’s divorced with a 10 year old daughter. She was very close to her extended family and lived in the same community with her parents. This is a home that she was purchasing at the time of the...

Summary Amanda Foy [AM] talks about her childhood neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. She recalls the fun times spent on Frenchmen Street. She remembers playing hopscotch, dodge ball, and other childhood games. She enjoyed living in that neighborhood. Her parents moved to the New Orleans East area of town but this neighborhood was quite different from the old neighborhood. It was very quiet, not many children but her brother had a friend that lived across the street from their home. Amanda...

Summary Betty Minor was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood and tells us how there were only a few homes in the area. The earlier years of her life she lived with her grandmother but later move with her mother along with her two sisters. She considered herself a tomboy because she played with her uncles who were around her age. Her uncles would tap dance in the French Quarters and sometimes she would go to the Quarters to hold the tip hat. The...

Summary Balah Muhammad [BM], age 37, is a Barber/Stylist from New Orleans now living in Houston as a result of Kartrina; he grew up in the earlier years of his life in the Seventh Ward on Marais Street. His family later moved to 1520 Congress Street. This is where he remembers playing with his childhood friends, whom he has maintain a lifetime friendship. His career was in the hair care industry as a Barber/Stylist; a career that he didn’t really want to do because it wasn’t a challenge but, he...

Summary Mahdi Muhammad [MM], age 39, is a former resident of the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, who is now living in Houston because of Hurricane Katrina, He was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He grew up in a small town called Abbeville where he lived with his grandmother. He said; “We were in poverty but nobody ever told us we were”. There was a lot of love and laughter in the family; a two bedroom house with his grandmother, two brothers, aunt and uncles. He had desires to...

Summary Arton Nelson [AN] had just returned to New Orleans after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. He didn’t evacuate because his girlfriend and her family was not going to evacuate New Orleans. He decided to stay in New Orleans with her and her family to protect her if anything bad would happen during the storm. AN stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown New Orleans with his girlfriend and her parents. A few days later Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans area. The conditions...

Summary Chris A. Quest [CAQ], age 52, is a Katrina survivor from Gentilly, New Orleans, Louisiana. He describes his neighborhood as vibrant. He lived about 20 years on Treasure Street between Music Street and Art Street. The neighbors shared whatever they had with each other. His neighborhood had changed recently by having an increase in crime. He believes that you have to educate your children on the danger of drugs that have been placed in the community. CAQ has family values that his...

Summary Dorothy Stukes [DS] was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up in the Mid-City area of the town. It was a mixed neighborhood. DS did not experience racism in her early years, everyone lived peacefully together. Mrs. Mary a white lady owned the corner grocery store. She was a very nice lady, who also lived in the neighborhood too. DS worked in Mrs. Mary’s grocery store after school. Dorothy has fond memories of Mrs. Mary’s son, Steve. She was in love with Steve, as a child. ...

Summary

Karen Woods [KW] is Katrina survivor from New Orleans, Louisiana [NO]. Her interview begins with her neighborhood in the Eastern New Orleans area. She lived in a close knit multi-cultural community, where everyone watched out for each other. Karen reflected on job as a Police Officer and the sincere love that her Police Captain felt for the community as well; especially the housing projects division. [KW] describes the sounds that she heard the night of the hurricane.