Hurricane Katrina Homework

Ilene Lee
English 1B
TTH 9-10:50

Hurricane Katrina Homework

The 4th Anniversary of the heart-wrenching Hurricane Katrina seems to mark another year of shame and incompetence for the United States government. When the Hurricane Katrina first struck the New Orleans area, people’s lives were completely destroyed- leaving them in a grim nightmare with no where to turn. Citizens turned to the government for immediate relief, but the needs of many Americans were neglected and placed aside. To alleviate the tension and anger Americans were dealing with, many began to express their strong emotions with lyrics and rhymes that represented their resentment towards the United States government. Artists throughout the nation understood the pain and rage of the Americans struggling to live and focused their efforts on reaching out to others who would lend a hand. These vocalists humanized the frustration and fury of those directly in Hurricane Katrina- they turned their nightmares into songs of pain.

People, to this day, are still living in the slumps and ruins of the destruction they had to deal with four years ago. There is still much to repair and rebuild within the communities of the New Orleans. People are still hoping to regain their lives and recover what they lost. There has not been much focus on Hurricane Katrina for the past few years, but recently President Barack Obama has shared his concern for the people. The New York Times detail President Obama’s intentions to reconstruct and pave the levees and floodwalls of New Orleans. He proposes a settlement his administration has placed on speeding up the recovery of the area, but his words show more potential than his actual actions. President Obama does a great deal of talking the talk, but can he succeed in walking the walk; and turn New Orleans back into the tourist attraction it once was? We all hope for the best for those in the New Orleans and pray that their struggles will soon be over.

It is hard to foresee a bright future for such a bad situation like Hurricane Katrina. With the four years that have past, many have lost hope and interest for the hearts of those still holding on tightly to the thin rope keeping them together. Artists and vocalists need to continue finding their inspiration to creating justice in the efforts of Hurricane Katrina. Awareness and knowledge needs to be shared for others to understand the severity of this issue. When Hurricane Katrina first impacted Americans throughout the nation, hip hop artists responded with songs and lyrics that promoted social reform. It motivated others to learn more about Hurricane Katrina and prompted many to volunteer and share their efforts. There is still a lot that needs to be done to resurrect the beautiful New Orleans. Music and lyrics spark the change within people, it is still time to keep rapping and singing for justice within Hurricane Katrina.