I was a junior in college when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005. At first I could not fully grasp the brevity of the situation. I was shocked, dismayed and saddened by the devastation and the racial and socio-economic ills it brought to the surface. I vividly remember standing in line at McDonald's in the student union and the people in front of me were talking about all "those people" in New Orleans looting. "Those people" had Black faces like mine. At no point did they consider maybe they're stealing sneakers because the ones they waded through infested water in were ruined. Maybe they were stealing diapers because their crying babies needed them. Maybe they were stealing TVs to sell them and get some money to get out of the Superdome. No. "Those people" were criminals and not deserving of help.
And then there was the Danziger Bridge. Though we will never truly know what occurred, NPR provides a strong rundown. The corruption of the already marred image of New Orleans Police Department further showed the unrest and discord that simmered below the surface of this city. But alas, Michael Hunter was sentenced to 8 years for his part the coverup. Does that seem just?
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