It’s one of those events where we’ll always remember where we were on that fateful day. My family and I were in New Orleans on the eve of the hurricane to rescue the twins’ godmother, which we accomplished. All of us barely made it out. As we all know, thousands of others were not so lucky.
Recently, we were reminded of Katrina with Spike Lee’s new HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. One of the primary people interviewed was New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, a man who has Oak Park connections (through the Marcus Davis family).
This summer, my oldest twin son, Amman, and I spent time in southern France with Marcus’ niece, Nicole Nagin, the mayor’s relative. We were both doing research at the University of New Orleans’ Montpellier campus. Nicole, or “Niki” as she preferred to be called, lived in Oak Park with her Uncle Marcus after the hurricane last year. She said one of her Oak Park relatives was a manager at a new Forest Park beauty salon that was featured in Wednesday Journal. She also said she had read a column or two by yours truly. Mostly, she talked about the comfort she received from Oak Parkers after experiencing suffering from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.
“After the University of New Orleans was closed last fall, I went to Dominican [University],” Niki told us. “Sherlynn Reid was one of the Oak Parkers who was very helpful to me and my family,” she said. Other area folks who she said assisted her family included Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown, who visited New Orleans for re-election fundraisers for Mayor Nagin. Brown and Jackson are two names often mentioned as Chicago mayoral hopefuls.
Niki bonded really well with Amman. He said she reminded him of his sister, Lauren. She said Amman brought up her middle school memories.
“When I saw him in Montpellier wearing a T-shirt from Brooks Middle School, it helped me feel more at home here in France,” she said. “He’s such a cool kid, who we all adore. I wanted to help him better understand how to be an overachiever and still be popular – something that is not often easy for black students.”
Niki studied cinema. I researched American expatriate writers who wrote from France and Spain. We often compared notes about the writers and filmmakers in Europe. Niki also spent quality time helping Amman realize what a college experience is like, so when he goes away to college in five years, he will have a more realistic view. In the five weeks we were in France, Amman became the darling of the group. Niki became the most interesting. She explained to me that a couple of the seniors in her cinema class in France would graduate in June 2007 still living in FEMA trailers. All of the University of New Orleans students there accused the federal government of a slow response that they claim caused more harm than the actual hurricane. The French students we talked to alleged the slow response was driven by the race, class and age of the people who were unable to get out of New Orleans after Mayor Nagin called for the forced evacuation.
“Of all the foreign governments, the French sent the most money to aid the victims,” said Marie Kaposchyn, director of UNO’s Montpellier-based “Glories of France” Program. “Much of that aid included scholarships to study in France.” Like many here, Kaposchyn lost her house in the storm.
In early August, Niki returned to her family’s rental property in New Orleans. She gave Amman and I a group hug in Montpellier’s airport. We wonder how well Niki might be coping with the Crescent City that will never be the same. She now wants to be doctor to help ease others’ suffering. We’re pleased she has folks here and there to help her with own pain.
One year later, as we reflect on Katrina, may we all be reminded that we all lost something in last year’s tragedy? That said, perhaps we can smile knowing we also found something in each other.