by admin on August 27, 2009
Lest We Forget
As we are in the Fourth Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Following are statistics of the devastation that occurred when Katrina hit August 29, 2005. Lest we forget, here is as a reminder of the devastation.
- Evacuees: 1.2 million people in northern Gulf coast from Louisiana to Alabama were under evacuation order
- Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005 at 8:00 a.m.
- Over 15 million people were affected by Katrina whether it was due to the economy, evacuations, gas prices, or even drinking water.
- Seven states were affected by Hurricane Katrina including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In addition to these Kentucky and Ohio were also affected due to floods on the Mississippi River. The most damage occurred in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana
- An estimated 400,000 jobs were lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina sending the Gulf Coast into a financial crisis.
- Roughly 600,000 pets were killed or were left without a home as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
As of May 19, 2006, the confirmed death toll was:
- (total of direct and indirect deaths) stood at 1,836,
- from Louisiana (1,577)
- Mississippi (238).
- 705 people remain categorized as missing in Louisiana
Many of the deaths are indirect, but it is almost impossible to determine the exact cause of some of the fatalities.
- The hurricane left an estimated three million people without electricity.
- September 3, 2005, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoffdescribed the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as “probably the worst catastrophe, or set of catastrophes,” in the country’s history, referring to the hurricane itself plus the flooding of New Orleans
Again, Lest We Forget
by admin on August 19, 2009
The Katrina Storm Drama series kicked off in Atlanta during the weekend of August 8-9, 2009 with much success and an equal amount of praise. Arriving in Atlanta after earlier casting during the week at The National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the first production to hit the bright lights was a preview of
“Wade in the Water” performed on the Atrium Mainstage of the Georgia Black Business Expo and convened on Saturday, August 8th at the Greenbriar Mall. The next performance scheduling was Sunday, August 9th, 12:00pm noontime matinee at the Shrine of Black Madonna Cultural Center located at 946 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.
Attracting an appreciative audience and featuring a guest appearance from Church choir members, the adaptive staging of “Hush Harbors: Speaking the Names from Katrina” received a standing ovation before an attentive question and answer period, which was followed by a booksigning. This production is scheduled to return to Atlanta during the month of September 2009, for a special featuring of the Slavery Chronicles at Wood is Wonderful Art Gallery.
“Hush Harbors: Speaking the Names from Katrina” was conceived by Philadelphian Maurice Brian Henderson (Seitu Bayete Muhammad) and Atlanta’s native son Cali Starks, with soundtrack inclusions of “Wiped Away” by James Johnson (Osayimwese Nadir Karume). This new staged adaptation is currently accompanied by a publsihed anthology entitled “Katrina: Like Words, More Meanings, Actions Loud & Clear” and includes literary selections from both stagecrafters and Walidah Imarisha, whose film documentary “Finding Common Ground in New Orleans” will also receive a screening preview on the national tour. All four contributors have been acknowledged as critically acclaimed, awardwinning and bestselling performance/literary artists.
Scheduled as stagings and booksignings for cultural institutions and as benefit/fundraising performances for community organizations serving the urban community, “Hush Harbors” represent part III of the Katrina Storm Drama series which began with the New York productions of “Wade in the Water” at the National Black Theatre in Harlem and “One More River to Cross” at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre in Jamaica (Queens). Both of these former pilot initiative productions have been staged in Philadelphia, North Carolina and Atlanta. The community effort for content multi-media promotion and streaming of this new tour is expertly handled by the ‘Digital Dynamo’ Denise Rhodes, Executive Director of the Urban Progessive Foundation based in Washington, D.C. (thedigitaldynamo.com).
This popular series was originally produced and staged by the National Black Arts Spoken Word Tour and the National Black Authors Tour. After kicking off New York 2006 Theater season with hostings by Awardwinning Actor Danny Glover and Ron Daniels of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and subsequent appearances throughout the United States, the Katrina Storm Drama series returns to the touring circuit with booked engagements in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Harrisburg), Delaware and New York, including the upcoming scheduling request for the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area, New Jersey and California. For more information contact mauricebrianhenderson@yahoo.com or 267-230-0317 and 770-256-9993 or view the website http://thedigitaldynamo.com/hushharbors.htm
Disaster Relief Nurse – Joyce Anderson
A nurse with over 40 years of experience in the field. Also a speciality in Cardiology and Sports Medicine. A writer of Poetry and Childrens Stories. I have written several Film Shorts and participated in area Film Festivals. I enjoy writing, reading, and music. I love exercising out of doors. I love photography and music. I also enjoy cooking healthy. I love politics and history and I throughly enjoy, The Arts. I enjoy the peace of a perfect sail day on the ocean.
