Stories of Survival (and beyond)

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies (IWES) knew that psychological support would be critical to the emotional recovery of New Orleans. In response, IWES created a communal forum for people who had survived the hurricane and managed to return to New Orleans, post-Katrina. Many of these returning New Orleanians found themselves confronted by a city that did not seem to want them anymore. Despite socioeconomic and gender differences, their descriptions of depression, rage, and confusion about how to get their lives back on track were uncannily similar.