Rethinking Freedom

Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later: Race, Displacement & Lessons for Freedom

Ayayi Episode 44

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Episode 44 | Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later: Race, Displacement & Lessons for Freedom | Verda Bell

📌 Description:

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, what have we truly learned? Who was displaced, who was left behind, and what does recovery mean for the Black community?

In Episode 44 of Rethinking Freedom, host Aya Fubara Eneli sits down with Verda Bell — Veteran, Chef, political analyst, and campaign manager — to revisit the storm that claimed nearly 1,800 lives, displaced over a million people, and permanently altered the racial makeup of New Orleans.

🔎 Together, we explore:

The racial geography of New Orleans before and after Katrina

Why Black neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward were the most vulnerable

How the destruction of wetlands and cypress forests erased the city’s first line of defense

The policies, demolitions, and gentrification that followed in the name of “recovery”

The lasting impact on Black families, culture, and resilience

What Katrina teaches us about climate change, race, and freedom in America today

💡 Can it happen again? And how do we rethink freedom in a time of storms, displacement, and inequality?

📺 Premiere Date & Time:
Monday, August 25 at 7:00 AM CST

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