Evaluation of the New Orleans Trip

I really hope that everyone has enjoyed reading about our experience in New Orleans. It was such a great educational experience and we were all thrilled to be able to serve the New Orleans community that still has a long way to recover following Hurricane Katrina and years of racial oppression.

As you probably know, our topic was Urban Renewal and Oppression. We spent our week examining the issue of racism in New Orleans’ past, present, and future, and the socio-economic, cultural, and physical aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. Please read the previous posts if you have not done so to find out what we did during each day. Right now I would like to talk about what we all learned and what it all means. Our reflection discussions have given me insights into how these students have grown throughout the week.

I really believe that everyone who went on the trip learned a lot about our topics. The Whitney Plantation explored past oppression, but our group saw firsthand that racial oppression is definitely not a thing of the past. By having discussions with locals and through our service opportunities, everyone was better able to get an idea of New Orleans culture and the devastation caused by Katrina. Finally, we brought our topics together by discussing the racial issues that arose in Katrina’s aftermath. These issues include the predominantly black/African American neighborhoods being more harmed and slower to recover than predominantly white neighborhoods, and a decreasing proportion of African American population following the disaster compared to other ethnicities.

So what does this all mean for our participants? Natural disasters happen. Sometimes the devastation can be minimized. For example, with proper construction of levees, floodwalls, etc., New Orleans can be better protected from hurricanes. But was there a way for Joplin to protect itself from a tornado? I believe that everyone who went on the trip is a leader and will want to help out with any disasters that happen in the community. If they see a problem in the area, they will act on it. Oppression is also an issue in Springfield. I believe that the best way to overcome this in our area is to promote diversity in the area. The 2010 census discovered that 88.7% of the population in the area is white. By working with programs promoting diversity and acceptance of all people, the Springfield community is heading in the right direction towards reducing oppression. I really hope that everyone who participated will take what they learned on the trip and share it with others, and use their new knowledge to better the Springfield community.

On the first day of the trip, I asked the participants to describe what comes to mind when they think of New Orleans. Almost all responses regarded tangible things, food, or ideas such as “great music,” “creole,” and “great fishing.” When I asked them the same question on the final night of the trip, some of the responses that I received were “devastation,” “oppression,” “strong culture,” and much more. None of the responses that night had to do with the tangible things of the city. They focused on the city’s resilience. The strong people and truly unique culture have overcome everything the city has been through. It was really great to see everyone’s opinions on the issues and the city change and develop and evolve throughout the week. I am so proud of everyone and everything we have done.

Daniel Schekorra