New Orleans Learned to Fly

The 20th anniversry of Hurricane Katrina feels particularly heavy as it forces us to confront the culmination of memory, emotion and reality

- Cierra Chenier

I suppose that the story of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is meant to be a heroic one. I struggle to express the expected, uplifting words I know I am supposed to say—how we are rebuilt, resilient and revitalized. We are all of that, but we are tired of hearing it. Black New Orleans withstood the battle. But we are still undergoing the war.

In New Orleans, we juxtapose "before the storm" and "after the storm" as points of reference and a way to contend with the drastic changes we've experienced in the last 20 years. This Hurricane Katrina anniversary feels heavier than those in the past. The buildup has brought me to, and through, so many emotions: grief, pride, empathy, anxiety, joy, pain and anger. Mostly anger. But Black women do not get to be "angry." In New Orleans "after the storm," that emotion must instead be exhibited in the constant need to protect and defend what has survived since 2005.