“This is so new to me, telling this story. I’m not saying I’m traumatized, but the dead bodies, the feces, the gas, the smells after we went back to help family. All the images. My father says that Hurricane Katrina is my Vietnam. It was like an apocalypse.
We left for Houston the morning the hurricane hit land. The next day, I met another man from back home, who told me New Orleans was gone. That the levees broke. I couldn’t believe it. |
Tommie Powell
|
| I had to go back to help family and friends. We got back in to the city before the military and other officials arrived. We were able to help some, but not everyone. Once the officials came, they told us we had to leave.
Back in Houston, the news, CNN and the people there called us refugees. I don’t like to use the word ‘hate,’ but I hated being called a refugee. Tell me, how can you be a refugee in your own country? It was like I was walking around with a red “Katrina Victim” on my forehead. No one wanted to rent to people from New Orleans. They’d ask if we were paying with FEMA money or real money. Luckily, I had money. No one wanted to hire people from out of state either. They thought everyone would go back to New Orleans. Now I am not justifying criminal behavior. I would never, ever excuse it. But a part of me could understand why some were tempted to steal when they couldn’t get a job.
And today, it’s not over. It’s still bad down there. There are areas without water or electricity or even street lights. My father’s still working on his own house. FEMA won’t pay until he settles with his insurance, but his insurance is only offering him $3,000 for the entire house. I wish everyone could go there and visit. I’m not exaggerating. It’s bad. Rents have doubled, even tripled, in areas you can live in. It’s almost as if New Orleans has lost part of its soul. Even something as simple as “The Saints” have given people something to be positive about. Even my mother, she’s a teacher, is talking about The Saints and she’s never cared for sports. Their winning season is the first thing we as a community can be proud of again. Before we had the people, the music, the culture, the food.
I received my undergraduate degree from Southern University at New Orleans and my masters degree from Minnesota State College-Mankato, so when I couldn’t get a job down there I sent my resume up to Minnesota. I was down to $627 when I got the job at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. I love my job. The people here have been so supportive. But I can’t get rid of the smells or the images. And now the guilt. Whenever I feel happy, it sneaks up on me and I’m asking myself “How can you be happy when your family and all those people are still struggling?” I’ve decided to get my doctorate and the guilt makes me ask myself, ‘What makes you so special?’ You know, I consider myself a strong person, but the guilt … I’m fighting it.”
Tommie Powell, Admissions Advisor-Recruiter
Tommie Powell joined the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) staff as an Admissions Advisor/Recruiter in October 2006. Prior coming to ARCC, Powell was employed as an Academic Counselor at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, La. Due to State of Louisiana education budget cuts to compensate for financial losses related to the hurricane several counseling positions were eliminated.
|
