"After Katrina: Starting Over in New Orleans"

Introduction by Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire, and
Stewart David Ikeda, IMDiversity Inc.

Posted January 29, 2006

About this Special Edition

Thirty-five years ago in New Orleans, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine was launched with the conviction that earning a higher education was among the most important, transformative and uplifting opportunities in a young person's life -- and the most challenging.  This was certainly true in 1970 for the young African Americans this magazine set out to aid in their pursuit of academic, career and personal fulfillment.  And this remains in evidence today, in this Second Semester issue's special section.

Presented again in collaboration with Black College Wire, "After Katrina" revisits some of the collegians and institutions featured in last semester's supplement, "Hurricane Katrina: Views from America's HBCUs".  It explores the decisions and efforts they've made to start afresh, whether in or outside of New Orleans, through resolve or because of limited options.

Having so recently faced down an act of God (or two, in some cases) and man-wrought failure of massive proportion, an unanticipated majority of students have nonetheless returned to our city to finish what they started.  And it sure won't be easy.  Those who came back in January face intensive, accelerated semesters in alien environs, combined with the loss of faculty, support staff, campus resources, friends and activities.  For many, resuming studies after Katrina has meant racing to catch up while dealing with distractions and anxieties, disappointments and bureaucratic hassles.  Some will miss grad school deadlines, others delay or forego various summer employment or internship opportunities.  There remain legitimate safety concerns (E.R. visits for asthma flare-ups and mold-related problems were reported), not to mention less apparent psychological stresses whose consequences may only be known over time.  They are living in cramped conditions, under curfew, in a city that remains largely empty, in disarray, offering few off-hours activities.

The city has pinned many of its fragile hopes for revitalization on the returning educational institutions.  While the schools featured here face over a billion dollars in reconstruction costs, local government needs them as partners to develop diverse "brain industries" for a new economy less reliant on tourism.  Area businesses are enticing returning students with high wages to fill jobs, which some will juggle along with schoolwork and compulsory volunteer work in the city's rebuilding.  Black students and schools must play a key role in New Orleans' intellectual, labor, market, and cultural salvation – a burden heavier, perhaps, than many realize.

And despite these challenges – or as a result – the collegians in this section pages offer remarkably little complaint.  However, as "After Katrina" clearly shows, no one should mistake the returnees' can-do spirit for a return to "normal," much less an assurance that "all is well".  And no one should condemn those students who chose for any number of reasons -- some discussed here -- to pursue their goals elsewhere.

No, winning a college degree is not easy even under the best of circumstances – nor should it be.  The crucible that reveals the core elements of a young adult's spirit and character, it's supposed to test and challenge you.  But there's pressure, and then there's pressure.  These young people determined to resume their educations "After Katrina" do so under extraordinary circumstances, well beyond what many parents and other concerned older adults would find palatable.  Parents or alumni, employers or graduate recruiters, officials or philanthropists, we should remember this and support them.

As our staff prepares this second issue in continuing exile, we too have found great hope in the students and educators on these pages and in extended features at http://Blackcollegian.com/katrina.  As we look forward to our next 35 years, they serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the Black collegian that should be an inspiration to us all.

-- Stewart David Ikeda, on behalf of the Editors and Staff of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN and IMDiversity Inc.

Introduction to "After Katrina"

By Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN and Black College Wire forged a fruitful partnership several months ago in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Student writers reported on the historic devastation that changed the course of many lives, including their own. Now, as the universities in New Orleans battle seemingly insurmountable odds, these writers have once again taken on the task of telling the stories of their fellow students, along with faculty and administrators, who are trying to extract from the chaos something that resembles normal college life.

That hasn’t happened yet.

But what is occurring is an incredible undertaking – a robust effort to continue to educate students and prepare them for meaningful lives amid the most massive reconstruction project in recent history. Oddly, what better place to educate young adults than in a city in crisis, a city that needs the help, cooperation and fighting spirit of all its residents? New Orleans, in its recovery mode, presents unique opportunities for college students. As the articles in this issue reveal, a majority of the college students returned this semester, while only about a fourth of the city’s other residents found their way back.

In effect, the students are playing a major role in the revitalization of New Orleans. As the campuses struggle to provide services, the city is not yet prepared for the returning population. Most stores, restaurants, beauty salons, cleaners and other businesses are still closed. As a result, students have fewer conveniences and comforts than they had in the past. Yet, they are the likely workforce and customer base for the city. Not only will students be hired, they will have the opportunity to move into higher-paying positions at an accelerated rate.

And finally, the writers who tell the stories of the physical and emotional struggles facing the colleges are learning to cover disasters while aiding in the recovery process by providing readers with an inside view of the post-Katrina struggle. Rarely, if ever, do college journalists encounter stories of this magnitude. The articles they produced for this project may be among the most significant stories they will write in their professional careers. So, out of this tragedy new careers may emerge, and many doors may open for future opportunities.

Many thanks to editors Richard Prince and Jean Thompson for once again making this collaboration a success.

Pearl Stewart, Founder and coordinator, Black College Wire at www.BlackCollegeWire.org

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