I have a friend named Leon who lives in New Orleans. I talked to him online this afternoon as he was making preparations for the storm. He seemed chipper and relaxed as we discussed how his run-down apartment would be flooded tomorrow provided it survived the wind.
Leon wanted to leave New Orleans but he has never been able to afford a car and none of his friends had room for him. It's not that Leon isn't a hard worker or that he isn't a smart person. Leon's only problem is that he is a person of color.
As I have been watching the preparations for Katrina, I see who will be hardest hit by the storm. Folks in the bayou, the stix, the ghetto and the other poor areas around New Orleans do not have the means or the finances to leave town. The lucky ones have gotten to the Superdome, but people like Leon will most likely lose everything in this storm.
This storm for me is a big reminder of the still huge racial divide in this country, as well as the gap in wealth.
I wish the best for Leon and others in his situation. Hopefully they will not be forgotten casualities when this is all over.