Had the people most affected by this been rich and white, I think the outcome would have been much different. Aid was given almost immediately to the victims of the tsunami and a significant amount of money, might I add. With the situation in New Orleans, however, the people had to wait three days to get fresh drinking water and the bare necessities for their children and families. |
I really think people at Swat would love to experience what we experienced [in New Orleans] as well. When you really get to be a part of their lives and try to bring hope to something so hopeless, and you see that there's still life there, you just get a good experience for so many different reasons. |
It just speaks to the injustices the people still face. After months you'd think that substantial progress would be made … honestly, it can't be done without higher powers who have the means to rebuild and help these people. |
Most of the people who are affected are poor black people. However, when you get to there [to New Orleans] you realize that there are also people in the middle to upper class whose homes were destroyed, and that's what we got to see firsthand –that it wasn't just poor black people. |
The conversation of race is something that is not only relevant to the situation in New Orleans but our everyday life. |
The experience wasn't just about volunteering and being amidst devastation and sadness and depression. You were really able to become a part of these people's lives. |
The people still think that the government isn't acting in the best interest of the people. They don't think that the government is looking out for them. |
We would just gut the house, and then bleach it. Gut and bleach. Gut and bleach. |
When I went to the meeting, I saw white people, black people, people who weren't well-to-do and the wealthy. And they were all voicing their opinions. |