A Forgotten Man: Remembering the Corpse on Union Street 20 Years After Hurricane Katrina

Strategic Insights -

As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans approaches, a Times reporter recalls a haunting memory that symbolizes the city's disorder and neglect in the aftermath of the disaster - the corpse of a Black man left on Union Street for days. The photographer Nicole Bengiveno and the reporter, along with a state trooper, witnessed the body being ignored by National Guardsmen who gawked at it before leaving. This neglect was starkly contrasted with the expectation that the corpse would be collected, especially considering the city's majority-white population. The reporter's encounter with the body and the subsequent investigation serve as a poignant reminder of the systemic racism and neglect that characterized the city's disaster response.

Key Takeaways:

  • The corpse of a Black man was left on Union Street for days after Hurricane Katrina, symbolizing the city's disorder and neglect.
  • The National Guardsmen who approached the body gawked at it before leaving, highlighting the city's failure to collect its dead in a timely manner.
  • The state trooper who put down traffic cones to protect the body from being run over had given up hope of it being collected.
  • The city's #63Headline failure to collect its dead in a timely manner is starkly contrasted with the expectation that the corpse would be collected, especially considering the city's majority-white population.
  • The case of the unnamed man highlights the systemic racism and neglect that characterized the city's disaster response.
  • The man's body was eventually collected and placed in a temporary morgue, where it was later identified and given a proper burial.
  • The story of the forgotten man on Union Street serves as a poignant reminder of the city's resilience and the need for justice and accountability in disaster response.

Statistics:

  • Estimated damage caused by Hurricane Katrina: $125 billion

Sources:

  • The New York Times "A Forgotten Man" by [Author's Name], August 28, 2022