Personal Narrative: Return To New Orleans

Like the classic saying has it “You can take the kid out of Brooklyn but you can’t take the Brooklyn out of the kid.” Same goes for Chicago this is my story. I was born in the windy city, on the south side. I wasn’t there for that long I was there till my fifth birthday, and then I moved to Boston, Ma with my mother, sister and I. However, I believe that south side raised me because every winter and summer vacation I would visit my grandmother or as she liked to be called “Mo-Mo” While visiting her I’ve seen some pretty harsh situations.

Of course, this was all made possible due to the breeding ground of New Orleans. New Orleans was the fertile ground for musical innovation for notably six reasons. One, as a port city, it didn’t have strict cultural boundaries. There were no ghettos, and ethnic groups were intermingled, allowing for cultural exposure and diversity. Two, New Orleans had a strong Afro-Caribbean culture, evident of Place de Negres – or Congo Square – where people gathered to dance, drum, and entertain in accordance to the African tradition.

“Touchdown Lafayette!” This was the start to my high school career and we were losing in the first half of the game. It took them forever to score so I believed that the defense could go hard and stop them just once. We knew if we lost it would be some smack going on social media so someone had to step up.

Grow in South Baton Rouge wasn’t easy for Justice at all. While living in South Baton Rouge he attended McKinley Senior High School, which was a nightmare for him. He was bullied and it made him feel like he was nothing. He had already lost his dad to a car accident, and that was something he couldn’t get it out his head. With all this going on he knew he couldn’t let his mom and sister down.

I was born in New York City New York City was a cool place to be at. I left New York City at a young age The reason I had to leave New York City is because my dad had a better job position in Houston Texas with more pay and besides he didn 't like the cold weather anyway. At first my mom didn 't want to leave her family in New York. My dad to beg her to move to Houston.

The top risk in my community is flooding. When there is heavy rain in an approximate two-hour period the streets flood, because the canal near my home overflows with rain water. The evacuation route out of Algiers, New Orleans would be US 90 east or west, depending on the direction of the storm. Since, hurricane Katrina and the events at the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center, the city no longer offer shelter before an approaching storm. The city does offer what is called city-assisted evacuation.

During spring break I went to New Orleans. I went with my mom, dad, brothers Jim and Bob, along with my sister Barbara. While in New Orleans we stopped at Bourbon St. It was a good experience but I don't want to go down that street again. We did stop at a restaurant called the Heat, it was very good I would recommend going there, you really don't even notice the weird crazy people walking on the streets. Well what happened on Bourbon street was mostly Easter.

The Galveston Hurricane hit close to home for me. I have not lived in Texas all of my life. I am a part of a military family, therefore, have moved around my whole life. One state I lived in was Florida. I connect to the lives of those who lost homes and family because I have been a part of that.

Since birth through the age of 15, my life has taken place in Jersey City, New Jersey. Born and raised only 9 blocks away from the hospital I was born in. My family moved to Georgia only 2 years ago, since then many things have changed in our lives. Most of my family still lives in New Jersey and New York so I often go back to visit them.

I Am African American I am an African American female. My whole life I’ve been told this and let this one fact become my identity; but this may not be the best way to approach my race, and who I am as a person. As a child, the media and the people around me acted as if my race described my likes/dislikes, my level of intelligence, or even who I am as a person. This idea society has of African Americans is wrong for a majority of reasons, and I challenged it a long time ago.

Several years ago, I found myself riding in the passenger seat of my family’s car, riding west towards Canton, Mississippi. At around four o-clock that morning, my mom had received a phone call from the hospital regarding her father, who had been admitted that morning after accidentally overdosing on his numerous medications. A few minutes later, we were on the road to Mississippi. When we finally arrived in Mississippi, there were several cars in my grandad’s parking lot. My mom got out, and told me to stay in the car.

Jazz was born in New Orleans about 100 years ago (early 20th century), but its roots can be found in the musical traditions of both Africa and Europe. Jazz is a form of improvisational art that rewards individual expression and demands self-collaboration. It is a rich tradition that reflects all Americans. It originated in one of the most cosmopolitan and musical places in America. New Orleans was the perfect city for all of these elements to come together, as it was a port city, a meeting place for people of different ethnic groups, and a city with nightlife where musicians had the opportunity to play together, learn from each other, and blend all of these elements.

The city is known for its culture, creativity, great food, and our different music. New Orleans has always been home for me until, the unthinkable happened. No, our city isn’t always filled with tons of fun. We have suffered a dramatic change over a decade ago. Although it was so long ago, our city still isn’t the same as it was before.