A Summer to Remember

Whether you were raised in Baton Rouge, moved to Baton Rouge, or moved away from
the capital city at any point in your life, I’m sure you can agree that summer 2016 in BR has been one for the history books.
July 5 is the day that sent the city on a downward spiral as we watched Alton Sterling’s
crimson red blood spill out onto the concrete in front of Triple S Food Mart on North Foster Drive. The world watched in terror as yet another black man died at the hands of two white police officers. Many still don’t have a sensible answer for Sterling’s untimely death.
During the first few days after Sterling’s death, there was visible tension in the city.
Police presence was scare in North Baton Rouge and the air was filled with emotional turmoil.
Baton Rouge, my hometown, with its unrelenting spirit created controversy that received worldwide recognition because of the protesting that took place after Sterling’s death. Nearly 30 days after the shooting, protestors refused to submit to police presence and attempts at dismantling peaceful assemblies.
Marching and protests took over some of the busiest roads in the city including Airline Highway near the Baton Rouge Police Department Headquarters, Government Street and of course North Foster Drive.
Just 12 short days later, in less than two weeks, three police officers were ambushed and killed by a black man from Missouri near Airline Highway and Old Hammond Highway. On July 17, Officers Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola died in the line of duty while three other officers were injured.
It was a blow to the city, shocking spectators around the world as well as residents all across the state. You mean to tell me that this happened in Baton Rouge? The things that I usually watched in big cities on television were happening right in front of my eyes.
Racial tension was at a peak in Louisiana’s capital when the great flood of 2016 swept over southern Louisiana, erasing the color line that divided the city while showing all that survival did not have a preferred race.
Imagine watching everything you know and love get washed away in record breaking levels of water and the only thing you can do is grab the most important belongings you own, if you were lucky enough and hope that you make it out alive.
Many faced this reality when the constant downpour of rain caused an overflow of water in areas all across the state ultimately leading to massive flooding. Over the course of less than 48 hours, more than 21 inches of rain fell. The flood killed thirteen people and displaced thousands more.
The natural disaster affected nearly 60,000 homes in the area with water damage and losses. Almost one third of the state has been declared as a federal disaster area.
In less than 2 months, Baton Rouge faced issues that the city had never seen before. It was a wakeup call for some. During the flooding, no one cared about skin color or who lived where or who owned what. At that moment, our city drew together, not because we wanted to but because we had to. The hard work of thousands of volunteers that participated in rescue missions, providing shelter and assistance and even helping to rebuild is what helps to soothe the city’s aching heart.
Yes, Baton Rouge has been given a black eye but it was nothing short of necessary for us to come together as a body of people. The death of Alton Sterling, 2 police officers and one sheriff combined with the damage left behind in the wake of this unpredictable flood has given the city a summer to remember for generations to come. But it has also given us a gift, the gift of hope, the gift of beginning a new start and the gift of being allowed to see a new day.