Katrina survivors can now tell their story

The destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be remembered for years to come. In an attempt to capture history by those who lived through it, the archives department located on the third floor of the John B. Cade Library is accepting oral accounts from Katrina survivors.
“This tragedy was a national disaster,” said Angela Proctor, director of the archiving project, “It has affected so many lives. This was a means to document and preserve history for years to come.”
With turnout from students and staff consistent and no deadline set for the ending of the project, Proctor said she wants others who are not affiliated with Southern University to also have their experiences documented.
“Also, we have not limited ourselves to the faculty and students on campus. We are in the process now trying to get approval from various federal agencies that would allow us the opportunity to interview persons living in permanent housing at the various locations throughout Baton Rouge and later on perhaps other outline areas,” she said.
To date, the department has interviewed almost 15 people. Once the archives department has collected enough data, the oral interviews will be posted on the Internet.
“This will be done internally by the library and a special Web site will be dedicated to the interviews.”
Jamaal Terry, a displaced student from Dillard University, thinks preserving stories from Katrina is an excellent idea. He said he would like to participate in the documentary.
“Very seldom does New Orleans get hurricanes of this magnitude,” said the senior computer science major. “When my parents were young they had (Hurricane) Betsy. My mom was directly affected because she was a college student like me.”
For more information on the oral history project, contact Proctor at (225) 771-2854 or by e-mail at [email protected].