By Shane Withington
Today we went to the historic French Quarter by taking the New Orleans trolly system called a street car.
When we arrived we went to Cafe Du Monde and had the opportunity to try authentic New Orleans coffee and beignets (a deep fried dough).
Then we had the opportunity to explore the whole entire French quarter and learn the history of the architecture surrounding the buildings. We also learned about how jazz has influenced the culture here. Seeing the culture and how the natives live here allows us as emergency managers in training to understand how the community copes during times of disaster and emergency.
We learned today in lecture that New Orleans not only suffers from infamous disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil spill but economic and social class division. The French Quarter, with its elegant mansions and thriving tourist industry, contrasts sharply with impoverished neighborhoods like the Ninth Ward, still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. These disparities manifest in access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, perpetuating cycles of inequality.
