Slamming into Gulf Coast communities on August 29, 2005, Katrina and the ensuing floods caused .2 billion in property damage, killed 1,836 people, and permanently displaced hundreds of thousands more.
'Still Here: Stories After Katrina' (powerhouse Books), by photographer Joseph Rodríguez, documents the ongoing expressions of hope, perseverance and suffering in communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
“Nearly three years since the mass exodus that followed Hurricane Katrina, well over 100,000 people have not returned to New Orleans,” said Rodríguez. “My photographs document their story and capture the everyday realities in still-devastated communities.”
Joseph Rodríguez
Rodríguez spent two years photographing and interviewing families and individuals throughout New Orleans and Texas. Like the photographers who worked with the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, Rodríguez’s work alerts readers to the ongoing pressures faced by some of the country’s most distressed and vulnerable people. His black-and-white photographs remind the viewer that despite the loss of home, community, and culture, so many continue to push forward, and are “still here.”
In the weeks following the disaster, tens of thousands of impoverished people—most African-American—found themselves at the mercy of strangers and a colossally unprepared government. Their odyssey would persist for years. Beyond the loss of homes and livelihoods, vast emotional and psychological traumas continue to plague vulnerable communities affected by the disaster.
From Joe's ‘East Side Stories’ Photo Essay
Internationally recognized documentary photographer Joseph Rodríguez was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Rodríguez’s work has appeared in such publications as
Rodríguez’s work has been widely exhibited, domestically and internationally, and he currently teaches at New York University and at the International Center of Photography.
Patrice Pascual, who wrote the book’s introduction, is a freelance writer and editor.
STILL HERE: STORIES AFTER KATRINA can be purchased on Amazon.com
View more photo essays by Joseph Rodríguez at josephrodriguezphotography.com
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