NEW ORLEANS -- There was joyful, inspirational music as a roomful of students, parents, and staffers gathered at the Martin Luther King Charter School, celebrating the rebirth of the school out of the chaos of the flood.
"It symbolizes renewal," said the principal, Dr. Doris Hicks. "It symbolizes coming back. It's a celebration that we came back to our city that we love, and we came back to our school that we love."
"We trying to remember the people that passed away in the storm, and all that," said 8th grader Marlin Williams. "Like we trying to rememebr, because they were good people."
The students reflected on the flood that changed their city and their lives.
"The waters may have destroyed homes, schools, businesses, separated family and friends, but it did not drown our hope and faith," said freshman Dreshaun Napoleon.
"The aftermath of the storm did not offer much peace to displaced New Orleanians," said 8th grader Gabrielle Stark. "We were called immigrants and troublemakers in other cities."
And they remembered the struggle to gut the flood damaged school and to re-open it for the fall, 2006 term. "Many people do not realize that most of our staff and faculty helped open King school when they were not able to get into their own homes," said King Charter Board President Hilda Young.
And the parents thought about what MLK Charter is giving their children and community. "This is the only school that is actually open on this side, and I'm just hoping that they will probably build another high school, or another school in the future, but it means so much to have this school back." said Alvarnette Washington.
"She's gotten to meet President Obama, she's gotten to ride in the Bacchus parade, all from the school," said Amy Novak about the great tings that have happened tom her daughter Cara. "She's participating in a program called GREAT, which teaches children how to not fall victim to the gang mentality."
But five years after Hurricane Katirna, students here at King Charter School are not dwelling on the past. They're looking ahead to the future. "Today we should not look at Katrina as an event that weakened our city, but one that made us stronger," concluded 8th Grade Student Jamal Preston. "Today we should continue to show the world that New Orleans is not dead, just getting a second wind."
