NEW ORLEANS -- Ten residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, who are members of the activist group A Community Voice, gathered in front of City Hall to vent their frustrations at the lack of hurricane recovery progress in their neighborhood, and they said city leaders share the blame.
"It is demeaning and disrespectful for us to look the way we look," said 'A Community Voice' Board Member Vanessa Gueringer. "It says to black New Orleanians in these flooded neighborhoods that the quality of your life does not matter."
They said the Lower Nine is still the highlight of Katrina disaster tours, and they pointed out the lack of infrastructure, from senior centers, to enough schools, to street repairs, even grass cutting.
"It is environmental racism," said Gueringer. "It is environmental injustice. And the city doesn't like the word racism, but they are doing nothing to address what is happening in our neighborhoods."
"My house was broken into 15 times, and nothing was done about it," said angry Gentilly resident Lloyd Lonzo.
"Where are the dollars that were dedicated for our parks, for our schools, for our infrastructure?" asked Gwen Adams of 'A Community Voice.'
They said they have waited five years, and now they demand action.
"Mayor Landrieu came to our neighborhoods and asked for out vote, and we gave it to him, on the promise that he would address these recovery projects," said Gueringer.
Those who live here say they are tired of waiting for the city to help. But a spokesperson for the mayor reacted strongly, saying these neighborhoods are on the city's recovery radar.
"What I can talk to is the capital projects that are proposed for the Lower Ninth Ward, the Sanchez Center and Pool, the fire station," said Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant.
The city has a list of planned projects, and both sides say they are ready for action. Click to see the list of 138 committed projects
"At this point, my goal is to move," Grant stated.
"We own our property in Lower Nine, and we have no intention of leaving it," Gueringer concluded.
