We started the day by going to the Whitney Plantation, which is the only museum in the nation completely dedicated to slavery in the US. Our tour guide shared information as well as specific anecdotes from slaves in that time period. We can read and learne about it, but actually seeing where slavery took place really puts it into perspective. It was a sad thing to learn about but also a tour that I think all Americans should experience.

After lunch, we spent some time driving around the lower Ninth District near the levee that broke during Hurricane Katrina. Everything that was there was recently built because everything else was completely wiped away in 2005. Something that really stood out to me was how there were still X’s on many of the house. These were spray painted on the houses by the National Guard right after the storm to indicate how many people were in the house, dead or alive. There was some funky looking houses that were donated by Brad Pitt. Originally, we thought that they must cost a lot to live in, but after doing some research, its affordable housing.

We ate ice cream at a famous parlor (I don’t remember the name) and walked around the Garden District. It was very clear that this is a much more affluent area than where we were before. The houses were really beautiful and showed a lot of New Orleans culture. However, places like the Ninth Ward has a lot of camaraderie and unity that really makes that part of the city special.

Today was a great day to learn about the city and I can’t wait to get working tomorrow!

D Craig