Oral Histories
Yesterday, when we heard about the storm from the librarians, I had a difficult time conceptualizing the situation for all of Bay St. Louis. We heard very valuable stories from these kind people, but when we drove around to tour the city, the properties were huge and right on the coast; I figured that either the town is predominantly wealthy or we had not seen the whole picture. I became slightly concerned for those “invicible voices,” whose stories I could not hear, and I wondered what was going on beyond the library and beach front properties. Luckily, today, the entire class was able to better understand Bay St. Louis and the larger community.
It all started with my first interviewee, who at the end of his interview began to talk about the town. His story and his feelings regarding this town made me realize that there were many layers to the area that had been missed the day before. I began to see that this library represents the entire Bay St. Louis community, and that although not all its members were able to stay in the area, those still around need a form of reliability in their lives. The second person who I interviewed added to this experience, as she talked about living as a middle class citizen her entire life and repeatedly remarked about how thankful she is that her family survived the storm. For her, as for most survivors, the destruction of her home was nothing compared to her gratitude for the health of her family. I heard many people today say that their pictures were the hardest material possession to let go of, losing catalysts for memories into the past. I also learned that many of those in low-income housing have not been able to return to the area because many housing projects will not be rebuilt. I heard many people say that Hurricane Katrina was an equalizer: the storm left everyone in the same situation with the same problems to confront. This was an interesting comment to hear from so many different people, and I agree that it was initially an equalizer, but it seems that that moment has changed and now the towns devastated by the hurricane are more heavily populated by those with more money. This can also be confirmed with the situation in New Orleans, a subject I will address later.
On the bus we talked about priviledge and how there are many aspects of one’s life that contribute or detract from priviledge. Among those are race, class, sexual orientation, religion, sex/gender, etc. We talked about how sometimes those with high priviledge feel guilty when so many people do not have priviledge, but that it is important for those who are able to speak up for others who can’t. After spending so much time at the library in Bay St. Louis, I feel like it has done just that. As Dr. Hattery said, those with priviledge can’t give it to others, they can only help others out; the Bay St. Louis library served and continues to serve it’s community in more ways than books. We went to a film festival tonight and many people showed up; clearly, the community supports the library and depends on it too.
Bay St. Louis is a fascinating town with a rich history, and I am sad to hear that a selective group of people can no longer enjoy what it has to offer. If the projects are not going to be rebuilt, then I do not believe these people will be able to move back. It is interesting how certain events, such as natural disasters, reveal the stratification in society. I am glad to hear that many members of Hancock County with priviledge are doing what they can to help others.