Robert Lynn Green Sr. in front of his new house in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. (www.makeitrightnola.org)
The Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. Now, with the help of the Brad Pitt-backed organization Make It Right, some residents are trickling back into their old neighborhoods to live in newly built houses. Robert Greene shows host Jeff Young his new environmentally friendly house that was built right where his old house used to stand.
via www.loe.org
PHOTO: Howie Luvzus
"It was a bittersweet moment for Brad Pitt, walking through the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood where families were preparing to spend their first holidays since Hurricane Katrina.
Those families are moving into the first six houses built through Pitt's Make It Right foundation. One home was already strewn with green garland, lights, wreaths and red bows.
Still, Pitt is restless.
"I'm really happy for the families that are going to be here, but I can't help but think about the families that aren't," Pitt said Monday. "It's a push-pull for me. The excitement is that it's being proven, that it's working. The frustration is that we have a long way to go."
The Today Show's Ann Curry revisits Brad Pitt and the Lower Ninth Ward's Make It Right Project as Inez Converse and other residents move in for the first time - home for the holidays.
“New Orleans: The Water Line” is a stunning new entry in the PBS series e2 Design that had its debut last month. In it, you'll see and hear Tricia Jones of NENA, Pam Dashiell of CSED and Jed Horne, former Metro Editor for The Times-Picayune – plus many other familiar faces from the neighborhood and those who have played such a vital role in helping the Lower Ninth Ward rebuild and recover after Katrina. There's good reason why e2's producers chose this fragile place for their episode on sustainability in New Orleans.
"New Orleans: The Water Line" begins:
“In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the citizens of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward weren't about to watch their community disappear, even as government officials at all levels turned a blind eye to their plight. This story profiles community leaders fighting to rebuild the neighborhood sustainably, and the outsiders – including renowned architect Bob Berkebile, and organizations Global Green and Brad Pitt's Make It Right – who are working to make this possible.”
Narrated by Brad Pitt and directed by Tad Fettig, this episode is beautifully done, with footage from all over the Lower Nine and interviews with some of those who are helping to create change here: Allen Eskew of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple; Beth Galante and Matt Petersen of Global Green; and Tom Darden, III of Make It Right. There's a great scene with Bob Berkebile at Bayou Bienvenue, when he describes what's at stake:
“We’re living probably at the most powerful moment in human history, and we are defining what future human life will be like – or whether or not there will be future human life on the planet. In areas where the most dramatic change is happening, it’s usually an area where you want to create a laboratory to really explore that and to see how much change can be made.”
Near the end of "The Water Line", Pam sums it up nicely:
“In a lot of ways, it seems to be kind of a nexus for change...and for advancement. We have an unprecedented opportunity to remake and restore an old, old place with a deep, deep culture, and we’ve got to take that opportunity.”
To see the full episode online, go to e2 Series and click on "webcasts".
The Sierra Club's Darryl Malek-Wiley sent along these terrific photos of the Make It Right ground-breaking ceremonies from March 16th.
With shovels in hand, former President Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt are joined by neighborhood leaders – including Pam Dashiell of Holy Cross (far right).
Brad and Bill walk down Tennessee Avenue to survey what's left of this part of the Lower Ninth Ward, post Katrina.
PHOTOS: Darryl Malek-Wiley
