It’s one of America’s great paradoxes: when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on August 29, 2005, it left behind a level of destruction that still brings pangs of shock and sadness. Yet no other American city I’ve visited continues to inspire more passion – even, yes, love – from its citizens.
On Katrina’s 10th anniversary, I did a series of interviews of New Orleanians who returned after the mandatory evacuation, picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and turned their passion into action, not just to rebuild the city, but to use their diverse talents to make it even better than it was. Here’s one of those stories.
Name: Robin Barnes
Age: 27
Hometown: New Orleans
What I Do: “Songbird of New Orleans,” performing nationally and internationally, and headlining at the Windsor Court and Monteleone Hotels in New Orleans
My Katrina Story: I was 17 years old and was just starting my first semester at the University of New Orleans. I got as far as my first day of school when we had to evacuate. That was horrific in itself.
Read the rest of the story on my Forbes Seat 1A site.