President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with member of the Cabinet, will travel to New Orleans to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Sunday, August 29. 2010. While in New Orleans the President will deliver remarks at Xavier University of Louisiana. The audience will be comprised of members of the public, Xavier students and faculty, state and local elected officials, and community leaders, according to an August 26, 2010 press release from the White House.
The visit by Obama one of the events to commemorate Hurricane Katrina. Scroll to the slideshow at the bottom of this article to see pictures of a parade honoring the people killed by Katrina. For pictures of New Orleans then and now, see the slideshow attached to Obama to visit New Orleans on 5th anniversary of Katrina.
In his remarks, the President will commemorate the lives lost in the disasttrous hurricane and the shared sacrifice that the Gulf Coast experienced because of Katrina. Obama will celebrate the resiliency of the people of the Gulf and the progress that has been made to rebuild stronger than before. Obama will recommit the nation to the Gulf region and to all those still working to rebuild lives and communities.
Cabinet and senior agency leaders expected to attend the Xavier event include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and CNCS CEO Patrick Corvington.
The recovery at Xavier University of Louisiana is exemplary of the efforts throughout New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. When Katrina hit,the storms floodwaters covered the entire campus with several feet of water for two weeks. Xavier students, staff and faculty were scattered across the nation. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina cast the very survival of Xavier university into serious doubt.
Thanks to the determination of the students, faculty, staff, and community, Xavier University reopened after just five months. The campus underwent a massive cleanup and reconstruction, Xavier University welcomed nearly 80 percent of its students back to campus in January 2006, which was far better than eprojections that only half of the school’s pre-Katrina enrollment would return to Xavier. Today, enrollment is very close to what it was before the hurricane.
“What happened to New Orleans represents the greatest disaster this country has ever had,” said University President Norman Francis. “That we were able to come back in such a short period of time is a credit to the faith, commitment, and passion of our staff and faculty, who put aside their personal losses and problems to make this miracle happen.”
Sandra Bullock interview with Matt Lauer from New Orleans school
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