NY2NO

Reflecting back on everything that has happened. Looking back at osbg and what we have learned so far. From watching documentaries and having conversations on how oppression affects everyone to meeting the saint of sustainable farming brian gautraux i have learned more in the ten days of being here than I would ever learn in a year of school. Learning about the basic survival needs and putting the into play. These are luxuries that we have and I have gotten way too reliant on them. Meeting college students and watching them learn and have intimate group conversations with highschool was one of the best parts about this. We met with students from oxydental and learned alot from and qbout them. Most of them living in Los angelas, speaking to them about the new York lifestyle was probably as exciting for them as it was for us to learn about their students. Meeting queen aphi aka sunflower was one of the most exciting parts of this trip. The first thing that we heard about her was that she lives on 10 of the 40 acres that had been inherited by freed slaves after slavery was abolished. She had an outstanding personality. We helped her put up a gate around her house so that she wouldnt have to worry people sabotaging her plan to turn her home into a community center. We had to chop away at what seemed an endless barrage of vines with thorns. But sure enough, the ny2no and adelphi volunteers got it done. Knowing that we were helping in ways the government would never even consider felt really good. The scary part about this was drilling holes into the ground for the fence post. We heard that the gas line inspectors didn't do their job and didn't mark the gas and electricity lines raised the constant fear of us hitting it. A simple job that needs to be done, delayed probably because they don't care about the people of their land and their land.

Brian gautraux has a fish farm of thousands of talapia and a few thousand catfish. All of this done without the fear of overpopulation, species invasion, and only recycled water. This grow operation is probably one of the biggest in the country. And yet he takes care of it by himself with his family. Him, his wife, and their ten adopted children. This experience was truly inspirational. Seeing his free range chickens and being able to hold them. To touching his his free range cows, and not having to fear them stabbing us with their horns. Everything was a diverse group of animals living together. Everything was reused and recycled. From the compost from a nearby horse race track, to the nutrient rich water his fish produced. I fell in love with how friendly this man was and the fact that he took time out of his day to give us a tour meant a lot. Especially because as I said before he did all of this work on his 22 acres by himself. And he also worked on cars to bring money in and pay bills. Also learning that the USDA has went to his home and have harassed him and he just finds loop holes was also amazing. His will for a better and happy life was astonishing. Although it's saddening that the government doesn't care about better and healthier living , and instead the money matters more is horrendous. The quote America loves convenience stuck out to me throughout this trip. And it has been proven to me time and time again in new Orleans in the last 9 days I've been here.

Brian Gonzalez

BESs

After a tour of the levies, the parish, the poor broken down neighborhoods, and the beautiful rich white neighborhood, you can clearly see the boundaries. It is very obvious that there in no connection or relationship between the white people and the people of color. My first night here on my way to the blair grocery I was shown the destruction that really happened. Between roofs that have fallen in, the holes in the side of homes, and walls of houses being held up by sticks it immediately takes a toll on your emotions. Compost the first day was a small part of our day, but instead of working all day we took this tour to get a bigger picture of the destruction. The poorly build levies to the near extinction of the cypress trees. From the destroyed and broken down homes to kids running around with guns. It all just feels like your emotions are being strangled. As for the kids at the Blair school, to say there is no future for them is like saying there is no future for the 9th ward of new Orleans. Simply because the children are the future, if they happen to become addicts as we've heard most of their parents are, then it just starts a viscous cycle. I believe that no matter how little they learn everyday, it doesn't matter if they don't graduate or don't get GEDs because learning anything is a step forward from yesterday. The Blair grocery has made an impression on the community, regardless good or bad, they know what they want to do and they usually know how to attack the problems of the lower ninth ward. From composting on someones lot to help them keep it, to bringing an old woman mrs.Mary to see her husband at the hospital

Brian Gonzalez