Ava Lowery was a young peace activist living in Alabama at the time of the storm. She was 14 and a student when she made her first animation about Katrina.
She has been doing politically motivated flash animations since March
2005. Most of her work focuses on the Iraq war and the Bush administration.
In her original video, her combination of music and powerful imagery conveys feelings as well as facts. By slowly panning across still images she is able to give life to her presentations. In the peace takes courage archives the original has been replaced with a more politically motivated piece focused on Bush's comment that "no one could have anticipate the breach of the levees." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se1xMPresLg
Ava is not associated with this website although we've linked to her work at PeaceTakesCourage.com because of its value in understanding New Orleans. This animation is especially powerful in conveying the emotions experienced by so many after the storm.
Since 2005 the feelings have morphed through stages much like the classic stages of grieving. Fear turned to desperation within hours after the storm. Desperation gave way to outrage. Outrage was replaced by optimism when a few high profile actions hinted at recovery. Optimism faded into frustration as so much more remained to be done. Frustration is gradually being exhausted and replaced by grim determination as we grind slowly forward.