Louis and Latasha Banks III had been married for nine days before Hurricane Katrina struck. Their neat home at 5447 North Derbigny Street was comfortable and adequate for their new family including daughters Renisha and Mikala. They lost all of their wedding gifts in the flood. They left on Saturday driving to Mississippi out of the storm’s fury with only enough clothes to stay three or four days before coming back home.
It has been nearly eleven months now and their journey had carried them through MS, to North Alabama, back to Baton Rouge, to Dallas and then back to New Orleans after Christmas where they are now residing with Latasha’s mother in an apartment.
Louis has worked many different jobs during this time including a period with Comman Ground and has volunteered to help many that are gutting out their homes in the old neighborhood. Renisha said she wanted things back the way they were. She misses her schools and friends. Latasha says she has had a difficult time keeping everything moving forward. The only way she can deal with the daily struggle is to turn it over to the Lord.
GENTLE PEOPLE
Gentle people
Have a way
Of helping others
Encouraging their day
They walk and talk
As others do
But in a pinch
They always come through
They set aside
What might have been
Changing lives
Enabling others to mend
Reaching out
A helping hand
Working through
Returning again and again
You are just
That kind of soul
An inner glow
A Godly know
A friend to those
In need of help
A gentle person
Will be your friend
Clay Corvin 7/19/06
