There is no area in the wake of hurricane Katrina where the divide between the rich and poor in New Orleans is more evident than in the Lower 9th Ward, the poorest of the New Orleans neighborhoods.

While reconstruction quickly began in the wealthier areas, with mountainous trash piles and heavy duty machinery cleaning the streets, the streets of the Lower 9th Ward remained eerily silent.

Most of the residents of this area were displaced around the country and do not have the means to return, yet alone fix up their nearly destroyed houses.  Few in this area had savings or flood insurance and Federal and State programs created to assist homeowners in rebuilding have been largely ineffective.

The area is now seen by many as one that needs to be abandoned, bulldozed, and started over.  However, residents are fighting against this idea and trying to save their neighborhood.  But to rebuild they need to convince and help their former neighbors to return to help the rebuilding process.