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Who Is Pamela Mahogany Really Happened At The Superdome?

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The Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s digital publishing initiative, Documenting the American South, provides a first-hand perspective on Southern history through interviews. On June 4, 2006, Pamela Mahogany was interviewed for her personal experience involving the events following Hurricane Katrina. Mahogany describes her actions before deciding to evacuate her home, her trip to the New Orleans Saints’ Superdome, her horrific time at the Superdome, and finally her decision to leave New Orleans. Mahogany’s portrayal of these events allows those who were not directly affected by the hurricane to better understand the physical and emotional distress forced on the victims. For Pamela Mahogany, and probably most other New Orleans residents, Hurricane Katrina at the beginning seemed just like any other storm. Pamela made no precautions before the storm, matter of fact, she slept right through the hurricane. Mahogany stated that she “couldn't really tell that the storm was worse than any of the other storms that we had ever had.” When she woke up that next morning she …show more content…

Immediately on arrival, Mahogany was warned by a Caucasian male saying: “"Please don't go in there” and “If you go in, you go in at your own risk.” Mahogany and her son spent three days at the Superdome, additionally, Mahogany said that she cried all three days because the conditions where so horrible. There was urine and feces covering the ground, and Mahogany stated that she even witnessed a shooting where someone was murdered inside of the Superdome. Honestly, this statement would be difficult to believe if it was not for the raw emotion from Mahogany’s voice when she talks about her time. Being able to hear the first-hand account of someone who experienced the event is what makes oral history so valuable. Mahogany’s emotions could not be expressed in a way that words from a secondary source could do

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