The anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is not only New Orleans’s burden to bear. There is a responsibility for people to interrogate their relationship to the city—and unpack and unlearn their own biases, narratives or (mis)understandings from the storm.
It is not enough only to love New Orleans. There has to be an intentionality in how people speak upon and interact with New Orleans, regard its traditions as sacred and position its voices as experts.
Our limited edition subscribers’ cover features beautiful portraits by famed photographer Edwards Buckles. Subscribe today and get this delivered to your doorstep.
It is not enough only to love New Orleans. There has to be an intentionality in how people speak upon and interact with New Orleans, regard its traditions as sacred and position its voices as experts.
Our limited edition subscribers’ cover features beautiful portraits by famed photographer Edwards Buckles. Subscribe today and get this delivered to your doorstep.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Reach for it. Hold that.
00:08Hey, how's it going? My name is Edward Buckles Jr.
00:10and I am the director and photographer of the May, June, 2025 Essence Cover magazines.
00:15And I'm from New Orleans.
00:20Yeah, I like that.
00:21I think that the significance of being able to direct and photograph these Essence Covers
00:25for the second year in a row here in New Orleans is simple.
00:28We get to censor black New Orleans.
00:30So often here in New Orleans, our narratives are taken away from us
00:34or they are controlled by people who are not even from New Orleans.
00:38So I think that being able to do this again and put everyday people and culture bearers
00:44and people that I know personally on the covers of Essence magazine,
00:48it's just an opportunity that doesn't always come.
00:50So I had to take full advantage of it and do it at the highest level.
00:53I think that the significance of being able to direct and photograph the Essence Covers
01:00for the second year in a row is simple.
01:02We get to censor black New Orleans again.
01:04Last year, we were able to put the black masculine Indians on the cover of four magazines.
01:10And this year, we got the opportunity again to censor black New Orleans
01:14and everyday people and culture bearers.
01:17So I think that being able to, you know, just take back our narratives
01:21and when it comes to stories about New Orleans, specifically black New Orleans,
01:25I think that it's important that somebody from that community tells those stories.
01:28So I'm honored that Essence reached out to me.
01:31I think that so often on magazine covers, you know, we're so used to seeing celebrities and public figures.
01:36But I think that it's a great opportunity whenever we get to show the people who are important in our community.
01:42And this year, we chose children.
01:43And, you know, being like the filmmaker of Katrina Babies and it being the 20 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,
01:50I thought it was no better opportunity than to put them on, you know, as big of a platform as Essence magazine.
01:56I think that Essence tapping in with New Orleans creatives to tell their own stories is a great thing.
02:06And it should be the norm across this industry.
02:08I think that this just shows me that Essence is serious about making sure that we get a chance to own our narratives.
02:26So what's the meaning behind the kids levitating on the covers of the magazines?
02:30I made a film called Katrina Babies, which explores the narratives and unprocessed trauma that the children experienced during Hurricane Katrina.
02:38And one thing that I learned from making that film was that in order for us to truly progress, we have to rise above all of this together.
02:46And whenever I look out and, you know, I see the kids just doing great things like being culture bearers and excelling,
02:52it's really showing me that New Orleans has learned how to fly again.
02:55One message that I think that the world should take away from New Orleans during the 20 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is that we did help ourselves.
03:03Back in 2005, most of this city was underwater and we were left to fend for ourselves.
03:08And here we are 20 years later and we've rebuilt our spirit, our culture and our magic.
03:14When you think about how New Orleans has come back after Hurricane Katrina and when you look at the culture and when you look at just how much progress this city has made,
03:24we did that. And that's the message that I want to leave.
03:27I'll get you all.
03:29I'll get you all.
03:31I'll get you all.
03:32I'll get you all.
03:34I'll get you all.