Seven years ago, in the post-Katrina world - remember?
The speaker of the House of Representatives advocated to abandon New Orleans and New Orleans residents were being removed from the city by the national guard. There was no WWOZ on the air or internet. We were losing the geographic and electronic links required to sustain the collective entity of "us." Remember the dread that New Orleans' culture was facing extinction?
Then a public radio station in New Jersey, WFMU, started streaming WWOZ's old shows. Remember the relief and joy that flickered throughout the diaspora? WFMU recreated our culture. We were linked again. We were "us" again.
Seven years later. Today.
Like a Greek tragedy, Hurricane Sandy smacked WFMU. Like us, Sandy hit them when WFMU was at it weakest point, during their fund drive when their bank account was empty. They lost their transmitting and studio equipment and their biggest fund raising event. They too are feeling like they're facing extinction. Here's their situation
We've gotta come to their rescue like they did for us. I just sent $180 to them and I feel great about helping. Here's how you can share the feeling:
Jamie Dell'Apa
Saturday midnight to Sunday 3am