The 44 Percent: Hurricane Katrina docs, Florida Memorial, Urban Film Fest
I think we all recall the images vividly: Water rising to the roofs of homes, people atop their homes hoping to be saved, the amount of people inside the Superdome and the convention center seeking shelter, food and water, and the throngs of people on the highways trying to escape a soon-to-be flooded city.
Friday marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina hit southeast Louisiana, leaving 1,392 people dead (a steep difference in the nearly 1,800 that were initially reported).
The stories of survivors have been recounted in two documentaries, the Ryan Coogler helmed “Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time” and the recently released “Katrina: Come Hell or High Water.” The latter was produced by Spike Lee and serves in many ways as a searing follow up to his documentary “When the Levees Broke.”
Through home videos from survivors in New Orleans and archival footage, we’re reminded of the insufficient government preparation leading up to the storm and the poor response after more than 50 levees were breached by storm water. And while many waited to be saved, the television cameras focused on the alleged looting and purported criminality of those simply trying to survive.
The documentaries shine a light on environmental injustices, such as failure to adequately build levees to withstand a storm. Black residents detailed how they were practically forced to purchase homes in flood-prone areas. What’s perhaps most damning is the killing of civilians by the New Orleans Police Department and the shooting of Black men by white residents in Algiers Point, which later resulted in the 10-year prison sentence of Roland J. Bourgeois Jr, both occurring in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Bourgeois’ conviction came in 2019 – 14 years after the shootings occurred.
These documentaries shed light on the horrors people lived when the levees broke, the aftermath of it all, and what they’re still grappling with today.
Inside the 305:
‘A coup’: Trustees of Florida Memorial University dispute vote for new president
Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens was only a few days into the new school year when the HBCU announced that William McCormick would now formally be the school’s president. However, within 24 hours of that announcement, members of the Board of Trustees said the vote that hired him as president was illegal.
As we reported: On Thursday, FMU, South Florida’s only HBCU, announced William McCormick, Jr., who was the acting interim president, had been voted in as president. But nearly 12 hours later, a letter signed by seven members of the Board of Trustees and the president of the FMU Alumni Association was shared, stating the appointment of McCormick in the position was unauthorized and that “a coup” had been staged.
Urban Film Festival paves way for aspiring filmmakers, world premieres
Now in its 10th year, The Urban Film Festival is coming back to Miami to highlight Black filmmakers. As Artburst Miami reports: Florida Film House co-founder Marco “Mall” Molinet created the festival to highlight urban storytelling after he found that Black filmmakers were underrepresented at traditional film festivals. “I launched the Urban Film Festival because we saw a gap for filmmakers telling raw, independent urban stories,” says Molinet. “Florida Film House submitted our work to several festivals that we believed aligned with our message; none accepted us. It was clear there was a void in the industry for our kind of storytelling.”
OUTSIDE THE 305:
Black Alabama Mayor Once Blocked by White Town Leaders Wins Reelection
Mayor Patrick Braxton won his bid for reelection in Newbern, Ala., after facing intimidation by the former-majority white town council, Capital B. reported. Braxton, who won the seat in 2020, didn’t serve until a settlement was reached in federal court in 2024. The town, which had a population of about 133 people in 2020, is majority Black.
As Aallyah Wright reported: “Newbern hasn’t really had a mayor in a long time … so it feels good to have something happening here, to have somebody that can actually lead us in a good direction,” Cabil said before the results were in.
Cook and the 177 other registered voters were choosing between incumbent Braxton, who is Black, and Cole, who is a white. The second race on the ballot is for council seat 1 between two Black women, Patricia A. Jackson and Voncille Brown Thomas. Jackson defeated Brown Thomas 64 to 27. Brown Thomas was the only Black woman who served on the majority-white council prior to Braxton’s election in 2020.”
Candace Parker’s jersey retired by Chicago Sky
Naperville native and former Chicago Sky player Candace Parker had her jersey retired in the Wintrust Arena this week, USA Today reported. Parker, whose career was mostly spent with the Los Angeles Sparks, spent two years with the sky, helping them reach their only championship in 2021.
As USA Today reports: The Chicago Sky retired Candace Parker’s jersey Monday night in a halftime ceremony attended by her family, former teammates, even her high school coach. Fellow Chicago natives Common and Jennifer Hudson were in the audience, and Derrick Rose sent a video tribute. “My heart will always belong to the state of Illinois, the city of Naperville and the city of Chicago,” Parker said. “It’s not just where I’m from, it’s the core of who I am.”
HIGH CULTURE: Trick Daddy is bringing Sunday’s Eatery to Fort Lauderdale
Trick Daddy is opening a second location of his famed restaurant Sunday’s Eatery in Fort Lauderdale. Located at 2010 NW Sixth St., the standalone restaurant sits in the heart of the city’s Sistrunk corridor, home to the city’s historic Black community. A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM.
