Human kindness kept him from giving up after losing so much in Katrina
Victor Cusher by Blanche Jewell, 2007; 4700.1952
TEMPESTS: Storms in the Archives
Victor Cusher: The mayor, he made it [evacuating] mandatory. Other than that, I wouldn't have left. Because I've been through hurricanes and storms. In fact, we usually have parties, hurricane parties. You know, because there's nothing to it. Katrina changed all that.
Blanche Jewell: Yes it did. Where did you live? Where were you living?
Cusher: On Claiborne Street, in the Lower Ninth . . . Ninth Ward. And after the hurricane, I don't have pictures of any of my children now. Don't have my children, don't have their pictures. They're gone, the pictures are gone, the memories . . . I still have the memories. But nothing tangible. So I'm here [in New Roads, Louisiana] trying to start over again. At sixty-seven. Because there was a time I gived up. I mean, like I said, everybody was dead around me. I didn't know where my friends were. I didn't know where my grandchildren were. I didn't know anything. I couldn't get a place . . . Even out here, there's some people that was kind of discriminating against me. But I couldn't find a place to rent, man. Wouldn't accept my dog. But, like I said, when I got on low, not energy, I guess it was energy, but I was about ready to give up. They was right there, "No, Mr. Cusher. No, no. There you go." Those two angels [Cusher and Jewell laugh]. They don't like me to talk about them but I got to. I told you they gave me . . . they collected $27,000?
Jewell: Yes, for your new home.
Cusher: They're part of my survival, you know.