William Y. Cooper (1934-2016)

Waiting in New Orleans is another sobering reflection on the Black American experience. The painting is a meditation on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the surrounding area. The 2005 storm was one of the most destructive hurricanes in US history, resulting in over 1,300 lives lost and $190 billion in damage. Much of the damage to New Orleans was due to flooding caused by the failure of protective levees surrounding the city. With 80% of the city flooded, residents who did not evacuate before the storm were left stranded for days in catastrophic and chaotic conditions. Preparation, evacuation, rescue, and relief efforts by government officials both before and after the storm were widely criticized as slow and ineffective. These tensions were further exacerbated by the socioeconomic makeup of the city resulting in the hardest-hit areas being predominately Black and low-income communities. Many Black residents felt abandoned during the disaster and criticized the lack of support to rebuild their communities in its aftermath. Cooper was heavily moved by the hurricane’s devastation and impact on Black residents. The dark palette of blues, black, and red, paired with the pained look in the central figure’s eyes evokes a mood of sorrow, anguish, and waiting.