Michael Matsumaru, Author at

Student Historian

Michael Matsumaru is currently pursuing an M.A. in history at the University of New Orleans and hopes to graduate in May of 2011. He earned his B.A. from the University of Oregon in 2008, where he majored in journalism and minored in history. He is writing his M.A. thesis on the Desire Housing Project.

Congo Square, New Orleans, Louisiana

The area now known as Congo Square, located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, emerged as an important public activity locale during the early decades of the French colonial period. Beginning around the middle of the eighteenth century, the Place des Nègres, as it … Read MoreCongo Square, New Orleans, Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Hurricane Katrina began as a Category 1 hurricane in Florida, before striking the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. By the time Katrina had run its course, more than 1,700 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of others displaced. Causing billions of dollars of … Read MoreHurricane Katrina (2005)

Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. (1956- )

Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr., the mayor of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, was born June 11, 1956 at Charity Hospital in the city. His father worked three jobs in order to support the family, starting his days as a fabric cutter at a factory and … Read MoreClarence Ray Nagin, Jr. (1956- )

Desire Housing Project, New Orleans, Louisiana (1956-2001)

The Desire Housing Project was a Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) managed project located in the city’s largely African American Desire neighborhood, part of the Upper Ninth Ward. Authorized by the Housing Act of 1949, construction of the Desire project began in 1949 and … Read MoreDesire Housing Project, New Orleans, Louisiana (1956-2001)