![]() That next spring, Jessica joined her first grassroots nonprofit. In the wake of Katrina, her mother encouraged her to turn her anger and frustration over the government’s inadequate response into action. Jessica’s activism is rooted in her own experience. As Jessica explains, “We need to do a better job of restoring and protecting our natural defenses and we need to recognize that it is Black, Indigenous and other communities of color that are most at risk when that environment is threatened or damaged.” The Collaborative focuses on equitable practices to sustainably live and thrive with water. I was born here surrounded by water and every pivotal moment has involved water in some way.” And so Jessica traded the deserts of Africa for the swamps of her home city, where she now serves as the Executive Director of the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. Now living in Algiers with her mother, Jessica reflects, “My life has been shaped by water in ways I didn’t even think it was. In the weeks leading up to her 16th birthday, the aspiring anthropologist was planning her Middle Eastern-themed celebration but, “all that disappeared in the blink of an eye.” Hurricane Katrina made landfall on her birthday, and, like so many others, Jessica’s family lost everything. As a child, Seventh Ward-native Jessica Dandridge was captivated by the sands of North Africa and the mysteries of Egypt.
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