During 2008-9 I was living in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. At the time, the residents of the Lower 9th were facing a number of massive obstacles to rebuilding: lack of basic utilities, crime, school closures, scarcity of grocery stores, and general municipal neglect. In response to those land-owners who could not return, the city government added an ordinance, that if the grass on a resident’s lot exceeded knee-height, the city could seize the property. As part of the informal economy that sprung up in the wake of the Hurricane, local merchants (and predatory out-of-town companies) began nailing signs on street poles advertising their services.
During Chinese New Year, I posted signs wishing ‘good fortune’ alongside these merchants - wishing the best of luck to the residents. As an outsider living and working in the 9th ward, I felt it was the least that I could do - that the offering might invite the spirit world to intercede and disrupt a cycle of land seizure and blight.