07/30/2025
Statement from Michael Lu:
I took these photos on July 29 in the Fountain Park Neighborhood-St. Louis, MO, where it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit. It was so hot I had to stop taking pictures after just a couple of minutes because my phone was burning and overheating.
The tornado that hit St. Louis two months ago caused real and unprecedented damage. That we all know. But what shocked me is how little has changed since. The rubble is still there. The buildings are still broken. The streets are quiet. It doesn’t feel like recovery, but rather abandonment, indifference...
I’m not an expert on disaster relief, and I don’t pretend to have the solution. I just know what I saw. And what I saw made me feel sad, angry, heartbroken, and ashamed.
When great pianist Nikolai Lugansky —a St. Louis crowd favorite who played here as recently as February 2025—was asked by Chilperic, “If you were a philanthropic billionaire and obliged to give away some of your money, what cause would you support?”, he replied:
“There are so many unhappy ill people out there. I’m thinking specifically of old people. If a child is ill, it’s a tragedy for everyone. Of course. But to get money for children is easier than if you are old. When you are alone and 75 years old and sick, no one cares. ...”
I think about that a lot. About the people who don’t make the news or social media...
I have no clue what the “right” next step is. But I know I want to be part of a community that notices when any vulnerable human soul is left behind. But noticing is step zero. Trying to do something about it is step one. I don’t believe in guilt as a motivator. I believe in paying attention, and showing up.
That’s all this is. I went to Fountain Park. I saw what was there. I’m saying something, because I don’t want to look away.
I hope we can all find ways—small or big—to not look away.
