"It's a blatant reality. All they are concerned about is property", fumes activist Malik Rahim. "Human life doesn't mean a damn thing in New Orleans." Almost six months after Katrina's devastation, there's widespread fear the city will never be the same again. The Lower 9th Ward district used to be home to 14,000 families - most of them poor and black. Unlike the wealthier suburbs, there's still no power, water or electricity. "It's a conspiracy", alleges resident Monique Cook. Not only are locals banned from returning but the council also plan on using a controversial law to buy their homes without the owners' consent. "When they do rebuild the 9th Ward, it ain't gonna be for poor people and it won't be for blacks", states Malik Rahim. In other districts across New Orleans, the story is the same. Black community leaders fear the council is being motivated by pressure from real estate developers. Now New Orleans is being seen as the touchstone for race relations in America. As Rahim explains: "New Orleans is always going to be an open sore to this nation. But if we can heal it here, we can heal it elsewhere."