When Army vet Burnell Cotlon spent his entire life savings building the only grocery store for New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina, his inspiring story did not only touch his community, but celebrities as well.
Over the years, Burnell’s Lower 9th Ward Market has been visited by President Obama, actor Wesley Snipes, and rapper T.I., to name a few.
His benevolent efforts even got the attention of Ellen DeGeneres and he was invited as a guest on her show in 2015.
But Cotlon says his biggest customer to date would have to be Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who took him by surprise last year when he visited his shop with wife Priscilla.
‘Few months back, I was sweeping the floor and get a tap on the shoulder,’ Burnell Cotlon told DailyMail.com. ‘It was Mark Zuckerberg.’
Starstruck: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg paid a visit to Burnell Cotlon, who built the only grocery story in New Orleans’s now poverty-stricken Lower Ninth Ward after Katrina
The 49-year-old Army vet (pictured with his wife Keasha) poured his entire life savings into building the shop for his community, which is still struggling to get back on its feet 13 years after the devastating storm
Cotlon said he was inspired to build the shop because neighbors were forced to take three buses into ‘the next city to find the nearest Walmart’
‘He said, “I couldn’t believe someone had used their entire life savings to make a change and he had to come down to see if I was real.”
‘San Fran to New Orleans, can you believe? He had no security, nothing like that, just him and his wife Priscilla. I was blown away.’
Although the billionaire was moved by his efforts, Cotlon revealed Zuckerberg wasn’t compelled enough to make a donation and the only thing he contributed was his signature on his wall.
He left a written message saying: ‘Burnell. You’re doing an amazing thing here. Thank you for nourishing the 9th ward. Mark and Priscilla.’
A framed photo of Zuckerberg and Cotlon now hangs on the wall of pictures of the grocery store’s famous customers – just below Barack Obama and to the right of the shopkeeper with Wesley Snipes
Cotlon said: ‘He said it was such a selfless act, he couldn’t believe anyone would do it. I said I went from serving my country to serving my community. I cry on the inside that people have to get three buses to buy a loaf of bread.”
‘We chatted for a few hours, I showed him the whole thing, he was blown away.’
While the shopkeeper appreciates the celebrity visits, he explained what he really needs is more help to maintain and expand his store.
‘I need more players who can see my vision, I need it. I want to buy more land, I want to build a daycare center,’ he said.
‘He [Zuckerberg] was interested in only talking about me, he had never seen anyone do this before. He didn’t donate anything, and if he reads this, or any of his friends, I could do with some help.
Cotlon told DailyMail.com that Zuckerberg (pictured left with Cotlon’s mom Lillie) has been his biggest customer to date. The billionaire even signed his wall (right) praising his efforts
Cotlon’s shop is the only place where residents can buy fruits and vegetables, he says. Above is a framed photo of a house destroyed by the hurricane to remind customers of what they district has overcome
A framed photo of Zuckerberg now hangs on the wall of pictures of the grocery store’s famous customers – just below Barack Obama and to the right of the shopkeeper with Wesley Snipes
Cotlon met former President Obama when he was in town for the ten-year anniversary of Katrina
‘I want them to continue carrying on the good work. I wish Mark Z would come and call me up, write me a check, as I’d love to put a second floor on the store.
‘You know what I can do with $2 million? A daycare center, second floor on this building, Internet cafe. I’m not running the web, but it can provide jobs and change this community.
‘I do it all on my own, every now and then someone comes to help, but not often. I’m not too proud to beg, I need donations, I need help.’
The 49-year-old was one of the first back in the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area 13 years ago on August 29, 2005.
He lost everything on that night, but his mom Lillie saved his life by pleading with him to move to a shelter the day before – ‘she had a feeling it was going to be real bad,’ he said.
She was right, the Lower Ninth was flooded under 30 feet of water. Lying next to where the city’s canal levees broke, the area was the hardest hit with many of the 1,833 fatalities coming from the low-income black neighborhood.
‘If people didn’t kick holes in their roof, they’d drown or die from heat asphyxiation,’ Cotlon said.
The Lower Ninth had one of the highest rates of black home ownership in the country and was proud of its community feel.
Today, less than 30 per cent of residents have returned. Cotlon used to have 42 neighbors, he now has three.
Brought up in the Upper Ninth, he moved to the lower side after working ten years in the military, patrolling mostly in Europe.
The laundromat, added just a few years ago, was made famous by New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres, who surprised him with three washers and dryers. Cotlon was compelled to fulfill his community’s needs after he realized residents were traveling out of town to do laundry
Cotlon spent a lot of nights sleeping on a wooden bench (pictured) while he was in the middle of constructing the store, he said
This is the new property Burnell behind his store that he plans on turning into an Internet-cum-community center
‘I was fluent in German, came back, bought a house, I thought I was going to live happily ever after. Then Katrina happened. I was fortunate and could rebuild. If you have to start again, it’s extremely hard. I know people who don’t have anything,’ he said.
It was after watching his only neighbor at the time, Miss Emmanuel, struggle with her shopping bags every week that he finally decided to ask where she had been.
She explained how grocery shopping was in an all-day event for her since she had to catch three buses into the next city to find the nearest Walmart.
‘I drove my car up and down Lower Ninth and she was right, there was nothing. So I spent my entire life savings on this,’ Cotlon said.
He showed off a framed photo of what looked like a bombed out house from a war, not a hurricane. It is now propped up on the fruit and vegetable stand opposite the entrance, a reminder to customers of the district’s darkest days.
‘People said I was crazy, the water was up to 20 feet high in here, everything you see was under water. When we first came here, the smell was so bad,’ he says.
But Cotlon resisted common sense and got to work, taking bits from soon-to-be bulldozed housing and using online videos to work out how to use simple tools.
‘I used to sleep on this bench. This bench was home for me for many, many nights,’ he says pointing to a solid plank.
‘These cabinets, I jumped in front of a truck that was demolishing a house and took them away. I made my own shelves, I went on YouTube and worked out how to do the wiring, we had no electricity.
‘I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t even know what a hammer was. You know why this floor’s uneven? I didn’t know how concrete worked, I just poured it on and left it.
Celebrity sightings: Actor Wesley Snipes paid a visit to the shopkeeper and shot a scene of his new movie at the store
Among his famous visitors is Miss Black US Ambassador LeighAnna Margurite Kingvalsky (left) and winner of The Apprentice Randal Pinkett
Cotlon’s story even got the attention of Ellen DeGeneres in 2015 and he was invited on her show where he was gifted with washer-dryer units and and a new car
‘I used to sell everything out of a window, I saved up my money for two and a half years to finally sell out of a door. You’re either part of the problem or solution, I prefer the latter.’
Cotlon rented part of the disheveled building to a local barber and with the $75 a week rent, he used the money to build up the grocery store, then a kitchen, laundromat, playground, and now hopes, at some point this year, to build a community center cum Internet cafe.
Cotlon fortunately, has the help of his mom Lillie and wife Keasha, but for the most part, he has single-handedly built this project from the ground up.
‘Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in, people have walked away from the area, you can’t get angry or depressed. If it’s a wall, then you can either punch it, walk round it, climb over it, or dig under,’ he said.
‘Some people are talk, talk, talk. I’ve been alone for years, I will not stop until the neighborhood looks like the rest of the city.
‘We need to have normalcy, you shouldn’t have to put your dirty clothes on your back and walk miles, or get on a bike, or three buses, this is the United States. Someone had to do something about it. It breaks my heart, my home shouldn’t be like this.
‘This is the only place people can now buy fruit and vegetables. If you want some healthy food, this is the only place to buy, there’s nowhere else.
‘It’s made a difference to people’s diet, they come in and say: “Burnell, I’ve lost some weight.” I give free blood pressure checks; you only have one life, you’ve got to look after it.’
13 years later: Much of the Lower Ninth Ward remains decayed with abandoned houses and boarded up churches
Cotlon likened the area to the ‘third world.’ He was one of the few fortunate enough to rebuild
Most former residents have not returned since the hurricane and the redevelopment of the area has stalled
Cotlon told his story over the sound of his booming speakers outside pumping out hip-hop/RnB radio.
‘The music is loud so that people can dance outside if they want, or just sit outside and listen, there’s not a lot for people to do here. It also lets the customers know we’re open – we’re here 7.30am to 11 at night.
‘A lot of people don’t have a laundry room, so I need to stay here until they’ve washed their clothes.’
The Lower Ninth community has come to depend on him for anything and Cotlon listens to their needs.
The laundromat, added just a few years ago, was made famous by New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres, who surprised him with three washers and dryers.
‘This guy used to come into my store and always bought laundry detergent every week, and I stopped him one day and asked: “What are you doing?”
‘He showed me his bicycle and a garbage bag full of dirty laundry he was pedaling to a laundromat way out of town, and I said: “I’m going to make sure you can wash your clothes in your own neighborhood.”
Cotlon made the space, but when he couldn’t afford the washers and dryers, he wrote to Ellen and was invited to appear on the show for the ten-year anniversary of Katrina.
Adding to his surprise, Ellen asked Cotlon about the home deliveries he made for the sick and elderly, and he explained he had finally ran his truck into the ground.
That’s when the talk show host gifted him with a brand new Ford.
‘She’s such an angel, such a wonderful soul. Every now and then, one of her personal assistants will call to say hello to see how it’s going. Ellen says I was one of her favorite shows, she’s from here, which is also a plus,’ he explained.
Other VIPs have been equally inspired. Cotlon has met former President Obama when he was in town for the ten-year anniversary, and Wesley Snipes was so moved by Cotlon’s narrative, that he came down to do a movie scene in the store, along with fellow cast member, rapper T.I.
‘Snipes and T.I. came in four months ago, they came to New Orleans to do a movie called Cut Throat City, but they really wanted to come and see me.
‘They fell in love with the building and decided to do a scene from the movie here. They shot in the laundry room, store room and barbers shop. I’m so excited to see it,’ he says.
Cotlon’s latest development is his community internet cafe. He bought the property next door, a three-bedroom home destroyed by the storm, and added second-hand computers which he bought with money he made selling souvenirs.
‘About six months ago I was closing the store and there was a girl on the curb sat with her computer doing her homework, I asked: “What are you doing here so late?” She said: “All the kids come here, not because of you Mr B, but because you’ve got free WiFi.”
‘So I bought the building behind me and I bought these computers, they need them to fill in job applications, everything is online these days.
But after gutting the place and doing all the wiring himself, a lost truck driver came along the narrow road and careened into the utility pole, then drove off.
‘A truck went into the electricity pole next door, coming down a road he wasn’t meant to, and cut out all the electricity, I had to start all over again. I had to do the pole, rewire everything, it’s hard, I won’t lie, sometimes I cry.’
Cotlon shared his vision for the shop: ‘I’m going to make chalkboards here, y’know for parties, it’s going to be a function room, we’re having a stove, kitchen, it’s going to be like a community center.
‘Some people think New Orleans is finished and everyone’s happy, that’s so far from the truth, it’s not real, so a lot of people just stopped caring. No, it’s not done, people are still suffering and hurting. We have to put the word out.
‘People, tourists, are still shocked that Lower Ninth looks like this, I’m not going to give up. I’m just an average guy, with above average dreams, I just want the Lower Ninth Ward to catch up with the rest of the city – even if I have to do it alone.