Race, Hurricane Katrina and The Aftermath
Why were African-American neighborhoods so devastated by Hurricane Katrina, while neighborhoods inhabited by Whites were remarkably untouched?
What failures and biases in the preparedness of federal and local governments hindered or prevented the evacuation of black residents from their neighborhoods?
How have socio-economic factors made African-Americans more vulnerable to the damage to their homes?
What are some of the factors that have made it harder for African-Americans to get help?
What is preventing mostly African-Americans from returning to New Orleans?
Is there any evidence of individual discrimination visible in the reconstruction of the city?
How has the political trend towards privatization of public services and free market economics contributed to the suffering of African-Americans?
Using your understanding of “institutionalized discrimination” and “institutionalized racism”, can you see other ways in which African-Americans have been disproportionately victimized by the hurricane and its aftermath?
Are there any other situations, policies or events surrounding Katrina that have had a negative effect on African Americans in particular?
Sample Solution
In the immediate aftermath of devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, public concern mainly shifted to rescue and relief operations, the scope of the physical damage, and the slow response by local, state, and federal agencies to one of the worst disasters in recent American history (Thomas, Durant & Dawood, 2015). However, almost immediately, journalists, researchers, and political analysts turned their attention to the social problems and issues created by the destruction that resulted from Hurricane Katrina. Recently, two social issues have been strongly debated by the media, journalists, academicians, and the general public is whether or not black residents received more exposure to damage from Hurricane Katrina than white residents and whether or not lower-class residents received more exposure to damage than middle- or upper-class residents.
