Hurricane Katrina – Contemporary Racism

Predisposed to Disaster: Institutional Racism and Hurricane Katrina

Brendan — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 16:26:49 +0000

I was only 9 years old when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, so I do not remember that much about the coverage of the disaster at the time. My parents largely tried to shield me from the extreme tragedy that took place in the city. I knew that a hurricane had hit, and I knew that it was bad, but I had no conception of the extent of the damage and lives that were lost ...

“Not our Problem, Dude”

G_Wolfe — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 15:59:45 +0000

This past break, I spent some time in New Orleans. We decided to take a walking tour to learn more about the history of the city. Our guide asked, “What does NOPD stand for?” Without hesitation, we replied, “New Orleans Police Department!”. He immediately said, “Nope… It stands for ‘Not our problem, dude’.” This obvious jab at the police department resonated with me, especially after reading about the racism revolving around Hurricane Katrina. As I ...

Hurricane Katrina: Facts We Lost in the Storm

Hannah — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 15:39:47 +0000

In August of 2005, a devastating storm, Hurricane Katrina, shook up the southeastern United States in a way that no one could have predicted…. Or could they? Behind news stories through televised reports, newspapers, and social media, there was an unspoken controversy that many people did not know about – race and race relations between the authorities running the institutions (such as the FHA and FEMA) and the Black population in New Orleans. Through reading ...

Can’t escape the discourse surrounding racism: Spring break at Mardi Gras

Alex — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:49:55 +0000

For spring break this year I ventured down to New Orleans to visit friends and partake in crazy Mardi Gras festivities. I had not known a lot about the traditions or the meaning of Mardi Gras and carnival time before I arrived, but from the moment my plane landed I started to learn a lot. After speaking to my friend throughout the week and experiencing many aspects of Mardi Gras, I can surely say that ...

The Daily Show’s Racism Satire Presents Racism Truth

Alex — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:44:48 +0000

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-24-2011/bird-like-me The link included in this post is an excerpt from The Daily Show. I don’t watch the show on a regular basis, but I find that I agree with a lot of the ideas and opinions that John Stewart and the other people involved in the show try to convey to their audiences. I stumbled upon this video, which is a satirical representation of an actual community in Mississippi called “Turkey Creek.” Turkey Creek ...

Racism? What Racism?

Lexie — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:23:15 +0000

When I started reading an article for this class last week and realized that it was about Hurricane Katrina, I was confused. To be honest, I did not know that Hurricane Katrina had anything to do with race. The only negative things that I heard about Katrina (besides, of course, the terrible damage that it did) was that the government took a long time to respond. When I learned about the hurricane in school, the ...