Primarily in areas home
to predominantly black,
working class people,
elderly, children
80% New O inundated in toxic
floodwater
1000 dead
Billions dollard damage
Most televised natural disaster ever
Some said social disaster
Shaming of America
Govt failure to act
Political Indifference
Touched a nerve social
inequalities between rich and
poor
Bush Administration
Failed to address the sense of vulnerability & injustice felt by poor in
urban America
Media - most televised natural disaster continental USA
Reports - looting, rape, murder, street violence
Social organisation broke down into anarchy!!!
Floods did give rise to looting
and other criminal behaviours
but reporting was
sensationalised
Escape
Eye witness testimony contradicted the claims of social disorder and anarchy
Callous and
hostile law
enforcement
- lying about
escape
routes,
barring the
wa, firing
weapons
Verablly berated and humiliated
Inustice
Some attempts to find food etc resulted in looting
People
couldnt
wait for
govt -
taking too
long
Contrary to representations of poor
people being passive and idlle those
affected were not prepared/unable to
wait to sit out disaster until govt chose
to repond - they mobilised themselves
to find safety and to protest to the
injustices they suffered
Bridge
connecting black
new orleans to
white suburbs