Race, Place, and the Environment in the Aftermath of Katrina

Unpreparedness, inadequate policies, and racial politics have greatly influenced the ability of New Orleans residents to recover from Hurricane Katrina. This paper examines the impact of race, place, and the environment on the unequal distribution of recovery resources for African American communities in the city of New Orleans. The extent to which we are able to understand this impact of institutionalized racism that presents structural biases for minorities will affect the extent of our ability to adequately respond to future disasters.