Power has three faces. The first face — we see who won and who lost. The second face: who decides. To figure that out, you must ask who is benefiting and who is losing: the third face. This is when the deep structural contours of power emerge.” — Marshall Ganz on Steven Lukes’ “three faces…

The time is now for federal funding to adequately support communities that are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters and climate change by focusing preparation and recovery efforts on rebuilding communities, not just rebuilding property.” In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a storm with sustained winds of 125 mph when it made landfall, caused widespread destruction…

The storm’s impact of displacing thousands of voters depressed voter turnout to 36%, down 10 points from 2002.” Hurricane Katrina brought devastation to the Gulf Coast, with an estimated 1,392 fatalities, 300,000 homes destroyed, and over a million people displaced. The storm was responsible for over $125 billion in damages and an estimated $2.9 billion…

Far-right groups seek to exploit natural disasters to spread conspiracy theories, slow government response, and present benign public personas.” In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, it didn’t just cause horrific flooding. It laid bare the structural racism in this country, with media coverage providing one example. At the…

The U.S. wholly failed to provide these protections in the aftermath of Katrina, especially with respect to Black communities.” Hurricane Katrina, like other climate-related disasters, raises a host of issues that are addressed by international human rights laws and standards. These laws and standards, including relevant treaties and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal…

“The media brought a white gaze to our neighborhoods. Their interpretation of who the people were was a huge misfire based on a long-term disengagement with Black media.” — Rachel Breunlin, professor of anthropology at University of New Orleans Twenty years after floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina inundated the low-lying areas of New Orleans, where most…

Katrina revealed the devastating consequences of neglect; now, we must ensure that our policies reflect a commitment to justice, equity and resilience.” Hurricane Katrina was more than a natural disaster; it was a moment that exposed the deep systemic inequities in Louisiana’s infrastructure, governance, and social policies. The storm’s aftermath highlighted racial and economic disparities,…

Realizing they had been abandoned, panic began to set in for those trapped in their cells.” New Orleans once had a jail large enough to house a small town. It was built to keep the city safe — until Hurricane Katrina exposed otherwise. Most jails and prisons throughout the South have two things in common.…

The areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina generally had higher percentages of Black residents, higher percentages of renter households, and higher poverty rates compared to undamaged areas.” Disasters do not discriminate. Or do they? Storms do not make landfall with animus, nor do they decide to strike certain communities because of bias. However, our ability to…