New Orleans & Hurricane Katrina

A Powerful New Sociological Metaphor for the Impacts of Racism and Systemic

Inequality

Richard Alba

Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research

President Bush in New Orleans:September 15, 2005

• ''As all of us saw on television, there is also some deep, persistent poverty in this region as well. And that poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality.''

Sociological metaphors for systematic inequalities & disasters

The sinking of the Titanic:

Mortality varied by class of berth

Chicago’s 1995 heat wave:

Mortality associated with poverty and race

New Orleans during and after Katrina?

Source: New York Times

Flooding on Sept. 2

Who suffered?City of New Orleans Flooded areas Dry areas

Population 346,000 138,000 Race

Black 76% 43% White 18% 49%

Education HS grad 72% 82% BA degree 21% 38% HH income $25,759 $31,455

Poverty rate 29% 25% No vehicle 29% 24%

Source: New York Times

Some basics about the New Orleans metro area

City of New Orleans Rest of metro area Total population 469,032 868,694 White population 136,241 630,241 Black population 325,216 177,035 Median income $27,133 $35,317 Median income of whites $40,409 $43,365 Median income of blacks $21,461 $23,137 Poverty rate 27.9% 18.3% Poverty rate of whites 11.5% 9.0% Poverty rate of blacks 35.0% 33.0% HS grad rate of white men 89.5% 84.1% HS grad rate of black men 64.2% 64.3% HS grad rate of white women 92.7% 83.7% HS grad rate of black women 69.8% 70.2%

Racial segregation in New Orleans

• Index of dissimilarity=65.9

• Index of isolation for whites=59.7%

• Index of isolation for blacks=82.1%

Transportation out of New Orleans

• 27.3% of New Orleans households had no car.

• Among whites, 14.5% of households lacked a car.

• Among blacks, 34.8% were in the same situation.

Predicted storm impact

Source: New York Times

Estimate of housing loss

• More than 140,000 housing units in New Orleans suffered major damage.

• About 80% were affordable to low-income households.

Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org)

The lower 9th ward: The 9th circle?

Source: Slate magazine

Former First Lady Barbara BushCommenting on the reactions of evacuees from New Orleans who were sheltered in the Houston Astrodome: "Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them."