New Orleans Flashcards
History
Indigenous people settled in the rich delta lands between Mississippi and Ponchartrain
Later European settlers; abundant ecological resources
Led to the area being culturally rich
Racism
75% of the people impacted by Hurricane Katrina were black
Institutional racism - collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their ethnicity
Historical segregation concentrated black residents in the lower-lying areas of the city, where there was more flood damage
Vulnerability
Since 1924, 33 category 5 hurricanes in Atlantic, only one hit New Orleans
50% of land below sea level
Levee not built to modern standards - replacement work was ongoing
Wetlands in the delta have diminished due to flood management disrupting sediment flow from the Mississippi
Land is sinking - soft sediments have compacted under the weight of buildings
George W. Bush
On a golfing holiday in Texas
Photo of him looking down on wreckage from AF1 - looked ‘detached’
Mayor Ray Nagin
Accepted $160,000 in bribes (e.g. free granite from businesses in return for contracts to rebuild city) - didn’t go to who should’ve been rebuilding
A lot of areas that were rebuilt ended up being gentrified
Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the character of New Orleans
The storm impacted heavily on the poor and African Americans
30% of those displaced had incomes 1.5 times below the poverty line
Took an additional month for a quarter of black residents to return, compared to white residents
There is 100,000 fewer African Americans living in the city today than in 2000
Hispanic population rose by 2%
Impact on the the economy
Business start-up rate was 64% higher than the US average ten years later
Many were social entrepreneurs who wanted to contribute to the city’s recovery
Public housing
City gov. sped up plans to tear down old public housing projects and replace them with mixed-income developments
Goal was to deconcentrate poverty and give lower-income residents a better place to live
Angry residents sued and protested
5000 → 1900 families in public housing
Some poor families have relocated to places like Houston or Atlanta
Gentrification and the lower 9th ward
Many residents were unable to return and experienced neglect and active disinvestment
Recovery for the neighbourhood largely meant gentrification
Katrina created an opportunity for gentrification, displacing tens of thousands and shaking a deeply rooted culture to its core
