Newswise — Hurricane Katrina is bringing to light various disparities that plague our nation.
Tennessee State University professor Bobby Lovett says one disparity is the financial status of many African-Americans from New Orleans and the gulf coastal region. Many of the citizens of New Orleans are impoverished. According to Lovett, the poverty rate for the nation is now more than 12 percent and for New Orleans the rate is nearly 34 percent.
Lovett says, "For those of us who often visit New Orleans for professional trips, we see the awful poverty hidden in the vast array of back streets, alley ways, and shotgun frame houses."
History bears out the fact that disasters affect the impoverished substantially more than other citizens. According to Lovett, the cholera outbreaks of old, the aftermath of the Civil War, the Great Depression, the currently high unemployment rates, famine, storms, and floods as proof that the impoverished are the ones affected most by natural disasters.
Lovett further says, "Natural disasters and war have affected the under-class and racial minorities, especially African-Americans, in the worst ways, naturally because they occupied the worst housing, and lived in the hollows and low places of the cities." Lovett posits that the social and cultural impact of this major disaster like others will linger long after the deaths have been tallied, property has been restored or rebuilt, and lives have been returned to normal.
The social impact of Hurricane Katrina has left its survivors with little to nothing. Consequently, another phenomenon of disasters is that people are willing to help those in need.
Hurricane relief efforts are in progress at Tennessee State University. Tennessee State University is one of many higher educational institutions opening its doors to many displaced students from universities in the gulf coast. As of September 19, a total of 66 students have already made the transfer to TSU. Eight students are benefiting from an $8,000 award from the Tom Joyner Foundation HBCU Relief Scholarship.
TSU faculty and staff are planning a university service fair with the American Red Cross to help aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina with dental and mental health services, jobs, and needs assessments.
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