Breaking Urban Poverty after the Flood
In class lately, we've been discussing the Hurricane Katrina disaster along the Gulf Coast, and, to encourage us to think beyond the immediate relief situation, I handed out "Katrina's Silver Lining," an article by New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks (Sept. 8, 2005, edition). In his article, Brooks argues that, after the horror of the hurricane, we now have an opportunity to address significant social and economic disparities that we were all too willing to ignore before the disaster. Specifically, Brooks wants us to remediate the cycles of urban poverty in our nation by working to rebuild neighborhoods that are socio-economically mixed. What this means for New Orleans and other towns and cities along the coast is that housing patterns will change, commercial zoning will have to change, school districts will have to be re-established along different lines. The amount of work it will take to make these changes possible is staggering, but the potential to re-envision what America could be is incredible and should give us hope.
If you are interested in this issue, write a response to Brooks' proposal. Do you think his ideas will work as we rebuild in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama? If so, why do you think they will succeed and how long will it take to make the changes necessary? If you don't agree with Brooks (or believe he's wrong-headed in his specific plan), explain why he's wrong and offer your own solution to the problems that have been revealed in the wake of the flood. Regardless of your opinion about Brooks' ideas, I want you to ponder what your role will be in addressing the racial, economic, and social injustices we have been discussing in class.
posted by Shan Overton @ 9:54 AM
3 Comments:
I think that through the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the city was blessed with a second chance. I think that Brooks’ idea is a great one. It will require tons of effort from a lot of people, but if everyone works together and strives for the same ideal, it will happen. The project may take a while, but doesn’t it seem worth it? After all these poor people have been through, don’t they deserve something even better and more efficient? Think about it, these peoples’ lives are in shambles. This project will bring about a new, better life for them to build upon until they feel that their lives are complete or whole again. Go for it! :)
The hurricane was a terrible tragedy and I had many family members who lived in the area. Luckily they were able to evacuate their homes before the hurricane hit the area. I feel very lucky because there were many people who could not get out or chose not to leave. I feel very bad about everyones losses and I am praying for them during this hard time. Hopefully they will be able to get back into their homes and all the crime will stop. My family was able to get out but they lost everything to the flood. All prayers will be greatly appreciated.
It seems like a very good idea to establish new borders for the victims of the hurricane. However, I do not believe this plan will succeed as planned. There are too many factors that will not be able to be controlled. There will be animosity between neighbors due to the mixed housing. There is still too much hate in today's society. But perhaps I am wrong and the disaster will have brought the people closer. I hope that is the case but my realism tells me it has not yet reached this point.
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