The wrong complexion for protection: how the government response to natural and unnatural disasters endangers African American communities

"When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. In The Wrong Complexion for Protection, Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. They compare and contrast how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. Bullard and Wright argue that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times." -- from Amazon.com "When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. In The Wrong Complexion for Protection, Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. They compare and contrast how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. Bullard and Wright argue that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times"--Provided by publisher Introduction: anatomy of vulnerability Race, place, and the environment in a small southern town: a personal perspective from Robert D. Bullard Growing up in a city that care forgot, New Orleans: a personal perspective from Beverly Wright The legacy of bias: hurricanes, droughts, and floods Recovery and reconstruction in post-Katrina New Orleans: a time for healing and renewal The wrong complexion for protection: response to toxic contamination Nightmare on Eno Road: poisoned water and toxic racism in Dickson, Tennessee Living and dying on the fenceline: response to industrial accidents Separate and unequal treatment: response to health emergencies, human experiments, and bioterrorism threats Critical conditions: fixing a broken system.