The Wrong Complexion for Protection

by Bullard, Robert D.; Wright, Beverly

• ISBN13: 9780814799932
• ISBN10: 0814799930
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780814771938
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-07-23
• Publisher: New York Univ Pr

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	p. xi
Preface	p. xv
Introduction: Anatomy of Vulnerability	p. 1
Race, Place, and the Environment in a Small Southern Town: A Personal Perspective from Robert D. Bullard	p. 9
Growing Up in a City That Care Forgot, New Orleans: A Personal Perspective from Beverly Wright	p. 26
The Legacy of Bias: Hurricanes, Droughts, and Floods	p. 47
Recovery and Reconstruction in Post-Katrina New Orleans: A Time for Healing and Renewal	p. 73
The Wrong Complexion for Protection: Response to Toxic Contamination	p. 100
Nightmare on Eno Road: Poisoned Water and Toxic Racism in Dickson, Tennessee	p. 126
Living and Dying on the Fenceline: Response to Industrial Accidents	p. 156
Separate and Unequal Treatment: Response to Health Emergencies, Human Experiments, and Bioterrorism Threats:	p. 181
Critical Conditions: Fixing a Broken System	p. 209
Notes	p. 235
References	p. 245
Index	p. 277
About the Authors	p. 299
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