Hurricane Katrina, Now In Book Form

Michael Eric Dyson is a Black scholar, social critic, and even a minister. With all of those titles, I can't imagine anymore who could have a better grip on the overlapping race, class, political, and spitirtual issues dregged up by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina. Was it really just last fall? I already feel a year removed from everything that happened. Dyson's book, Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster helped to crystalize all the stray details of the of what happened in New Orleans and the Gulf States because of the storm.

The best parts of the book are in the beginning where Dyson puts Katrina into historical perspective. Whether it's Pompei or The Titanic, we seem to be good at leaving the poor behind during diasters. Dyson also explains that even if the politicans who led the slow moving response aren't actively racist, they were still working within a system that's skewed against Blacks and the poor.

Another revelation - Blacks got the most press attention, but there were poor Whites, Mexican-Americans, and Asiain-Americans all up in the mix. Dyson doesn't address this in the book, but I feel like the underclass od America blew a chance at solidarity by letting the focus rest on one race.

It's a good read, overall. Pick it up.

Comments

[CJ Twice]

Check new music out from CJ Twice (FREE) @ http://www.myspace.com/cjtwice

[Gwaen Taylor]

I pesonally feel that the powers that be are at it again proving why they are the elite ones in society> they always seem to rise to occasion when it comes to having the cover pulled off of their already dirty
ways of handling serious race issues, in our world. I have come to the conclusion that they never fail to insult our intelligence by showing us that they the powers that be that they just do not give a care, aboout how we fell or what we think, if it does n ot having any financial redeeming value to them. we as black americans have short term memory loss at the the most crucial times of history. when apartheid came crumbling down, we blacks were at the forfront of causing that sickness to come to an end in South Africa.
we hit them where it it always effects the Elite, in the pocket book. why have we forgotten about that part of our history?I know as Black americans our race are the biggest consumers of any other race in
America, why does it sound like we are somewhat naive to reality? I do not mean to beat a dead horse, however; blacks talk a good game, always complaining about important issues at these political charged forums but when the mic is turned off,we go back to our regular complaining rhetoric. the bottm line is the elite knows ne thing and that money and control I'm sorry two things. wake up!

[Anna Balasi]

Hi,

My name is Anna and I work at Hachette Book Group USA. I apologize for having to email you through your comments page about this, but I was wondering if you would be interested in receiving books from my company for possible review, giveaway, or feature on your blog.

If you're interested, I can send you more information about the books, but I'd need a direct email address.

Again, my apologies for contacting you through here.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Anna Balasi
Associate Web Publicist
Hachette Book Group USA