Disaster Mythology and Its Influence on Disaster Response Among Black Victims
Disaster Mythology
Disaster Mythology stems from ‘man-made’ events which shape the opinions of individuals, about how people behave during extreme disasters. The situation poised by Hurricane Katrina proved to be a foundation of how Black individuals deal with or are dealt with during a disaster. The Black Population made up 67% of New Orleans, and 28% of them were living in poverty (Seltzer, 2017). For this reason, the majority of the Black and needy members of the New Orleans community were unable to adhere to evacuation orders once this disaster struck. They were relegated to refuge centres that neither had the capacity or the facilities to help them ride out the storm properly. The desperate situation they were flung into sparked different reactions from them and these were the basis of behavioural analysis.
Question 1:
The depiction of Black People in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina by the media marred the disaster response that they should have received. These unfortunate stranded victims were criminalized, and a perception of their unworthiness as victims of the disaster was coined. The emergency response that was afforded to them was shrouded under the context of ‘urban warfare’ (Garfield, 2007). The city that they inhabited was believed to be under siege, and the African American individuals were considered to be criminal insurgents.
The medias portrayal of their afflictions made them acquire names such as gun-toting killers, dangerous looters and an out-of-control crazed mob (Garfield, 2007). Members of the media received all this from uncorroborated, exaggerated information, given by members of the community. The latter was in power and had the capability of manipulating the situation to their advantage. Looting, rape and murder were some of the crimes that the African American individuals were accused of. Some of them may have taken advantage of the situation, especially in the case of looting, but most of those who looted did it out of necessity. The medias portrayals of the lawless behaviour sparked the outlook of social dissent within New Orleans to be as a result of black criminality, but this was not the case. It was caused by the compromised social infrastructure that was fueled by the decisions made by government officials stemming from unreliable media reports on Hurricane Katrina.
If the African Americans had received proper disaster management protocols, then they would not have been faced with the need to fend for themselves during the aftermath of the hurricane. The media needs to receive accurate information, and that is founded on actual events instead of hearsay which makes African American individuals out to be looters, rapists and murderers. The need to separate actions geared towards survival and actions that support insurgence should be of utmost importance.
Question 2:
Are African American Individuals still overlooked when it comes to access to government services such as health care and disaster management protocols?
References
Seltzer, N., & Nobles, J. (2017). Post-disaster fertility: Hurricane Katrina and the changing racial composition of New Orleans. Population and Environment, 38(4), 465-490. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11111-017-0273-3
Garfield, G. (2007). Hurricane Katrina: The Making of Unworthy Disaster Victims. J Afr Am St 10, 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-007-9010-9