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In New Orleans, African American communities were not only hit hard by Katrina's floods, but also by violent policing during the catastrophe and a disaster "recovery" effort that was fundamentally Anti-Black (closing of publich housing and the privatization of schools and health care). Recovery efforts were not organized along ideals of racial justice that would have addressed gaps in educational and health care resources. Instead, they were imagined along neoliberal principles that systematically excluded the city's Black population. I am interested in looking into how the Anti-Blackness of Katrina "recovery" set the stage for the virulent way COVID 19 is affecting New Orleans' African American communities.

In the US Virgin Islands, Hurricanes Maria and Irma decimated what were already decrepit public school and public health systems. Public schools and hospitals had not been property repaired and remained under-supported as of early March 2020. In places like the Island of St. Croix, residents reported the hospital having only one physicial on staff, and indicated fear of misdiagnosis and prolonged waiting times kept them from seeking health care there. The clientelle of the public health system is predominantly Afro and Hispanic Caribbean. Meanwhile, US "mainlanders" (who are predominantly white) are reported to seek their healthcare off island, something only those with ample financial resources can do. Infection rates and fatality rates for the USVI seem rather low from official reports, but it is important to find out if this is because testing itself is not readily avialable in the territory.

Media coverage from hard-hit cities suggests there is a disproportionate number of arrests and citations related to enforcement of social distancing among racial minorities.

Also, police response seems to have followed very different patterns in the case of "re-open" protests and anti-police brutality protests.

"For example, workshop participants suggested that in some causes armed groups may feel they needed to kidnap a doctor in order to recieve care; or perhaps soliders at a chekcpoint are concerned that an ambulance may contain explosives and obstruct deliever of health services in order to prevent bombing"

"Although violence directly affecting health service delievery in complex security enviornments has recieved a great deal of media attention, theres very little publically avaliable research, particularly peer reviewed, original research"

"Because rporting often focuses on the most serious attacks, such as kidnapping and fatalities, workshop participants stressed that incidents precieved to be less severe such as threats and obstructions are less likely to be underreported"

The argument is supported using multiple historical accounts such as the 1850 Hauge st explosion where the boiler failure investigation consisted of people who were experts on the boiler, on the man who controlled the boiler and his habits. The disaster was blamed on those who were directly involved in the boiler’s sale, upkeep and use. Next the article uses findings of the Iroquois theatre fire and puts the people who designed the building at fault. Freeman, a well educated engineer analyzed the faults of the building and deemed that many factors caused the fire. The 1814 burning of the capitol is used as evidence because the government did not want to spend the time or money to build the building properly to prevent the fire. The investigation was spearheaded by Lathrobe who attempted to rebuild in the proper way, but ultimately failed due to political reasons.

This group works in social ecologies that are mostly controlled by the government; not what may be best for the people. but what is best for the government financially. PHR works to help those who social justice or human rights have been stripped for little to no reason. This shapes the way the organization views disaster because they believe that disaster can begin with one person who is not living up to their standards of life due to someone or something else. Disaster is a comprehensive network of interlocking pieces, when one piece is out of place it is defined as a place to start.