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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.

-          Initially, it discusses a circular published in 1997, which addresses the problems faced by undocumented immigrants in France and the problems they face getting medical treatment, which eventually went on to turn in to law and improve the welfare of ill illegal residents. This was in the face of many years of increasing laws restricting undocumented resident’s rights in France.

-          Then, it speaks of a specific plight of a French resident from Senegalese, and his request for medical attention, the avenues he had explored to get treatment, how he couldn’t return to his homeland, and how he had, in many ways, given up in the system and was relying on his failing body to arouse compassion from the government.

-          Talks about how the restructuring of the French economy has changed employment needs in France; once, foreign immigrant labor powered the workforce, and made a living through their physical well-being. Now, with the decline of this type of job availability, a change was needed to how the French government deals with illness in foreign residents.

It was a movie/interactive site created by a large team of producers funded by these foundaitons: 

Awesome Foundation

Bertha Foundation

Joan Mitchell Foundation

Kindle Project

MacArthur Foundation

North Star Fund

The article has been cited 52 times according to Google Scholars. Such articles include articles on mobilities and health, long term recovery from disasters (one particularly on katrina), and the socioeconomic recovery of disasters and how it affects survivor populations.