'Been in The Storm So Long' : Katrina, Reparations, and the Original Understanding of Equal Protection

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm devastated the region and its citizens. But its devastation did not reach across racial and class lines equally. This collection of polemical essays explores the extent to which African Americans and others were, and are, disproportionately affected by the natural and man-made forces that caused Hurricane Katrina. Such an engaged study of this tragic event forces us to acknowledge that the ways in which we view our history and life have serious ramifications on modern human relations, public policy, and quality of life.