On Sept. 2, during NBC’s Concert for Hurricane Relief to benefit victims of Katrina hip hop musician Kanye West diverted from his teleprompt script to make some very pointed and unexpected comments. West expressed his anger and disappointment in the Bush administration’s response to the disaster, even going so far as to say, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
Although West’s remarks were untimely and his choice of words could have been better, his sentiments highlight the existing racial divide in the South and point to a greater systemic problem in the United States.
The media’s portrayal of the tragedy illustrates how race has become a divisive issue in the chaotic aftermath of the hurricane. A recent photo produced by the Associated Press shows a black man wading through chest-deep water with a case of Pepsi and a garbage bag in tow; the accompanying caption said the man had been “looting” a grocery store. In a similar photo by AFP/Getty Images, a white man is described as “finding” food and other goods. The difference between the captions has received immense criticism from the public.
The fact that many of the most vulnerable residents of New Orleans were black is a serious societal issue rather than a reflection of Bush’s personal sentiments. Katrina officially landed in New Orleans on Aug. 30, but federal convoys carrying food and other necessities did not reach the ravaged city until Sept. 2. This delayed response has outraged people all over the United States. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin called on politicians to “Get off your asses.” What’s worse is that unlike Kanye West’s remarks, Hurricane Katrina was not unexpected. For years, experts have questioned the strength of the resources available to withstand a hurricane of Katrina’s magnitude. In March 2004, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), James Lee Witt, told Congress he was “extremely concerned that the ability of our nation to prepare for and respond to disasters has been sharply eroded.” Nations around the world have pledged their help and support, but they can neither send their planes of food and supplies nor can they dispatch medical workers until the U.S. has given them the okay. This is yet another complication in the slow process of recovering what remains of a city in shambles. The Globe and Mail reported that “many of the nations offering aid to the United States after hurricane Katrina—including India, South Korea, Japan and Germany—said Wednesday that they are still waiting to hear back from Washington on whether their donations had been accepted.”
Although Congress has approved $10.5 billion in aid, critics are quick to remind Bush of his efforts to decrease funding to programs guarding against natural disasters in order to pay for tax cuts and the war in Iraq. Before the hurricane hit, a mere $4.7 million were reluctantly spent on improving the levees holding back Lake Pontchartrain, which Katrina stormed through.
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