Remembering Katrina: Shattering the Illusions of a Post- Racist Society
Photo via Wiretap Magazine, by Rebecca “B Fresh” McDonald.
As America watched Obama soar as a rising star of the political candidacy, some adopted the illusion of a post-racist society to be a plausible reality. Our President is Black- that must mean that America has cashed out all its reparation holdings and paid back all that’s been owed in the name of segregation, prejudice, and injustice. Some believed that racism has disappeared overnight, that the election of a Black president meant that America must have crossed the finish line when it came to debating the politics of race.
Yet, although America has truly created a momentous landmark in history by electing our first black President in a landslide victory, there are still mountains to climb.
Some of the crucial steps in understanding the complexities of American society is sifting through the physical, visceral, and impending debris that Katrina left behind. Three years later, New Orleans is still in the process of rebuilding, struggling to stabilize normalcy, and still battling the ramifications of a tragedy corrupted by racial prejudice.
The images of the newscasts still remain fresh in my mind:
Thousands of brown bodies flung like snapped branches
A real life wipeout in the most literal sense
The existence of people of color prove seemingly insignificant
I won’t forget the devastation, the confusion that struck as we watched Katrina victims become separated in opposing dichotomies: some were accused of stealing, while others were revered for their methods of survival. I won’t forget watching Robert Davis get pummeled into a brick wall, beaten by four white officers for false accusations of intoxication, provoking the memory of Rodney King to resurface in my consciousness. I remember feeling anger in my body, a kind of anger that rose and crashed much like the waves that ruptured New Orleans.
Three years later, and Katrina’s ghost still haunts New Orleans. In areas like Algiers Point, post-Katrina violence remain rampant, with white vigilantes striking against residents of the black community. In this video (via Wiretap), two victims describe their experiences, proving the reality of racism and its continuing prevalence in American society:
The inauguration is only weeks away, and I can already imagine the enormous sense of pride and joy that Obama’s presidential initiation will bring in all of us. Still, I encourage us all to remember that the work is far from over, and to let this inspiration motivate us to continue the fight.
Shatter the illusions and instead find truth in our reflection. Shine in 09, America. The world is waiting.
My lambo is blue,
Ruby
You are absolutely right. We’ve come a long way but we still have a long road to travel before America can truly become the land of “equality, and justice for all”.
~Kim