Was/Is Race A Factor?

There is a common trend among the victims of Hurricane Katrina plucked from rooftops and waist-deep water. Most of them are poor and black.

Hurricane Katrina affected hundreds of thousands of people, but the horrific images of those at the center of the tragedy have shown deep divisions over race and class. It has also brought out criticism of the nation's response.

Frustrations have boiled over as black leaders question whether emergency assistance would have been faster had the victims been mainly white and wealthy.

Many prominant black lawmakers have said they are 'ashamed' of the government and are 'outraged' by their lack of response. Several members of the House of Represenatives have said too much focus has been placed on the looting rather than the priority of getting food, water and stability to thousands of displaced victims.

Rev. Jesse Jackson said pleas from cities for help fell largely on deaf ears in the immediate aftermath of the killer storm, after meeting with officials in Louisiana.

Most blacks feel that their race, their property conditions and their voting patterns have been a factor in the government's response. While wealthy residents were able to leave New Orleans, many of the city's majority black population did not have the means and were left behind.

One person on Tomdispatch.com was quoted saying, "Affluent white people fled the Big Easy in their SUVs while the old and car-less – mainly black – were left behind in their below-sea-level shotgun shacks and aging tenements..."

Bob.