GEOG 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Gentrification
6 May 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
GEOG 1000 - Lecture 06 October 11, 2017
Racism and Inequality in the American South
Katrina and New Orleans, the contemporary South, Racism and Poverty
Hurricane Katrina
● Hit New Orleans August 25, 2005
● Category 4 hurricane
● Was New Orleans rebuilt or gentrified? Gentrified
● Majority of properties were flooded, disproportionately in the low lying
neighbourhoods, ⅔ of housing owned by African Americans were flooded, only 25%
of the houses were owned by whites
● Some neighbourhoods were intentionally flooded to save historic neighbourhoods
● 2000 dead, mainly due to people unable to evacuate
● State of Louisiana told people to evacuate, those unable to evacuate were
disproportionately African American
● The flooding was unprecedented, was in part due to being in low lying areas, but
mostly due to the breaking of the levees
● Survivors were forced to evacuate south, since there was nowhere to put people
New Orleans
● Settled by Europeans in the early 1700’s
● Had the largest population of free African Americans in the US
● Multiracial/multiethnic
● Not highly segregated; segregation increased with suburbanization
● When Katrina hit, 68% of New Orleans was African American
● Some of New Orleans is below sea level, whiter areas built above sea level
● Home of Oil and gas production in the south
The South
● Political history - the ones that rebelled, the ones that started the civil war
● Distinct rural economy - cotton production - slavery, and the black belt
● Even after emancipation, African Americans stayed in the south
● Majority Baptist
● Distinct cooking practices - home to jazz, the only indigenous music in America
Recent Changes in the South
● Most rapidly growing part of the United States
● Expanding economy, a large financial sector attracted by low wages, lots of
government subsides, manufacturing
● Research activities have expanded, technology has helped, allowed by the internet
● Tremendous political change
● Persistent and racialized poverty
● Inequality, higher wage gap between poor and wealthy
Large amounts of African Americans left the south to move northwest and northeast during
the early 19th century.
Document Summary
Katrina and new orleans, the contemporary south, racism and poverty. Majority of properties were flooded, disproportionately in the low lying neighbourhoods, of housing owned by african americans were flooded, only 25% of the houses were owned by whites. Some neighbourhoods were intentionally flooded to save historic neighbourhoods. 2000 dead, mainly due to people unable to evacuate. State of louisiana told people to evacuate, those unable to evacuate were disproportionately african american. The flooding was unprecedented, was in part due to being in low lying areas, but mostly due to the breaking of the levees. Survivors were forced to evacuate south, since there was nowhere to put people. Settled by europeans in the early 1700"s. Had the largest population of free african americans in the us. Not highly segregated; segregation increased with suburbanization. When katrina hit, 68% of new orleans was african american. Some of new orleans is below sea level, whiter areas built above sea level.
