The Wrong Complexion for Protection

How the Government Response to Disaster Endangers African American Communities

Robert D Bullard author Beverly Wright author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:New York University Press

Published:23rd Jul '12

Should be back in stock very soon

This hardback is available in another edition too:

The Wrong Complexion for Protection cover

A provocative argument revealing the inherent racism in governmental responses

When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. The authors place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the years.

Uncovers the ways the United States government responds to natural and human-induced disasters in relation to race over the past eight decades
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. In The Wrong Complexion for Protection, Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. They compare and contrast how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. Bullard and Wright argue that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.

A fine overview for those interested in the subject matter. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *
The Wrong Complexion for Protectionis an intellectual version of a 'greatest hits' album, combining autobiography and research findings to give a picture of the authors' important contributions to the field of environmental justice, and a picture of what environmental justice has contributed to political science and other fields. -- Patrick S. Roberts * Political Science Quarterly *
A fascinating insiders account from the frontlines of the struggle to get the government to act fairly in the face of environmental injustice, with vast implications for future disasters. -- Timmons Roberts,co-author of A Climate of Injustice
The brutal realities of institutional racism in disaster readiness, response, and recovery are unveiled here in black and white, through compelling case studies, jaw-dropping statistics, and thoroughly documented sociological and historical data. -- David Naguib Pellow,co-author of The Slums of Aspen: Immigrants vs. the Environment in America’s Eden

ISBN: 9780814799932

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 567g

304 pages