Climate Change, Hurricane Katrina and African American Environmentalism

AUTHOR'S STATEMENT: In September 2012, I submitted the attached revised manuscript to the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (JESS) for consideration for publishing. It was ultimately not accepted by JESS. Some time later, a further revised version of the manuscript was accepted--I had shortened it in response to feedback from other reviewers--by the Journal of African American Studies (JAAS) under the title "Climate Justice, Hurricane Katrina and African American Environmentalism." In some ways, I prefer the original, longer version of the paper, because it includes a more extensive discussion of the origin of the Environmental Justice (EJ) movement within the Black community and it delves into the issue of the discord that existed (at the time at least) between the EJ and mainstream environmental movements. ABSTRACT: The images of human suffering from New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina remain seared in our nation’s collective memory. More than seven years on, the city and its African-American population still have not recovered fully. This reality highlights an important truth: the disturbances that accompany climate change will first and foremost affect minority communities, many of whom are economically disadvantaged. This paper argues that, for this reason and others, climate change is an issue of grave concern for African Americans. This paper: (i) describes how hurricane Katrina, an example of the type of natural disaster that will become more prevalent with climate change, has impacted the black community of New Orleans; (ii) traces the history of the environmental justice movement in the United States and argues that climate change is an environmental justice issue; (iii) explores the notion that African Americans, in the midst of historical racial oppression, have developed a unique and powerful brand of environmental thought that has much to contribute to mainstream environmentalism; and (iv) argues that the voice of the black community, which has a strong vested interest in climate outcomes, is critically needed in today’s climate change debate.