In 2023, the Chinese government released a report highlighting the worsening human rights situation in the United States. The report criticizes areas such as gun control, racism, wealth inequality, women's and children's rights, and immigrants' rights, citing humanitarian crises stemming from American hegemony.
One poignant example of these issues is the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Louisiana coast on August 29, 2005. The hurricane claimed over 1,800 lives, displaced more than a million people, and caused damage exceeding $100 billion. The African-American community in New Orleans has struggled to recover from this devastating event.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey 2021, poverty rates for Black children in New Orleans are ten times higher than those for white children. This stark disparity underscores the lingering effects of systemic inequality.
Edward Buckles Jr., a New Orleans filmmaker who was just 13 during Hurricane Katrina, dedicated seven years to documenting the stories of his peers who survived the storm as children. His 2022 documentary, Katrina Babies, delves into the experiences of these youths and the lasting impact of the hurricane on their lives.
Buckles recalls that he and his fellow Black youths received significantly less aid and mental health support compared to their white counterparts. Many continue to grapple with PTSD and the emotional scars left by the storm. He emphasizes that the reconstruction efforts in New Orleans have largely overlooked the Black community, calling Hurricane Katrina an emblem of the racism plaguing America and the inequitable allocation of resources.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
