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From Katrina to COVID-19: How Disaster, Federal Neglect, and the Market Compound Racial Inequities

Through history, storytelling, and political analysis, this report illustrates how the government neglect that disproportionately affected communities of color during Hurricane Katrina is again evident during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, with similar devastating results. The experience of Katrina, then, has policy implications for the current moment, including concerns over profiteering and who will have a voice in rebuilding communities disproportionately affected by economic shutdown and school closures. Policymakers are urged to act on the report's race-conscious, equity-focused recommendations spanning health, education, housing, labor, and democratic governance.