Race, Place, & the Environment After Katrina

Race, Place, & the Environment After Katrina: Looking Back to Look Forward
Dillard University - Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director
October 19 - 21, 2006
Marriott New Orleans, LA

About the Symposium:

The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University in New Orleans is sponsoring a national symposium on Race, Place, and the Environment After Katrina: Looking Back to Look Forward. Hurricane Katrina has been described as one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The untold tons of lethal sludge left behind will require the "mother of all toxic cleanups."

A main objective of the symposium will be to examine the impacts of this disaster through an environmental justice lens with an emphasis on race and geography of vulnerability. The symposium will explore racial disparities in disaster emergency preparedness, response, cleanup, debris management, recovery, rebuilding, reconstruction, and repopulation. Our intent is to bring together scholars, professionals, experts, government officials, and community leaders to discuss how race impacts natural disaster survivors' ability to rebuild, replace infrastructure, obtain loans, locate temporary and permanent housing, and return to and rebuild their homes, neighborhoods, institutions, and businesses in a safe and sustainable way.

Additionally, concepts of equitable development, clean production, and green chemistry will be explored for their benefits as it relates to the clean-up of environmental hazards and impact of natural and man-made disasters.

For more information, contact Mary Williams at mivorywill@aol.com or 225-201-1662.

Check-out the website at www.dscej.org