A well-known scholar said during a speech Thursday night Hurricane Katrina left many effects that could have been avoided had people stayed mindful of history and planned ahead.
John H. McClendon III, a scholar of African-American philosophy, said Hurricane Katrina affected the Gulf Coast culturally and politically
The majority of those affected by Katrina in New Orleans were black, he said.
People who do not own vehicles were the hardest hit because they had no way to evacuate, he said. This is why blacks were those hit the hardest, McClendon said.
“Much of what we know about African-American culture is based upon images projected by weapons of mass deception (the mass media),” he said. He also said history of exploitation is the key to understanding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Many people now have nowhere to live, and this can be helped, he said.
“There are 11,000 mobile homes sitting in Arkansas because they didn’t meet FEMA’s standards,” he said.
McClendon was asked to speak at MSU in celebration of Black History Month, said Aretha Jones-Cook, the director of the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. Cook said McClendon concentrated on Hurricane Katrina’s impact on culture in general, not just African-American culture.
Cook said she gained positive feedback from students who attended McClendon’s speech. The students were given a better understanding in regards to the political and economic impact of Katrina, she said.
A student who attended the speech, sophomore apparel, textiles and merchandising major Ashley Gunkel, said she attended because she is from the Gulf Coast, and she was interested in McClendon’s point of view about the impact of Katrina.
“I learned that events in the past and the way African-Americans were treated in the past led to the impact of the hurricane,” Gunkel said.
Gunkel also said overall, McClendon’s message was an important one that was heard by all.
The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center sponsored the event, which about 60 people attended.