| SPA forum focuses on New Orleans’ future
Photo by Rick Reinhard
Craig Colten
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Two months after Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, ravaged the Gulf Coast, the social costs continue to mount. Last Monday, four experts gathered at AU to discuss the challenges of rebuilding New Orleans and the lives of its citizens. Hosted by the School of Public Affairs (SPA), “Katrina: Rebuilding After Disaster” featured Craig Colten, professor of geography and anthropology at Louisiana State University; Jessica Lemos, a former staff member for New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin and an SPA graduate student; Beryl Radin, SPA scholar in residence; and Jocelyn Johnston, professor of public administration at SPA. According to Colten, because major portions of New Orleans are below sea level, “everyone lives close to a vulnerable place.” However, poor people of color have traditionally settled in the lowest areas, making them “most susceptible to hazardous events.” Lemos, a 2003 graduate of Tulane University, advocated a “second New Deal” to jump-start the local economy. “In the words of Ray Nagin, ‘New Orleans is a living museum,’” she said. “To rebuild such a treasure requires creativity.” SPA’s Radin focused on the governmental failures in the wake of Katrina, while Johnston spoke about the need for a “social safety net” for victims, who are facing unemployment and health care problems. The discussion was sponsored by the Carmen Group, whose president and CEO, David Carmen, serves on AU’s Board of Trustees. —AF |
