University of the District of Columbia Law Review
Article Title
A Tale Of Two Cities: Lessons Learned From New Orleans To The District Of Columbia For The Protection Of Vulnerable Populations From The Consequences Of Disaster
Abstract
Like Paris before the French Revolution, New Orleans is a city of extremes. Visitors from around the world visit "the Big Easy" to sip chicory coffee and eat beignets in the French Quarter, listen to some of the country's best music at the jazz festival, and join one of the world's most famous parties during Mardi Gras. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, it exposed the soft underbelly of New Orleans-the other side of the city where thousands of people, mostly African Americans, live in pockets of concentrated poverty unable to escape the consequences of decades of neglect, segregation, and lack of economic opportunity.