Hurricane Katrina: Crash Course Black American History #49

In this episode, Clint Smith details his experience as a teenager in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005. The widespread devastation of Hurricane Katrina was a result of faulty levees and a fumbled response by FEMA, and it hit Black residents the hardest. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the structural racism that made this disaster so catastrophic. Clint’s book, How the Word is Passed is available now! VIDEO SOURCES Modern Racism and Modern Discrimination: The Effects of Race, Racial Attitudes, and Context on Simulated Hiring Decisions - John B. McConahay Jed Horne, Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City (New York: Random House, 2006). D’Ann R. Penner and Keith C. Ferdinand, Overcoming Katrina: African American Voices from the Crescent City and Beyond (London, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). Jeremy Levitt and Matthew Whitaker, Hurricane Katrina: America’s Unnatural Disaster (Lincoln, N.E.: University of Nebraska Press, 2009). Series Tags Watch our videos and review your learning with the Crash Course App! Download here for Apple Devices: Download here for Android Devices: Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at Thanks to the following patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever: Katie, Hilary Sturges, Austin Zielman, Tori Thomas, Justin Snyder, DL Singfield, Amelia Ryczek, Ken Davidian, Stephen Akuffo, Toni Miles, Steve Segreto, Kyle & Katherine Callahan, Laurel Stevens, Stacey Gillespie (Stacey J), Burt Humburg, Allyson Martin, Aziz Y, DAVID MORTON HUDSON, Perry Joyce, Scott Harrison, Mark & Susan Billian, Alan Bridgeman, Rachel Creager, Breanna Bosso, Matt Curls, Jonathan Zbikowski, Jennifer Killen, Sarah & Nathan Catchings, team dorsey, Trevin Beattie, Eric Koslow, Jennifer Dineen, Indika Siriwardena, Jason Rostoker, Shawn Arnold, Siobhán, Ken Penttinen, Nathan Taylor, Les Aker, William McGraw, ClareG, Rizwan Kassim, Constance Urist, Alex Hackman, Jirat, pineapples of solidarity, Katie Dean, Wai Jack Sin, Ian Dundore, Justin, Mark, Caleb Weeks __ Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet? Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - CC Kids: