The Wrong Complexion for Protection
Robert D. Bullard
Uncovers the ways the United States government responds to natural and human-induced disasters in relation to race over the past eight decades
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. In The Wrong Complexion for Protection, Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. They compare and contrast how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. Bullard and Wright argue that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.
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About Robert D. Bullard
Reviews for The Wrong Complexion for Protection
Choice
"The Wrong Complexion for Protectionis an intellectual version of a 'greatest hits' album, combining autobiography and research findings to give a picture of the authors' important contributions to the field of environmental justice, and a picture of what environmental justice has contributed to political science and other fields."
Patrick S. Roberts
Political Science Quarterly
"A fascinating insiders account from the frontlines of the struggle to get the government to act fairly in the face of environmental injustice, with vast implications for future disasters."
Timmons Roberts,co-author of A Climate of Injustice "The brutal realities of institutional racism in disaster readiness, response, and recovery are unveiled here in black and white, through compelling case studies, jaw-dropping statistics, and thoroughly documented sociological and historical data."
David Naguib Pellow,co-author of The Slums of Aspen: Immigrants vs. the Environment in America’s Eden