New Orleans' Dispersed Black Residents Face Voting Barriers

Red tape and foot-dragging on the part of FEMA may prevent thousands of Black voters dispersed by Hurricane Katrina from voting in local elections.

1 minute read

November 20, 2005, 5:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley

"Black voters are not the only ones facing the hardships of relocation, but they are the group most affected by Katrina...While there are no hard numbers for how many of the 300,000 New Orleans evacuees are black, it appears to be well over two-thirds. Pre-Katrina New Orleans had a population of 500,000, of which nearly 70 percent was black.

"With 73 percent of New Orleans residents over the age of 18, according to Census 2000, roughly 219,000 of the New Orleans evacuees should be of voting age. If we estimate conservatively that 70 percent of those evacuees are black, thatâ€™s 153,300 black voters whose poll tapes FEMA is replacing with red tape. This is voter disenfranchisement by attrition."

FULL STORY: Voter Disenfranchisement by Attrition

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in In These Times

Government / Politics Louisiana

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.