Katrina

         For class, I read an interesting article on the effects that hurricane Katrina had on local rappers in New Orleans.  The reading talked about the effect it had on the music coming out of the area, from local artists to greats like Lil Wayne.  The "Dirty South" was breaking stereotypes and making some politically influenced music, based on what was going on.  However, the music still held southern norms, such as giving shout outs to their personal hoods, and rapping about usual content.
         The events following Katrina really showed how much the country really cares for its Black citizens.  The severity of that storm is nothing that could ever be argues, and to see how so many people suffered was awful.  While evacuations were in place, a lot of people of low-incomes could not afford to leave; some had no place to go.  This caused people to stay in their house, which proved to be very deadly!  I remember watching heartbreaking videos of people sitting on the roofs of their house just waiting for help; help that barely was given to people in inner-city New Orleans.  The United States gave minimal assistance to the people affected by the storm in New Orleans! Why is that the case is something that one might ask.  The answer was because the United States did not really care, because this was in an African-American dominated city.  Most of the post Katrina affects  effected Black, and everybody knows that if this happened in a place with more white people, the United States would've intervened so much more.  That is why Kanye West's statement that George Bush did not care about Black people was so felt and valid.  It was proven during this awful storm!