Taking the Measure: The Presidency of George W. Bush

Chapter 8. Wading in the Water: George W. Bush’s Civil Rights Agenda

chaPTer 8 Wading in the Water George W. Bush’s Civil rights Agenda Pearl K. Ford Dowe While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice of our own country. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools, and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country. We do not accept this, and we will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity. George W. Bush, Inaugural speech, 2001 You simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals. . . . so many of these people . . . are so poor and they are so black. Wolf Blitzer, speaking about Hurricane Katrina victims, September 1, 2005 h ow presidents lead, cope with the media, address federal-state relationships , establish boundaries, and define their policy agendas contribute to their ability or inability to address the demands imposed by disaster. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina raised many concerns about executive management of disasters and the effectiveness of the federal government in relationship to the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. George W. Bush was heavily criticized and personally took blame for the failures and shortcomings of government response to the disaster. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina exposed the reported weaknesses of his administration that included political cronyism and isolation by advisers that kept him out of touch with the realities of how vulnerable citizens fared poorly under his policies. 120 • pearl k. ford dowe This chapter will explore how the limited leadership the Bush administration provided toward civil rights impeded an adequate response for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and minimized the citizenship rights of the poor and black communities of New Orleans. “George Bush doesn’t care about Black People” The politics of race, poverty, and inequality were exposed through horrid vivid images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Rarely since the inception of the War on Poverty during the Johnson administration had these issues received consistent national media attention as they did in the days and weeks after the storm. The disparate racial impact was undeniably apparent as a result of the government’s failed anemic policy response. Many observers argued that there was indifference at best and racism at worst among national political leaders. Other interpretations emphasized the historical and structural background that underlay the particular vulnerability of African Americans to events such as Katrina.1 The extreme residential segregation along with the concentration of poor African Americans in deindustrializing inner cities significantly contributed to patterns of racial inequality along with the devolution of social policies from the federal government to the state that would render minorities particularly vulnerable beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the twentyfirst century.2 Regardless of how one would categorize the racial disparities, it became evident that events such as Katrina are the result of complex interactions between the systems of social, political, and economic relations that human intervention engenders.3 The most famous indictment of the federal government’s and Bush’s indifference to the black poor was expressed by hip-hop artist and producer Kanye West. The rapper appeared on an NBC telethon on September 2, 2005, in support of the American Red Cross disaster relief effort. During a scripted segment with comedian Mike Myers, Myers discussed how the city of New Orleans had changed forever as a result of the flood waters in the city, but West veered from script and began to speak: I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says “They’re looting.” You see a white family, it says “They’re looking for food.” And, you know it’s been five days [waiting for the government to arrive] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I’ve tried to turn away from the TV because it’s too hard to watch. I’ve even been shopping before even giving a Wading in the Water • 121 donation. So now I’m calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give. And just to imagine if I was down...