Hurricane Katrina and the Myth of the Post—Civil Rights Era

Abstract

Many writers, scholars, and activists contend that the civil rights movement is over and we are now in a new “post—civil rights era.” Proponents of the post—civil rights notion contend that the civil rights movement was successful in its goal of eliminating legal discrimination. They also agree that black America is now facing a new set of problems not addressed by the civil rights objectives and tactics a generation ago. While a cross-section of critics support the idea of a post—civil rights era, they differ in their interpretation of the causes and solutions to the contemporary racial divide. In this article, the author analyzes three interrelated uses of the post—civil rights concept and question its utility in addressing the persistence of urban inequality and the unequal impact of Hurricane Katrina on the African American community.