The Invisibility of the Black Family
During Hurricane Katrina
By Lillian B. Poats
There is an increasing buzz in American society about the “collapse” of the Black family. The sentiment has been echoed by researchers, politicians, writers and even entertainment personalities. But that belief has a hard time explaining what we all saw on our televisions after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. The media brought us extensive coverage of the horror and desperation that followed in the wake of the hurricane. But as I listened to the accounts, there was one element which seemed to be completely missing: The role of the “Black family.” There was very little, if any, coverage given to the challenges for families, yet it was clear to me that many of the people survived only because of the strength of the family.
News cameras captured images of survivors wading through polluted, waist-deep water. Although it was rarely mentioned directly,
it was clear that many of the evacuees were families. In the rush to tell the shocking stories, the media largely ignored the heartbreaking accounts of parents struggling to save their grandparents and children.
One young lady who escaped the devastation in New Orleans enrolled at Texas Southern and recounted her family’s journey from their home to the “safe haven” of the Superdome. “There were four generations of us in that water,” she said. It’s interesting that stories like this warranted little, if any, media mention.
As it turns out, the storm itself may not have been the force most responsible for pulling some of these families apart. In many cases, the families arrived safely at evacuation centers only to be separated by the chaotic system FEMA put in place. Even now, months later, we see reports of families struggling to locate their loved ones.
It would help if we could blame Mother Nature for the situation. Unfortunately, we created this system. Those responsible for the evacuation of New Orleans could have been more sensitive about the need to keep family units intact. But it seems that America has again failed to recognize the value of the Black family’s role in our society. The comparisons to the slave trade are terrible but unavoidable. Is the Black family “invisible” in the eyes of society? It certainly appeared to be as far as the media was concerned.
