Poverty in the Aftermath of Katrina: Reimagining Citizen Leadership in t he Context of Federalism

It is a cruel irony that a lead singer with the name Katrina and a back-up band called the Waves performed a pop song in the 1980s with bright lyrics and happy beat. Many years later, a natural disaster bearing the same name, backed by a surge of seawater, consumed the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, America and the rest of the world witnessed the desperate side of the world\u27s wealthiest nation. Many people, who had neither time nor resources to escape the storm\u27s surge, and the destruction that followed, became first-hand witnesses to America\u27s failure to adequately address its poverty problem. The world was shocked to see Americans displaced and immobilized. Chilling reports of the disintegration of the community with rampant plundering and lawlessness punctuated media broadcasts. The ravages of death and deprivation were graphically depicted even as relief providers scrambled to address the massive needs of the displaced and injured. The failed infrastructure and lack of services to help the unfortunates who remained behind to weather the storm resurrected the national debate on poverty-who is responsible for giving willing Americans the tools to remove themselves from poverty to become contributing members of society