Call for Papers
Disaster on the Delta:
The Tenth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
One Day Mini-Conference at California State University Channel Islands (Camarillo, CA)
Friday, October 16, 2015
Ten years have passed since hurricane Katrina struck the southern US coast from Louisiana to Florida leaving destruction and homelessness in its wake. Even before Katrina made land both private and governmental agencies were preparing for the devastation that would likely follow. While the government and private sector response to Katrina has been widely criticized, it has also served as a model of how to respond to future natural or human made disasters.
Hurricane Katrina impacted every facet of life in the Gulf region, influencing the population, the music and culture as well as cuisine and entertainment. Public schools were taken over by the state, the United Teachers Union was effectively broken, and Charity Hospital, which once provided free medical care to those in need, was closed for good. Formerly working class neighborhoods were gentrified and New Orleans saw an influx of people from all over the country and the world—dynamics that will hopefully be addressed during this conference.
This one day conference to be held on the campus of California State University-Channel Islands will analyze and assess the response to hurricane Katrina from the private and public sectors as well as Katrina’s lasting impact on the regions demography, art, and culture. Paper panels will be organized according to themes and commenters will provide a critique of the presentations.
We encourage both students and faculty to submit paper or section proposals on any aspect of this natural disaster that has had a lasting impact on the US.
Possible topics might include but are not limited to:
Labor and Katrina Real Estate and Katrina
NGO’s and Katrina Population and Katrina
Immigration and Katrina Government Response to Katrina
Role of Race/Ethnicity on Rescue/Cleanup Health Care and Katrina
Katrina and Climate Change Court System and Katrina
Privatization and Katrina Law Enforcement and Katrina
Public Housing and Katrina Gentrification and Katrina
Art and Music and Katrina Flood Control and Katrina
Education and Katrina Volunteerism and Katrina
Wetlands and Katrina Infrastructure and Katrina
Please submit a one-page CV and a 500 word maximum abstract no later than September 30, 2015 to:
Dr. Michael Powelson
Department of History
California State University-Channel Islands
One University Drive
Camarillo, CA 93012
Funds for this conference provided by the office of Instructionally Related Activities, CSUCI
Dr. Michael Powelson
Department of History
California State University-Channel Islands
One University Drive
Camarillo, CA 93012