"Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them" Ezekiel 38:7
For communities of color it seems like we are always in a state of reaction. There is seemingly something to be said for those of us who plan and prepare in society regardless of ethnicity. But what I have seen far too often is the displacement of preparation. While I have yet to join a congregation I am a spiritual lady and yes I am also a scientist. I proudly am a woman of God and sometimes go to the Word to help get the message across to my own community. May I remind the public that yes every community needs to be talked to in a language that they can understand and that is why I decided to do a blog of this nature. I speak as a Black woman, a city girl and a mother. I speak as a scientist as well as a woman of God. I speak as an activist for change and an advocate for equality. I hope that my intentions and love for the communities which I belong come across in my sharing of information. Simply because there are few opportunities for us to even have these sorts of discussions.
There are tragic consequences to our local governments inability to adequately respond and prepare communities of color to disaster events. In 1965 Hurricane Betsy (see the video below), Katrina's big sister was a template for how urban disasters and communities of color would look in the future with continuous absence of investment in infrastructure as well as the consequences of lack of preparation by the people. While we can argue about the barriers to preparation in 1965, I wholeheartedly believe this is not the case in todays society.
Another example of an urban disaster would be the 1995 Chicago heat wave in which socio-economic status determined if you died in that ridiculous heat. I remember my mother being called for duty to respond to the many calls for assistance during that week. I also remember news casters cracking eggs and cooking them on the sidewalk. There wasn't much one could do to prepare for such an event because if you couldn't afford an air conditioner you were out of luck. However the city as many do have seasonal cooling and warming centers along with transportation for those who need relief from the days weather events. As you can see the 1995 heat wave was a beast compared to 2012. Preparing for changes in our urban climate means that we have to look to the past and see what happened and how can we be better prepared in the future.
Even my last blog about "Under Water and Over It" was about preparation of some sorts related to water. The disasters cities will face somewhat depends on your location. Coastal communities are at high risks of flooding, whereas cities such as Chicago our flooding is in our residential basements but loss of energy and clean drinking water are not too far from a reality. Furthermore in such a time of violent weather we don't know how tornados and winter storms will impede upon our structures let alone our health and well being. For Black communities in segregated cities this is an even more impressive realization that we have to figure out how to prepare, survive and recover as a community, maybe even block by block. I want to offer some solutions on how to even get this started:
1. Block clubs
Working at a block club level helps to create a neighbor network. Understanding what are the blocks resources and who is good at what would help. Knowing your block is mostly seniors would mean having to understand what external resources would be needed from surrounding blocks
2. Attending training
Local Red Cross groups offer disaster preparedness training, this includes First Aid and recovery organizing. If your local church is interested in being the point location for congregations to have aid then beginning a disaster preparedness ministry would be a great idea
3. Talk to local government
Get involved in what your city and municipalities are doing related to extreme weather events and disasters. SPEAK UP!!! You pay taxes too, and it is extremely important that you understand what is needed to protect your property, businesses and more importantly your lives. Your elected officials are there to be held accountable make sure your community is prepared for the future.
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