THE WRONG COMPLEXION FOR PROTECTION: HOW GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO DISASTER ENDANGERS AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
BY ROBERT BULLARD AND BEVERLY WRIGHT

A discussion led by faculty from Penn State’s Sustainability Institute, which will host a virtual event with author Robert D. Bullard on April 1 as part of a year-long initiative on environmental justice.

In The Wrong Complexion for Protection, Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright place the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. They compare and contrast how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected.

Bullard and Wright argue that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times. This subject has direct implications for people who care about the institutions that comprise American democracy and how to make them more equitable.

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