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Katrina, Race, and High School

Series: Blunt Responds to Hurricane Katrina
From: Blunt Youth Radio Project
Length: 00:04:15

Hurricane Katrina stirred up a national dialogue about racial inequality and prompted Blunt's Bly Lauritano-Werner to take a look at some of the divisions in her own high school. Read the full description.
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Piece Description

The mishandled evacuation following Hurricane Katrina brought up a national dialogue on social inequalities like race and class. Some people have criticized the government's slow disaster response as a form of racism against Southern Black communities. The controversy led Blunt Youth Radio Project producer, Bly Lauritano-Werner to take a second look at the roles race and class play in her high school.

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Review of Katrina, Race, and High School

Impressive work from Blunt Youth Radio producer.

Lauritano-Werner begins a dialogue at her high school that I felt could have gone deeper and longer. That's good -- I wanted more.

Good use of sound -- sound bites were decent quality. Her writing and delivery was crisp and accessible.

I did want to hear more from her friends whom she referenced instead of just one voice. And I would have wanted to know what motivated producer to do this piece. Was it an assignment or purely out of interest?

This producer will go far if given the opportunity.

Broadcast History

This piece was produced for the PRI special, Youth Response to Hurricane Katrina

Transcript

Katrina, Race, and High School
Bly Lauritano-Werner
Blunt Youth Radio
Portland, ME
PRI: Hurricane Katrina

Intro:

The devastation left by Hurricane Katrina has brought up a national dialogue on social Inequalities like race and class. Some people have criticized the government's slow disaster response as a form of racism against southern black communities. The controversy has made Blunt Radio's Bly Lauritano-Werner take a second look at the role race plays In her high school.

Script:

BLY: LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, HURRICANE KATRINA IS MAKING ME THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT MY OWN COUNTRY--AND MY OWN SCHOOL.

I GO TO PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL IN MAINE, WHERE AROUND ONE THIRD OF THE KIDS ARE CONSIDERED LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS AND OVER THIRTY LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN. ABOUT THIRTY PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. THAT?S A BIG DEAL IN MAINE. IT'S EASY TO IMAGINE THE SCHOOL...
Read the full transcript

Related Website

http://www.bluntradio.org