Brianna Sacks covers “climate change-fueled extreme weather and natural disasters” for the Washington Post, and she has some shocking new statistics from the blizzard that hit Buffalo, New York. Blacks make up 33 percent of those living in Buffalo, and yet they account for 51 percent of those found dead from blizzard conditions. “Buffalo blizzard fuels racial and class divides in polarized city,” goes the headline.
New Buffalo blizzard death toll info: 39 people dead, 31 in Buffalo. The majority were people of color.
While Blacks make up 14% of Erie County residents and 33% of those living in Buffalo, they account for 51% of those found dead in the county so far.https://t.co/naHw9jg7pa
— Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) December 29, 2022
Sacks reports:
As the toll on the city has become clearer, a dozen residents and community leaders said in interviews that structural issues such as poverty, food deserts, poor housing and a lack of investment by government have made the impacts on working-class, Black and Brown neighborhoods much worse. They expressed concerns that surrounding wealthier and Whiter suburbs appeared to be more prepared, their response better coordinated, their power and roads restored faster.
“This area is so heavily impacted by these systemic issues, and it’s largely because of poverty,” Al Robinson, a Christian leader in the community who housed 130 people for four days in his church, said. “And impoverished people happen to be people of color.”
Back in 2021, respected magazine Scientific American looked at the racial implications of “climate anxiety.” “If people of color are more concerned about climate change than white people, why is the interest in climate anxiety so white? Is climate anxiety a form of white fragility or even racial anxiety?” asked Sarah Jaquette Ray.
Propagandists: How can we make a winter storm about race?
Headline: "Winter Storm is Racist"
— Blue Check Bandit (@BlueCheckBandit) December 29, 2022
I knew it was going to be a racist blizzard as soon as I saw the headlines about a whiteout coming…. https://t.co/mUlRn8rviA
— AG (@AGHamilton29) December 29, 2022
Thanks for contributing nothing to the conversation.
— Mike’s id (@FreeBearly) December 29, 2022
“Joe Biden doesn’t care about black people” pic.twitter.com/eJmRTMxol2
— PCEM Smittie GE.D (@smittie61984) December 29, 2022
No, he’s off to the Virgin Islands while Buffalo plows out.
The weather today in St. Croix at the Villa of President Biden's billionaire doner is currently 70 degrees with a chance of showers tonight. The President will be enjoying a dinner of seabass with a traditional conk salad appetizer on the veranda. An umbrella may be warranted.
— Dr. Platimus (@SWGaspar) December 29, 2022
You are not serious people. 🤡🤡
— DannyBoy (@Gambling_Dan_21) December 29, 2022
@SethDillon please update previous list to include weather as racist.
— Fader (@leon_is_awesome) December 29, 2022
I assume hate crime charges have been filed against the storm. Please do not allow a progressive DA to reduce bail on the storm. It is a flight risk.
— Bruce LePage (@BruceLePage5) December 29, 2022
What exactly is the point of this?
— Lexi (@penngirl72) December 29, 2022
So, if they were all white, no big deal then, right? They would have deserved it because of their white privilege? This is one of the MOST asinine articles I have ever seen.🤦🏻♂️
— Kelly M. Long (@kellymlong) December 29, 2022
Gotta drive that outrage, huh?
— DeadYup (@DeadYup1) December 29, 2022
We need climate equity now. ✊ Mother Nature is racist. 🤡
— SMFH (@igetboredfast) December 29, 2022
And it’s always a treat when someone who knows nothing about the city tries telling us what the situation is here.
— Taro Tsujimoto (@RCannon74) December 29, 2022
And how polarized your city is.
Tell us more, white lady from Colorado. https://t.co/I61tmVx0Up pic.twitter.com/IYp4Pudsch
— Bob Weave (@lowkeyrbe) December 29, 2022
Ma'am, are you ok?
— Arnold Becker (@bruinoregonalt) December 29, 2022
I guess it's more tragic now that it's about minorities, right? This feels like when there are 10 tornado deaths "and 3 of them were women and children."
— Patrick (@PMC713) December 29, 2022
The Washington Post employs many editors, and their job is to decide what gets written up and what doesn’t. One of them decided this was a story.
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Related:
Hot take: To beat climate change, America ‘must first break its addiction to fossil fuels and racism’ (and include Black Lives Matter) https://t.co/yRHoBfZUGz
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 2, 2020
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