The need to address poverty and racism in the United States has moved up in priority.

Relief is the number one priority now, but poverty and racism need to be on the agenda in bold, black letters that can’t be whitewashed. When I point out that the last people out of New Orleans—the people in shelters—are predominantly black, I’m not suggesting that the city was evacuated based on race. But it seems impossible to deny that economic status didn’t have a direct effect on whether people got out or didn’t. And when to look closely at poverty we will also see racism.

We have a lot more than levees, homes, and businesses to repair.