The Storm Isn't Over: An Interview with "Floodlines" Author Jordan Flaherty

Truthout - Like many of the journalists who cover stories about injustices that disproportionately affect people of color, Jordan Flaherty is white. And while Flaherty's diligence in acknowledging his racial privilege is not unique among these writers, the graceful yet matter-of-fact tone he uses to discuss his privilege sets a new standard for anyone seeking to address race while working for social justice - an effort without which, said Flaherty, quoting a colleague in a recent speech, "you simply become a more skillful racist."

In his book "Floodlines: Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six," Flaherty is too busy chronicling the inequalities that rose to the surface when the levies broke to pontificate about the privilege that complicates his role as a journalist and advocate. Instead, he chooses a few powerful moments to show how his privilege becomes part of the stories he writes. Read more.