v William Averette
Anderson Fund
The William Averette
Anderson Fund, fondly called the Bill Anderson Fund, serves as a
conduit between entities (institutions, organizations and agencies) that serve
to educate and nurture individuals of color in such fields as, but not limited
to, engineering, earth science, sociology, urban planning, public
administration and public health: and entities that provide graduate education
and employ specialists in hazard and disaster mitigation. The focus is to significantly increase the
persons of color who perform research, are educators, practitioners and
research funders in hazard and disaster mitigation.
The
Fund’s focus
on one of Bill’s major long-held concerns, expressed to Norma throughout his
professional career, and which is captured in the two documents referenced
below. First, the National Research Council of the National Academies 2006
report, Facing Hazards and
Disasters: Understanding Human
Dimensions.
“The report [Facing Hazards and Disasters] indicates that
more diversity is needed in the social science disaster research
workforce. Because of their
vulnerability, Hurricane Katrina affected many minorities, but there are few
minority researchers and practitioners in the field. A minority perspective could bring new light
to issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Additionally, the report calls for The NSF (National Science Foundation)
and other relevant agencies to take action to increase the size of the
scholarly workforce in the field in order to meet future needs, especially
since the workforce is aging.”
Second,
documented in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters,
November 2008, Mobilization of the Black Community Following Hurricane Katrina:
From Disaster Assistance to Advocacy of Social Change and Equity, William A. Anderson,
National Research Council, National Academies….
“Inclusion of
African Americans and other minorities could be significant because of the
different perspectives that they might bring to managing disaster-related
problems and conducting critical research and educational activities.”
