▁ra cial ▁dispar ity ▁which ▁perpet u ates ▁the ▁economic ▁distance ▁between ▁citizens , ▁her ▁writing ▁took ▁a ▁dr astic ▁turn ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁H urr icane ▁K atr ina . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁on ▁her ▁book ▁she ▁says , ▁“ the ▁real ▁turning ▁point ▁for ▁me ▁was ▁the ▁race ▁and ▁gender ▁politics ▁that ▁emer ged ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁stage ▁after ▁the ▁le vee ▁failure . ▁That ▁was , ▁for ▁me , ▁a ▁cons olid ating ▁moment ▁in ▁my ▁attempt ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁contemporary ▁black ▁women ▁trying ▁to ▁be ▁American ▁citizens ”. ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁that ▁she ▁uses ▁in ▁Sister ▁Cit izen ▁is ▁the ▁label ing ▁of ▁the ▁H urr icane ▁K atr ina ▁vict ims ▁as ▁“ ref uge es ” ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁She ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁this ▁“ had ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁r het or ically ▁removing ▁Black ▁vict ims ▁from ▁national ▁responsibility ”. ▁ ▁In ▁Sister ▁Cit izen : ▁Sh ame , ▁S tere ot ypes , ▁and ▁Black ▁Women ▁in ▁America , ▁Mel issa ▁Harris - Per ry ▁begins ▁by ▁as ser ting ▁that ▁politics ▁are ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁traditional ▁ide ologies ▁surrounding ▁“ form al ▁participation ▁in ▁government .” ▁R ather , ▁she ▁arg ues , ▁that ▁the ▁purs uit ▁of ▁recognition , ▁identity ▁and ▁citizens hip ▁is ▁intr ins ically ▁political ▁in ▁nature . ▁Furthermore , ▁she ▁claims ▁that ▁through ▁the ▁strugg les ▁and ▁infl am mat ory ▁s tere ot ypes