Through history, storytelling, and political analysis, this report illustrates how the government neglect that disproportionately affected communities of color during Hurricane Katrina is again evident during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, with similar devastating results. The experience of Katrina, then, has policy implications for the current moment, including concerns over profiteering and who will have a voice in rebuilding communities disproportionately affected by economic shutdown and school closures. Policymakers are urged to act on the report's race-conscious, equity-focused recommendations spanning health, education, housing, labor, and democratic governance.