Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Shepard examines the state of her city in new book. 

By Alexia Anthony  

When Hurricane Katrina reshaped New Orleans, it also reshaped the questions that would guide Dr. Cassandra Shepard’s life work. When Shepard attended Xavier a year after the storm, the campus was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Buildings were under repair; classrooms had been relocated, and the city around her was rebuilding alongside its students. 

For Shepard, those early years became the foundation of a career rooted in research, community, and advocacy. “I was trying to make sense of my experiences,” Shepard said. “I had watched Katrina destroy the whole city.” 

A sixth-generation New Orleanian and Xavier alumna, Shepard has since become a leading voice examining how disaster recovery affects marginalized communities. Her work blends postcolonial theory, oral history and lived experience to document how rebuilding efforts shape Black communities in New Orleans and beyond.  

As an undergraduate, Shepard conducted interviews in the Lower Ninth Ward, collecting stories from residents navigating life after the storm. In graduate school at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., she expanded that work through courses on colonialism, trauma and memory.  

“Postcolonialism argues that colonialism doesn’t disappear,” she said. “It lingers.” 

Those ideas became the foundation of her 2026 book, “Settler Colonialism is the Disaster: A Critique of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and During Covid-19 Pandemic” which examines how rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and during COVID-19 reinforced long-standing inequalities. Drawing from years of interviews and archival research, the book offers readers a deeper understanding of how policy, power and history intersect in times of crisis. 

Because she is from New Orleans, Shepard says residents often feel comfortable sharing their stories. “People see you differently when you’re from here,” she said. “You’re not an outsider.” 

That connection has helped her produce research grounded in trust and mutual respect. It has also shaped her commitment to using scholarship as a tool for empowerment.  

But Shepard believes research should lead to action. In addition to writing and teaching, she remains active in disaster preparedness initiatives, mutual aid networks and community education programs designed to help residents better navigate future crises. She frequently uses her platform to connect academic conversations with practical resources, encouraging preparedness while advocating for more equitable recovery policies. 

Much of Shepard’s work challenges simplified portrayals of Black culture in the city and urges readers to look beyond tourism and entertainment and beyond framing Black communities as one-dimensional symbols of strength and resilience.  

“Resilience is real,” she said. “But it shouldn’t replace resources.” 

Shepard also introduced the concept of “Katrina time,” describing how residents organize their memories around before, during and after the storm. “Everything is marked by Katrina,” she said.  

In addition to her research, Shepard remains active in disaster preparedness and mutual aid and community education initiatives. She uses her platform to connect scholarships with real-world support. 

Her book represents only the beginning of a larger body of work. “I would just say that I’ll have more work coming out,” Shepard said. “This book is just the first of many.”  

Shepard hopes readers, especially New Orleans residents, see the book as both a reflection of their experiences and a tool for understanding them. Through research, teaching and community engagement, Shepard continues to honor the city that shaped her while helping shape its future. 

“I wanted people to know their struggles weren’t random,” Shepard said. “There’s a structure behind it.”