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Davey D's Katrina Relief Efforts Forum Environmental Justice Resource Center Food Not Bombs - Helping Katrina Survivors Four Directions Relief Project - in solidarity with Native Americans in Lousiana Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch Katrina Information Network
Left Turn - PROGRESSIVE AND RADICAL RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION - list of organizations New Opportunity for Action and Hope Coalition New Orleans Housing Emergency Action Team Katrina Coverage Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch Hurricane Katrina
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Katrina Survivors Fight Back - Ongoing CoverageMonday 10/31/2005Voodoo Practitioners Scatter After Katrina 10/31/2005 AP Thousands of evacuees face eviction Other Katrina victims homeless after aid problems 10/31/2005 USA Today Friday 10/28/2005 Gentrifying Diversity 10/28/2005 Alternet: "With poor evacuees being discouraged -- via eviction, lay-offs, and lack of temporary housing -- from returning to New Orleans, hurricane Katrina may prove to be the biggest 'urban-renewal' project black America has seen." Two Months Later, Katrina Survivors are Losing the Battle by Medea Benjamin 10/28/2005 Common Dreams: "The “whitification” of New Orleans, however, is not inevitable. There are many solutions: demanding a massive program for affordable housing, halting evictions and price gouging for rental properties, making it possible for evacuees who are scattered around the country to move to temporary shelters (trailers, vacant apartments, tents) back home, giving job priority to local residents, reopening pubic schools, providing support systems to those returning, demanding that the poor be represented in the rebuilding decisions. We need to support the movements, both at the grassroots and at the policy levels, that are supporting these policies." [lists activist groups focusing on this problem] Thursday 10/27/2005 Katrina: The Movement 10/27/2005 Alternet: "Groups like the Young People's Project's Find Our Folk initiative are out speaking directly to survivors across the Katrina Diaspora, listening to their issues and giving form and voice to their outrage. Local communities are holding tribunals and truth and reconciliation commission-style hearings to "try" the Bush Administration in ways that are helping communities make sense of the senseless. The U.S. Human Rights Network, a coalition of more than 100 U.S.-based organizations working on human rights issues here "at home" has been documenting abuses and working to involve the United Nations in an investigation and review. Community Labor United, Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights, Common Ground Collective, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Southern ECHO, ACORN, INCITE! and Project South are among the many regional and local organizations organizing for a just recovery and rebuilding. Many of these groups work together as part of the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and the Southern Relief Fund -- broad coalitions focused on addressing relief and recovery issues in Louisiana and Mississippi, respectively." The Battle for New Orleans 10/27/2005 Black Commentator: "New Orleans represents a challenge to African Americans, unprecedented since the epic struggles of the Fifties and Sixties. The perverse reality, to which African Americans must rise, is that the man-made disaster in the Gulf provides what may be the last chance to build a real Movement, encompassing the broadest sectors of Black America. Cruel history presents the catastrophe as an unwanted opportunity, a test of Black people’s capacity for the operational unity craved by the vast bulk of African Americans. The pain and anger in Black America is all but universal, and demands collective action, the outcome of which will largely define the true State of Black America as it has evolved over the last two generations." Wednesday 10/26/2005 Resist or die: Why we must act on Nov. 2 10/26/2005 SF Bay View: "We saw a taste of this, something in birth, during four days of outrage and protest a couple of weeks ago. From Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2, our party called on people, especially the basic masses, to protest what this system did - and is continuing to do - to the people of New Orleans. People wore black ribbons. They made banners to send to New Orleans. They put up the "Bush Regime WANTED" poster everywhere. What we saw and learned tells you something about how we can drive out Bush. More than once, when we took "Wanted posters" of Bush to people, they were moved to tears of rage. Finally, someone was telling the truth and giving people a way to do something about it. In a Dominican neighborhood in New York City, people marched through the community after church, after a minister asked people to hold up the "Bush Regime WANTED" poster and rally the community to stand with the people of New Orleans against the murderous crimes of the Bush regime. In Chicago, in places like car washes and McDonald's, thousands of "Bush Regime WANTED" posters and flyers to drive out the Bush regime were taken around and posted up." The POCC National Tour - Part 1: The Black Cross campaign - by Minister of Information JR 10/26/2005 SF Bay View: "Between Oct. 11 and 13, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. and myself led a Prisoners of Conscience Committee delegation of Black Cross Campaign members and a busload of supplies from Chicago to Lake Providence, Louisiana, which is on the border with Mississippi." Hip Hop Caucus March on Gretna Nov. 7 10/26/2005 SF Bay View: "On Monday, Nov. 7, the people of New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina, joined by Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus and other activists and students, will march on Gretna. We will march over the Crescent City Connection Bridge to Gretna’s Oakridge Mall, where buses were to transport evacuees to safety - a destination people from New Orleans never reached during the height of the crisis. In the aftermath of Katrina, New Orleans authorities directed people to evacuate the city by crossing the Crescent City Connection Bridge which spans the Mississippi River, linking New Orleans to the west bank city of Gretna." [Long list of march supporters and other news.] Solidarity with Ninth Ward begins by Common Ground Collective 10/26/2005 SF Bay View: "The city and state governments have attempted to purchase land from the area's residents for decades in order to expand the Industrial Canal and allow a cruise ship line to build its hub in the region. The Ninth hasn't received any aid or cleanup efforts from any state, city or non-profit agencies. Local realtors and big businesses are pushing to have the entire area bulldozed so that the city can get a "new face." Garbage, decaying animals and other debris remain untouched while other areas in the city are receiving services. Common Ground volunteers are currently placing information sheets on every door of the Ninth Ward urging residents to return home, organize, help each other and resist the city's efforts to destroy their community for profits. Common Ground is addressing the city's lack of garbage and trash pickup by removing the trash from the neglected Ninth and placing it in the neutral area of main boulevards away from homes, thus forcing the city to do trash pickup." Tuesday 10/25/2005 Hip Hop Activist Set to Cross March to Racist Town of Gretna 10/25/2005 Davey D's Katrina Relief Efforts Forum: "PRESS CONFERENCE for this event will be held in Washington, D.C. on November 2 with representatives of sponsoring organizations (details forthcoming)" Monday 10/24/2005 Sunday 10/23/2005 Lewisburg Square Apartments tenants being evicted 10/23/2005 New Orleans IndyMedia: numerous pics Friday 10/21/2005 Wednesday 10/19/2005 Katrina reveals environmental racism's deadly force 10/19/2005 SF Bay View: "New Orleans, what we once called home, is now a toxic wasteland. But our communities were polluted even before Hurricane Katrina. The 85-mile stretch from New Orleans to Baton Rouge is home to many African-American communities, as well as 136 petrochemical plants and six refineries. At the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Xavier University, I work with these "Cancer Alley" communities." The Blackout Boycott of Wal-Mart 10/19/2005 SF Bay View: "Over the last month, the Prisoners of Conscience Committee initiated the Black Cross Campaign to aid and assist the refugees fleeing the Gulf States. Yes, I did use the word refugee, because I believe that these evacuees were fleeing a war, not just the 500-year war that we have been in since we were shipped to Amerikkka at the bottom of slaveships, but also the war that was initiated by the U.S. military blowing up the levees in New Orleans while the hurricane was passing through." Finding Common Ground: Lessons from Algiers, New Orleans 10/19/2005 SF Bay View Katrina: Relocation or ethnic cleansing? 10/19/2005 SF Bay View: "FEMA has been entirely reshaped under the Bush administration. It's no longer designed to meet the needs of a natural disaster but rather to advance the political agenda of the current regime. It is clear by the way that FEMA employees did everything in their power to undermine relief operations for the people stranded by Hurricane Katrina. Their orders simply corresponded with Washington's intention to put the city under federal control and to forcefully evacuate the victims to locations around the Southwest." That could be us! From the Bayou to the Bay: Learning from Katrina 10/19/2005 SF Bay View 'This is criminal': Malik Rahim reports from New Orleans 10/19/2005 SF Bay View Black New Orleans residents being arrested for returning home 10/19/2005 SF Bay View: "With every type of police and federal officer in the U.S. - from the DEA to the FBI to the notorious New Orleans Police Department - roaming the streets of New Orleans, many former residents are afraid to come home. Some even wonder if the ongoing military occupation is being used to intimidate them into not returning." Tuesday 10/18/2005 The Latinization of the New New Orleans 10/18/2005 New America Media: "A wave of mostly Latino workers from across the U.S., Mexico and Latin America is seeking work in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf region. The migrants, often incorrectly labeled "Mexicans," are dealing with cultural ignorance, strained resources and tense race relations as they rebuild the Big Easy and other cities and towns." ACORN Katrina Survivors Association Announced 10/18/2005 ACORN: "The AKSA will continue and expand the organizing that local ACORN chapters have conducted since Katrina first hit, which has already resulted in some notable actions and victories: On October 7th, the Houston ACORN Hurricane Survivor Committee brought together survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their host families to confront Houston FEMA Director Tom Costello about a lack of response to the needs of the survivors. In negotiations a week later, FEMA agreed to a number of reforms to make services more accessible, including a shuttle bus to their service center, translated materials, and extension of benefits to Rita survivors. Displaced New Orleans ACORN members have organized in shelters in Baton Rouge and other part of Louisiana, advocating for a “right to return” to New Orleans. On October 15th, Louisiana ACORN members staged a caravan into the Lower 9th Ward to claim their right to return and placarded hundreds of homes with signs that state "Do Not Bulldoze.”" Monday 10/17/2005 Road Trip for Relief! Reclaim the Gulf! 10/17/2005 Common Grounds Collective: "We hope you will join us as we converge on New Orleans Nov 20-27, to clean up for returning evacuees and begin the massive rebuilding project. To help us organize the people-power that we need (see flyer above), please send an email to commongroundrelief@gmail.com or check out our Caravan Forum Discussion." Totally Bootleg: Cops and Jails in New Orleans 10/17/2005 New Orleans IndyMedia: "The public beating of 64 year old Robert Davis (5) is not an isolated incident either. Talking with him after his release he described being hit from behind and then beaten on the ground after merely asking a cop what time the curfew started. His right eye was still swollen shut when I met him, and there were visible wounds on his face and chest. The images and video of Davis being beaten have been broadcasted across the world; with all of the media attention, the NOPD was quick to distance itself from the beating and call for internal investigations. What the news didn't report and the police won't distance themselves from are the dozens of similar incidents that have occured both on the street and inside the jail. Throughout my interviews I've talked to many of the victims of this violence. One man was beaten, maced, and shot with bean-bag rounds while in custody for “talking too loud” (6). Another youth in Algiers was beaten on the street and arrested for allegedly stealing an ice chest, then released without seeing a judge. A lot of the people being brought in and attacked have no idea what they were charged with. A man I talked to yesterday described being beaten, dragged by his hair, and shot with bean bag rounds in the jail before he was even searched. The next morning, officers fired indiscriminately into the cage with bean bag rounds. The stories go on and on." Sunday 10/16/2005 Farrakhan Blasts Federal Katrina Response 10/16/2005 AP: "Pointing to the broad spectrum of participants, Farrakhan said the march included an ``unprecedented'' array of black leaders of organizations ``coming together to speak to America and the world with one voice.'' ``This tells us that a new day is dawning in America,'' he said. Ten years ago, Farrakhan urged black men to improve their families and communities - women, whites and other minorities had not been invited. On Saturday, all were welcome at the Millions More Movement, which organizers said would build on the principles of 1995 and push people to build a movement for change locally and nationally." Saturday 10/15/2005 City in exile: Katrina's displaced move to defend New Orleans from elite visionaries 10/15/2005 SF Bay View Friday 10/14/2005 Disaster area becomes wireless test-bed 10/14/2005 AP: "Meinrath's project has lit up two dozen evacuee centers with Internet as well as a medical clinic in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans. A month after the disaster, teams are training local groups. Malik Rahim, co-founder of a the Common Ground clinic in Algiers, praised the efforts and the pace at which the technology was deployed. "Within a matter of hours, not days, we had functioning communications established," he said." Thursday 10/13/2005 Hurricane Song 10/13/2005 hurricanesong.com Wednesday 10/12/2005 Spike Lee plans film on Katrina disaster 10/12/2005 Detroit News: "Asked about the possibility that the rumors of government involvement had any truth, Lee said it wouldn't surprise him. "It's not too far-fetched ... I don't put anything past the United States government," Lee said. "I don't find it too far-fetched that they tried to displace all the black people out of New Orleans." "\ Keep FEMA's feet to the fire! 10/12/2005 News from Underground Losing Hope in Louisiana 10/12/2005 Washington Post Jackson's buses bring job seekers to N.O. 10/12/2005 Baton Rouge Advocate: "A small group mildly protested at the restaurant, holding signs that said "Housing-Eviction-Help-Me," "Affordable Housing For All" and "Hands Off Iberville" -- a reference to the Iberville housing development that was damaged by Katrina." Louisianans get few post-Katrina contracts 10/12/2005 USA Today FEMA Restricts Evacuee Data, Citing Privacy 10/12/2005 Washington Post Tuesday 10/11/2005 As others profit, Katrina survivors suffer 10/11/2005 Chicago Sun Times: by Jesse Jackson The SeeingBlack.com 411 - October 2005 10/11/2005 SeeingBlack.com: "As floodwaters recede in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, it is clear that the lethargic and inept emergency response after Hurricane Katrina is a disaster that overshadows the deadly storm itself. Questions linger: Is government equipped to plan for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters? Can the public trust government response to be fair? Does race matter? Using case studies dating back more than seven decades, government response to Hurricane Katrina can be examined in a historical context of response to other public health emergencies, natural disasters, industrial accidents, toxic contamination, epidemics (natural and manmade), and terrorism threats in African Americans communities. Generally, emergency response reflects the pre-existing social and political stratification, with communities of color receiving less priority than White communities. Equity issues revolve around which community needs are addressed first and which community is forced to wait." Sunday 10/9/2005 New Orleans Police Department Challenged by Its Own Instability 10/9/2005 Chicago Tribune: "A decade ago, the department was rocked by corruption charges, including officers helping drug dealers murder rival gangsters. The force was purged of about 200 corrupt cops in the late 1990s, and leaders reorganized the way the department fights crime and how it oversees police conduct. The force's reputation has improved in recent years, but the department is still struggling. Riley was appointed after the sudden resignation of his boss two weeks ago. And many of the 249 officers under investigation will likely be fired." Cronies, Contracts and the No-Fault President Katrina and the Growls of Greed 10/9/2005 Counterpunch: by Ralph Nader New Orleans Police Beating Caught on Tape 10/9/2005 AP Thursday 10/6/2005 After the Deluge: How Do Blacks Get to the Table 10/6/2005 Black Commentator: "We need look no further than the rapid resort to no bid contracts going to well placed corporations like Fluor, Bechtel, Kellogg, Brown and Root (Halliburton) – in other words, the usual suspects who are the prime private sector beneficiaries of the war in Iraq. Bush moved quickly to waive prevailing wage requirements for contractors working on hurricane relief projects. That was reassuring to the conservatives in Congress who had been fighting to strike that provision altogether. They now have a beachhead. Beyond that, it is not likely that many in the displaced population will benefit from construction and other jobs due to limited skills and low labor force participation rates before Katrina. Even with the lower wages others likely will get those jobs." Malik Rahim Speaks About the Grassroots Response to Hurricane Katrina 10/6/2005 IndyBay: "On October 4, Malik Rahim, a longtime community activist in New Orleans and San Francisco, spoke at the Women's Building in San Francisco about the situation in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the disastrous response by the Bush administration and other government agencies. Malik, who lives in the Algiers community of New Orleans, discussed the grassroots community relief and rebuilding efforts underway through the Common Ground collective. (39:39 minutes)" Wednesday 10/5/2005 Malik Rahim speaks in Berkeley 10/5/2005 SF Bay View: "Two days ago I went to a speaking event in Berkeley where Malik Rahim, a veteran of the Black Panther Party in New Orleans, was speaking about the governmental atrocities that went on in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, which we call Hurricane Amerikkka, since it was the Amerikkklan government that blew up the levees, abandoned the people, put shoot-to-kill orders on Black people, refused materiel and personnel help from world leaders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, and is in the process of stealing Black people’s land and whitening New Orleans." Flood of Emotion 10/5/2005 Philadelphia Weekly: "It's been a month since Katrina leveled New Orleans, and some evacuees are finally returning to their former lives. But for African-Americans across America, the hurricane left scars that will last a lifetime." Tuesday 10/4/2005 Tale of the forbidden pillow offers insights into FEMA work 10/4/2005 Colombia Tribune Monday 10/3/2005 Sunday 10/2/2005 Accounts of New Orleans violence may have been overblown 10/2/2005 Reuters Media deserve blame for New Orleans debacle 10/2/2005 Chicago Sun Times: "The facts they put in front of us were wrong, and they didn't talk truth to power. They talked to goofs in power, like New Orleans' Mayor Nagin and Police Chief Compass, and uncritically fell for every nutso yarn they were peddled. The media swallowed more bilge than if they'd been lying down with their mouths open as the levee collapsed. Ten thousand dead! Widespread rape and murder! A 7-year-old gang-raped and then throat-slashed! It was great stuff -- and none of it happened. No gang-raped 7-year-olds. None." |
| "Hezbollah is ready to embark on it's new project, rebuilding New Orleans. Sure they're muslim terrorists, but at least they're not FEMA!'" - the Daily Show, 8/16/06 |
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