Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Tour

Our Experiences & Reflections

as national & local justice organizations forge alliances to build solutions from the ground up post Katrina & Rita

Southwest Workers Union November 2005

Gulf Coast Justice & Soliarity Tour

Dignity.

In the experience of talking,

sharing and listening to displaced

peoples and survivors of hurricane Katrina and Rita, the stories all intersected at one place: dignity. These hurricanes yes caused immense devastation. But as the deadly waters receded, the pre-existing reality of oppression and racism combined with failure of the government and relief agencies turned this climatic disaster into a platform to dehumanize the poor, people of color living in the Gulf South. Nonetheless, with immense courage, determination and perseverance, the grassroots in these devastated regions have come together to supply their own relief, reconstruction and visioning for their communities. The human face to this tragedy offers inspiration and hope to everyone in the movement to continue the struggle for dignity and justice, proactively offer unconditional solidarity and foster the united front that uplifts grassroots solutions. This experience offers the profound realization of a need for a systemic change for justice, workers rights, true government accountability and an end to poisoning the environment and people. It is critical that grassroots, people of color voices are integrally involved in the re-building of the Gulf Coast and the displaced peoples are reconnected with their community. There needs to be unity and solidarity from the progressive grassroots people of color forces to

continue to build a broader movement and work to regenerate our society towards a just future that realizes environmental, racial, social and economic justice. In response to the aftermath of Katrina and Rita and the recognition of the profound need to connect national grassroots organizations with local groups in the Gulf, Southwest Workers Union called for convergence at a Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Tour, co-convened with Project South, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance to more effectively address the needs of the affected and displaced communities and strategize for the future. The intent was to further build and reinforce community to community relationships, deliver needed relief donations and develop

a strategic plan to collectively support a just community-led reconnection, reconstruction and return.

Long Legacies & Deep Roots

As we are reminded regularly by the wisdom of elders, to understand a situation it is necessary to look back at history. The past reveals forceful occupation, slavery and genocide committed by Spain and France and later through unjust treaties or unjust war, the acquisition by the United States in the countrys quest for dominance and manifest destiny. The region has been ruled by some of the most corrupt, racist politicians in the nation and its communities plagued by violence, oppression, segregation and poverty. At the same time there are deep roots of resistance, of struggle,

by LEAN

SWU report - November 2005

of preservation of cultural traditions throughout diverse communities, alive vibrantly through music, voice and song.

and also the folks who are first forgotten when tragedy strikes. Katrina followed quickly by Rita were only the first of a devastating hurricane season in the Gulf and Atlantic, accelerated by the unnaturally heated waters in the Gulf. As Stan, Wilma and Beta slammed into the coasts of Central America, the Yucatan (Mexico), the Caribbean and Florida, the destruction, injustice and loss of life and livelihood spread.

The Journey Begins

The Southwest Workers Union crew traveled via a 15-passenger van from San Antonio full of medical supplies, construction materials, sleeping mattresses and blankets, food and clothss and witnessed the extent of the devastation beginning a few hours northeast outside Beaumont, Texas (hit by Rita). Passing through the refining hub, roofs, hotels and billboards were shredded all along the I-10 corridor. After picking up another van and supplies in Baton Rouge from LEAN,, we divided to make deliveries to New Orleans, the Houma Nation and Gulfport, Mississippi before converging in Jackson. Another van of supplies from Atlanta also met in Jackson. 35 organizations from the Gulf Coast to Seattle to Kenya united in Jackson, Mississippi to participate in the Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity (GCJ&S) Tour, to continue to build a united front from the grassroots and to promote local solutions. The delegation was composed of representing environmental justice, anti-racist, immigrant rights, faith-based, worker, indigenous, Latino, African American and Gulf Coast organizations and communities. The intergenerational, diverse group of folks committed to traveling, sleeping and working

together for the next 5 days. While immediate needs, especially in face of the coming winter are still critical, many of the discussions focused on long-term strategies, connecting with the displaced and winning the bigger struggles for the right to return and a just reconstruction.

Fossil Fuel Regime & the Gulf

For over a century, the oil industry has been poisoning the Gulf of Mexico, its communities and its workers. Oil corporations and their relentless drive for profit perpetuate injustices in the Gulf Coast, which fuel catastrophic climate change. It is those communities already poisoned, impoverished and burdened by the petrochemical industry that also bares the biggest burden of climate disasters. It is primarily indigenous, immigrant and people of color workers who are the frontline of the dangerous industry,

Setting the Stage

Local organizations, many whose offices have been destroyed and membership displaced, shared their personal stories since Katrina, the onthe-ground work and exposed countless injustices committed against the people and workers of the region. All folks spoke compellingly to the need to have all residents meaningfully participate in the rebuilding of their lives and communities.

Gulf Coast Justice & Soliarity Tour

people. This government plan has a goal of destroying the communities of New Orleans and filling the gap with a corporate agenda that aims to further suppress the black voice. LaTosha Brown, a co-founder of the Saving OurSelves (SOS) Coalition out of Mobile, Alabama and energetic grassroots leader, explained how neighbors merged together in response to the complete lack of response from relief agencies in rural Alabama, a common story throughout many of the affected coastal regions. She recounted the disgust of seeing Red Cross volunteers with food and supplies that were not distributed as they consistently failed to act even after desperate pleas for assistance

Hollis Watkins, founder and president of Southern Echo and a veteran in the struggle for civil rights, opened the orientation panel hosted at their office and provided historical context about Mississippi and the work of their organization. Mike Sayer of Southern Echo described their work and analyzed the pre-existing disparities in education in Mississippi correlated with race and class. The powerful and inspirational speakers set the tone for the entire tour contrasting the suffering their communities have faced with the hope, determination and vision for the future beyond Katrina. Angela Winfrey-Bowman, an organizer with the Peoples Institute of New Orleans and lifetime resident of the lower 9th Ward eloquently spoke to the humanity lost following the government and media responses to the hurricane. She threaded the connection between the legacy of slavery, racism, classism and globalization with the atrocities that are continually committed against the poor African Americans of New Orleans. Focusing on the future, she reiterated the importance of strengthening equal education, of recognizing and countering internalized oppression

and of incorporating an anti-racist analysis in the face of Katrina. Angela pointed to the need to create a vision of social justice and economic equality; to move toward independence and genuine empowerment; to ensure that these communities do not become exploited for corporate profit; to address the militarization of the Gulf and enforcement of abusive, racist politics that have shut out residents. She expressed the importance of allowing people to speak for themselves, developing their own sense of power, continuing to strengthen networks among our movement. Providing the historical context of the forgetting of poor black people, Curtis Muhammad of Community Labor United and the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund recognized that the legs of the movement have been intentionally dispersed as far away as Alaska and created an eerie void in the Gulf Coast. The movement needs the voices and stories of its

from residents. The realization that these agencies were not there to serve poor black communities prompted the formation of SOS and their dedication to providing immediate and long-term relief for local families. Another forgotten silenced group of people are the hundreds of temporary workers that staffed the casinos and hotels along the coast. Many of these Latino, Jamaican and Caribbean workers lived in squalid conditions, exploited by the bosses and subjected to daily fear and intimidation. Bill Chandler of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA) explained the need to search for many of these unaccounted workers, abandoned by their bosses and left are only destroyed apartment buildings were workers once lived. The stories of abuses by the Red Cross

by Arnoldo Garcia / NNIRR

SWU report - November 2005

by Jose Bravc

by Ansje Miller

surpass the imagination of most. Throughout many shelters, the Red Cross with local law enforcement systematically removed Latino peoples from their shelters, forcefully dragging people from showers and beds, humiliatingly lining them up outside and told they must leave the facility within 48 hours or face deportation. Sarah White of the Mississippi Workers Centers broke down the struggle for worker empowerment and human rights throughout the state. She emphasized their know your rights campaign to educate and empower workers and community in 22 Mississippi counties. The Worker Center is also fighting against racial discrimination and harassment at the ingal shipyard and filed a chapter 7 lawsuit.

waters. Later, we learned, a tax-payer contribution of over $3500 was donated to Halliburton per blue tarp, a sick joke while displaced families struggling with nothing and blamed by the government for their own poverty and labeled a financial burden to the country. Nonetheless, the roof of the now infamous Superdome was fully repaired across the street from a greyhound station used as a makeshift jail for who the police want to label as looters and curfew breakers. The day spent in the city and the many trips in and out of the area, no one saw a representative nor sign for FEMA, the Red Cross or official relief agency. However it is the armed military and police cars that regularly travel the deserted neighborhoods. While the former public school system in New Orleans was littered with corruption, violence and inequities and serious improvements are needed, communities oppose the under-thetable scheme to rebuild a privatized school systems (which the right calls charter schools) rob parents and students of their ability to participate in the school system. No schools in the black communities have been reopened, along with the militarization and lack of electricity, no living wage jobs or governmental support for returnees, is another mechanism to keep the displaced out. It has only been through the community and their resistance that relief is available to the poor and people of color. One of the sites is the Commonground Collective & Health Clinic, located across the

Its a Ghost Town: a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana

As the caravan of 5 vehicles approached the Crescent City, the power of the winds and water was evident. Trees snapped like toothpicks, boats on houses and cars in the swamps. It was quiet. In some ways, it was not unlike the days of old, when the city was still mostly swamp and fishing and hunting were the primary activities. As the vans traveled further south, the blue roofs grew in scope and density in the landscape. Many tarps covered only a small part, representing impromptu escape routes families used to avoid the quickly rising flood

Gulf Coast Justice & Soliarity Tour

Mississippi River in the neighborhood of Algiers started by the family of Malik Rahim, a former black panther. This has evolved into a space to distribute food, clothes, blankets, diapers, and other basic needs, to provide internet and phones to facilitate communication and to promote a return and rebuilding that reflects common desires for justice and rejecting unnecessary fossil fuel dependence. The free clinic is working to train local residents, pay them for their work and

eventually to convert this space into a truly community-run clinic. The Commonground had just opened a new space in the 9th ward to expand its work and host a collective Thanksgiving dinner for the returning residents. As we pulled up to the house, immediately our man and woman-power was put to use to unload truckloads of supplies. Quickly forming a long assembly line, we passed diapers, soap, water, generators and more to restock various areas of the distribution tent. In 20 minutes, our collective of folks relieved two volunteers of hours worth of work. Families and individuals could wander through the supplies to locate items they needed in this open and welcoming environment. The Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition, a collaboration between many community organizations anchors much of the post-Katrina organizing and outreach work. PHRF hosted lunch on the front porch of what will soon be their new office in New Orleans. With spray paint, the houses in this neighborhood, like most others, were labeled with the number of dead. Before most people

from this community have located loved ones not to mention began the journey home, eviction notices line the streets. Welcomed by Ishmael Muhammad of the PHRF, he outlined to three critical issues: finding the people so that they can speak for themselves, listening and documenting their stories, and fighting against the race for elite redevelopment before lifelong residents have the opportunity to return home. He denounced the intentional disintegration of the communities in New Orleans and using scattering as a means to further disempower a marginalized people. The journey moved to the nearby former office of the 25 year old local organization, the Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond. Along the short drive, we saw mounds of possessions and memories piled outside of each

by Marni Rosen & (PHRF) Penny Willergodt

by Amy Stapleton

SWU report - November 2005

house, soaked, molded and destroyed. The houses were cleared, so we could only imagine what it may have been like before any cleanup began. The staff, displaced and out of touch for several weeks, reunited for a rally and testimonial at their destroyed office. Using N95 surgical masks and flashlights, the staff and others went into the dark, mudding and damp building for the first time. Only few pictures, a poster and a clock were salvaged from the inside where black noxious mold climbed over what remained of paper, walls, chairs and ceilings. Despite everything, a plant inside had survived and was growing over the mold. This resistance and determination to continue was apparent in the faces of the staff. In a circle, the folks of the Peoples

Institute emotionally shared their memories and reflections as many said goodbye to this space. It was an incredibly compelling and humbling experience for these amazing organizers to share with us. Songs were shared, initiated by Tufara and included an honor song sung by Manny Pino and Clayton Thomas. As words were shared around the circle, hope power ready solidarity struggle reflected sentiments of this unique group in a very powerful space. This circle connected and tied many of the knots that will keep together these relationships and unity. With that, the group headed back across the now infamous Lake Pontchartrain and towards the coast of Mississippi.

I have lived in the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans which is a center of culture and many musicians have been born and raised here. Our neighborhood has been threatened by gentrification and through history we have always won. Congo Square is in Treme and is the place where Native and African Americans have met every Sunday to share culture, food, drums and dancing. I can say this, the tour was one of the most wonderful experiences that I have had in my life and I have had many experiences. - Jim Hayes

by Arnoldo Garcia / NNIRR

Gulf Coast Justice & Soliarity Tour

by Marni R & Penny W

by Amy Stapleton

Into the eye of Katrinia: a journey through Gulfport, Miss.

Heading to Gulfport along the I-10 interstate, 7 miles from the coast, two months ago was submerged by the monstrous storm surge. The residents of coastal Mississippi boar the brunt of Katrinas fury which demolished the casino shoreline and hollowed out offices, houses and churches for miles. Evidence of the existence former line of hotels was obliterated. While most of the corporate chains were functional, small local business owners received no federal support, not even a blue tarp for ripped apart roofs. What used to be merchandise, computer, phones and blinds were scattered on sidewalks, streets and now empty lots. It felt like those once thriving industrial cities, emptied and abandoned after NAFTA. The railroad tracks served to divide the town, south lay what once was the wealthy

neighborhoods, hotels and casinos; north are the people of color, working class and poor folks. In those neighborhoods only 2 months ago labeled undesirable places to live, landlords were eagerly evicting folks for those willing to pay top dollar for housing. Arriving at dusk, we wandered through the town that was totally dark, without street or store lights. Although it was difficult to see anything, there was a feeling of abandonment that encompassed the town. The group attempted to walk to the coast, avoiding barbed wire divides and concrete debris, seeing no cars or signs of life. It was evident that destruction was overwhelming and widespread. Hosted at the Little Rock Missionary Church by the Pastor (and Chef) Lee Adams, we were warmly welcomed

to their center and offered home cooking. The Pastor described the relief efforts that the church was undertaking to provide immediate needs for families, find temporary housing, rebuild homes and assist the community to move beyond Katrina. The Church lost its roof during Katrina and its steeple after Rita. He explained impassionately how this experience has reactivated his determination to be more involved, it has functioned as a wake up call to participate more fully in the community. During a panel at the Church, Victoria Cintra of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance began listing large dollar figures, representing wages owed to workers since Katrina adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these small corporations could be traced up the corporate chain to a subsidiary of Halliburton, famous for its profiteering schemes.

SWU report - November 2005

Workers, primarily Latino immigrants, were lured from Texas, Florida, Chicago under false promises to endure slavery-like conditions and toxic work environments. The situation is worsened by the medias drive to intensify divisions between the black and Latino communities, labeling the workers as stealing jobs and receiving their aid while the corporations maximize profit through exploitation. Speakers identified the need to foster alliances between these communities to counter the divisive propaganda.

Like many folks, they face loss of employment, evictions and must try desperately to survive against these mounting odds. Surprisingly the council representative from Redball was in the audience and echoed this reality. Vivian challenged all the people in the room to send 3 volunteers to assist the efforts of SOS. Pastor Hartwell of St. James Baptist Church filled the room with inspiring words. He outlined the nightmare of the insurance situation denying any support to homeowners that have been paying insurance premiums for years. He attempted to describe the preserve logic of the insurance companies, trained only in the art of policy claim rejections. One of his congregational members who lost her roof and house flooded called the insurance representative. The company alleged her policy did not cover hurricane wind damage so the roof was not covered and although it should cover water damage, because the roof was damaged by the wind the water entered because the roof was not there so she does not have a claim. The insurance companies now have a critical distinction between water that falls down and water that rises up when addressing flood damage claims. In conclusion, he pondered the questions of heaven, hell and judgment day, by offering this passage from the Bible:

Representing the Mississippi Interfaith Disaster Relief Taskforce & Backbay Mission, Roberta Avila spoke to the dire situation of the homeless in the region. The Red Cross demanded proof of residency because they would only provide temporary shelter to people who used to have homes. Previously homeless folks were systemically removed from shelters, given no options of where to turn. Roberta has been focusing efforts of supporting the homeless and disabled community. Vivian Felts of Saving OurSevles from Mobile, Alabama spoke to the community of Redball. This poverty striken African American neighborhood in Gulfport was denied aid from the Red Cross, volunteers wanting to go to this area were intimidated by the Red Cross saying they would be shot if they attempted to deliver aid to folks that had seen no relief, food or water for weeks. She referred to this as just one example of the intentional refusal of aid necessary for survival to poor black people along the coast.

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they also will answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Mathew 25: 31-46)
After a busy, exhausting, exhilarating day, we used pumps and leaf blower to fill the air mattress SWU donated earlier and separating into the makeshift male and female dorms. Apparently the mens night was punctuated by a chorus of snores which resonated through the church. In the morning, after a filling southern breakfast prepared by church leaders, we piled into the vans to take an early morning

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ...

Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, by Amy Stapleton

Gulf Coast Justice & Soliarity Tour

Deep in the Bayous of Indian Country: the United Houma Nation

As we worked are way for the third time across Lake Pontchartrain, the call of nature led the vans to stop at the house of Jim Hayes, a leader of the Peoples Institute, board member of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and lifetime resident of New Orleans. In the neighborhood of Tremey, the main activity was police and army vehicles cruising down the streets still ready to enforce shoot to kill orders or at least do everything possible to prevent folks from returning home. Jim has been making daily trips to his house, which in spite of being in decent condition does not have electricity because the city refuses to turn on electricity in this black community. Even if electricity becomes available, an astounding $350 is required for an inspector to approve turning it in your house. The newly resumed postal service outfitted their employees with masks, boots and protective clothing when they traveled the streets. Residents wanting to return to Louisiana were at best offered a chance to be on a waiting list for a one room metal trailer, erected in what are being referred to as Bushvilles. Rent support is only available if you reside in another state, not in Louisiana. The nearby commercial street, lined with black-owned small businesses is excluded from receiving aid, even a blue tarp. After a delayed stopped over, the vans proceeded south into the Bayous 5 salt water inlets that have created a swampy sea-food rich region. The Houma people, originally from Baton Rogue, currently live throughout this rural region, primarily relying on the fishing. Many of the elders speak only French, a legacy from the first colonists of the area. Denied federal recognition as a tribe, the Houma people do not have land designated

by Marni Rosen & Penny Willgerodt

tour of the coastline. It was reported that community folks saw the piece by the local news about the Tour and felt hopeful by our presence and mission there. The early sunlight hours showed the true force of Katrina. The coast south of the railroad tracks was militarized with barb wire, check points and armed personnel. Makeshift tents were speckled throughout the landscape, the homes of workers reconstructing the coastline. Three blocks behind what used to be casinos and hotels, the remaining structures were completely hollowed out, what used to be files and computers littered the sidewalks and there was a complete absence of any type of relief or disaster organization. Walking through the silence, the group wandered along the coast. After 20 minutes, 4 police cars and a helicopter converged on the group, remarking Whose the leader here? Didnt you see the barricades? On a way returning to the vans, the group of leaders prepared for another journey to the other side of New Orleans, to the United Houma Nation.

by Ansje Miller

by Ansje Miller

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SWU report - November 2005

by Marni Rosen & Penny Willgerodt

under their governance. This region was stormed by the winds of Katrina and 3 weeks later hit by the flooding and rains of Rita. Houses were completely flooded by the surges, fishing boats demolished and as the waters receded 2 feet of swamp mud was left covering everything. The levees system that surrounds the 5 bayou areas completely failed. Our caravan was greeted in Raceland at the house of the Principal Chief Brenda Dardar Rabichaux and her family. A feast awaited us, prepared by an elder whose restaurant was destroyed in the hurricane, as we were provided the history of the Houma, the geology of the region and the reality for the people since the storms. Brenda helped establish the United Houma Nation Relief Center, organized methodically, as she explained, to offer a small piece of dignity back to the people so they feel like they are at a store and not rummaging through trash bags of donations. It was not FEMA or the RedCross that offered assistance to these rural communities in need, but WalMarts Native American Outreach department that send a truck of clothes, water and food to the relief center. Other Native communities have sent supplies and donations to Houma to help rebuild. Volunteers sleep in tents outside to aid in this process. At the center, anyone can come to receive items they

need and help with the bureaucracy of FEMA, who has spent a total of one hour in the Houma community. After this brief introduction, we traveled several miles to Dulac, to help rebuild the house of an elder and beautify the block of 6 houses aligned along the bayou inlet. Although most of us lacked construction skills, we eagerly took this opportunity to give something small back to the people of the Gulf Coast which welcomed us so warmly and openly. With gloves and tool and warnings about creatures that lurk in the long grasses of the swamp we spent the rest of the daylight hours reconstructing a porch, cleaning the inside of a house, washing dishes, and clearing and piling trash out of the swamp and yards. The entire contents of these houses has been dumped and scattered across the bayou: phones, dishes, refrigerators, toys. By dusk, the porch was rebuilt, the house cleaned and the bayou cleared out. It was a small contribution, but the neighbors came out to thanks us, share their stories and even offer us bug spray to help fight the swamp insects. Carrying much of the bayou on our bodies, we went back for a huge seafood feast with Brendas family. Invigorated and exhausted the caravan, after a missed exit, headed back I-55 north to Jackson, Mississippi.

by Arnoldo Garcia / NNIRR

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Local to Coastal connections

As we sat in our office and thought what can we do, SWU looked towards a convergence of organizations and networks to create a strong movement building experience. For SWU, the tour was necessary to show real on the ground solidarity and commitment to working with organizations and communities in the Gulf Coast. Based in San Antonio, SWU in San Antonio sits in a geo-political center that connects the Southwest and the South, near the border that divides the Global South to the Global North. SWU hopes that this tour and our collective experiences can help foster black-brown coalitions and counter the political and media attempts to divide poor, people of color communities against each other. This opportunity provided space for dialogue, sharing and common experience that can only help these connections grow and build. After the disaster of the Superdome, the government started shipping people haphazardly across the continent. Over 500,000 people were housed in some form in Texas, at least 50,000 in San Antonio. For the evacuees in San Antonio to folks across the Gulf, we continue to see the victims of environmental and economic injustices that plague this country.

So, where do we go next?: Building on the United Front

On Saturday, the Nation of Islam hosted the strategy session in Jackson to attempt to process, synthesize and move forward based on the collective experience shared over the previous few days and intentionally use the relationships strengthened by the tour to continue acting in the united front. Project South and SWU developed the agenda, based on the concept of movement building. The session began with a fish bowl discussion with four local folks: Hollis, Curtis, Angela, Jim and Gary Owens from Seattle. This enriching experience gave local folks an opportunity to converse on the reality of the Gulf Coast inside of the larger group and everyone participated by asking questions, listening or making comments. The group began piecing together a unified action calendar of work, activities and events of organizations over the next year. Commitments were made to inject the Gulf Coasreality into our work. Events such as the Peoples Assembly & March, the World Social Forum and the United Nations Convention on Climate

Change were mentioned. Next, small groups creatively mapped out where the movement is at now. After sharing we brainstormed what we want to see along the Gulf Coast in the next year. Groups discussed the need for community run institutions, freedom reconstruction brigades and strengthening our global connections. It is very apparent that the main need is to have local folks return and participate in the decision-making process to ensure communities; vision and needs are in the forefront. Folks went through a process of working individually and then in small groups to answer the question How do we as organizations find & activate displaced peoples locally & nationally? overarching Ideas included; outreach & organize, over site & accountability, community (re)building, use the media and meet immediate needs. Each organization made a proposal to continue specific pieces of work upon their return home which include sharing the knowledge & experience, reaching out to progressive labor locals, setting up communication center and outreaching to displaced people around the nation. We send many thanks to the Nation of Islam for opening their doors and cooking for the delegation during Ramadan, the Holy time of prayer, faith and fasting. We express our gratitude for this sign of solidarity and humility.

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Tens of thousands of evacuees are subjected to a lock-down system that more closely resembles jails than relief centers, isolated and hidden far away from the downtown commerce and tourist areas. The national guard patrolled the barbed wire fences, identification bracelets were required to enter, and no pictures were allowed. Incarcerated and silenced, evacuees are tagged, given background checks, hidden behind police barriers, concrete walls and media-free arenas. The displaced peoples had to dig through used clothing, use outdoor showers, lack any type of privacy and had no access to outside media except for filling out FEMA forms. In addition to this, thousands

Credits:
We cannot even begin to express our gratitude to the local organizations that supported and made this event possible. No one will forget your openness, strengthen, courage and dedication to the community. Our love and solidarity is with you and the struggle continues. Thanks to Southern Echo, Little Rock Missionary Church, Peoples Instittute, Community Labor United & PHRF, Peoples Institute, Commonground Collective and the United Houma Naiton. Thanks to our brothers and sisters of Project South, LEAN and Grassroots Global Justice for co-convening this event and to all the speakers that shared their stories and lives with us. Special thanks to Jim Hayes for being the guide, the drivers, the cooks, Angelo for doing video documentation and Shields and Emery for facilitation. The Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Tour was made possible by: Ford Foundation, Jennifer Altman Foundation, Noyes Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advistors, Tides Foundation (anonymous donor), Veatch Program at Shelter Rocks Thanks to all the members and allies that contributed to the Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Fund. We exceed our goal of $10,000.

gave $1,000 to the Commonground Collective, Community Labor United, Peoples Institute, Little Rock Missionary Church and the United Houma Nation. Currently, the fund has collected over $10,000 and will send additional donations to these allies.

Final Thoughts
If nothing else, the tour demonstrated that solidarity and unity was necessary to achieve justice in the Gulf and to continue to build a grassroots movement. The powerful, inspiring experience moved everyone on the tour, locals and outsiders. The media exposure throughout the tour continued to highlight the issues from our perspective and demonstrate grassroots solutions. It offered a strong foundation to continue to move forward collectively and inextricably linked national organizations to the work and reality along the coast. This served as an opportunity to bridge a cross-section of organization to further enforce the framework of working together and moving towards common goals.

of the displaced were located on the most contaminated site in San Antonio, adjacent to a deadly Union Pacific railroad exchange station. The other primary shelter was a former Levis warehouse building, a unused toxic industrial site. Southwest Workers Union, working around these issues for over a decade, charged the city with environmental racism for housing already devastated peoples at such dangerous facilities. SWU demands that every person here in San Antonio be housed in safe and healthy environments. SWU began a grassroots collection site, soliciting donations adding to the Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Fund formed to give donations to hosting sites of the tour. Initially, raising $5,000 from members, allies and grassroots organizations, the tour

by Amy Stapleton

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Gulf Coast Justice & Solidairty Tour: Starring...

by AAmy Stapelton

Amy Stapleton Methodist Federation for Action

Social

Arnoldo Garcia National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights

Che Lopez Southwest Workers Union & COMPA

Angela Winfrey-Bowman Peoples Institute for Survival & Beyond

Audrey Hollis St. Louis Jobs with Justice

Clayton Thomas-Muller Indigenous Environmental Network

Angelo Kinyua Big Ideas Entertainment

Bill Chandler Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance

Curtis Muhammad Peoples Hurricane Fund & Relief Coalition & Oversight Committee

by AAmy Stapelton

by Amy Stapleton

Ansje Miller Environmental Justice & Climate Change Initiative

Brenda Robichaux United Houma Nation

UP

Diane Shamis (United Progressive) Democracy

for

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Pastor Eddie Hartwell St. James Baptist Church

by Arnoldo Garcia NNIRR

Hollis Watkins Southern Echo

Karlos Schmieder SouthWest Organizing Project

Emery Wright Project South

James (Jim) Hayes Peoples Institute

Kermit Moore Mississippi Workers Center

Gary Owens Legacy of Equality, Leadership & Organizing (LELO)

by Marni R & Penny W

Jill Johnston Southwest Workers Union

by Marni R & Penny W

LaTosha Brown Saving OurSevles Coalition

Genaro L. Rendon Southwest Workers Union

Jose Bravo Just Transitions Alliance

Laura Flanders Air America Radio

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by Marni R & Penny W

Pastor Lee Adams Little Rock Missionary Church

Louisiana

Mary Lee Orr Environmental Network

Action

Peter Knowlton UE (United Electrical Workers) District 2

Malik Rahim Commonground Collective

by Arnoldo Garcia NNIRR

Michael Leon Guerrero Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

Penny Fujiko Willgerodt Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Manuel Pino Indigenous Environmental Network

SouthWest

Miguel Roman Organizing Project Pajarito Mesa

Roberta Avila Interfaith Disaster Task Force

by Arnoldo Garcia NNIRR

Marni Rosen Jennifer Altman Foundation

Mike Sayer Southern Echo

Sarah White Mississippi Workers Center

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southwest workers union

Shields Scott Project South

Victoria Cintra Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA)

Executive Board: Nicolas Charles, President Sylvia Rosas, Vice-President Roberto Alvarado, Secretary Staff: Jill Johnston, Chavel Lopez, Che Lopez, Lucha Lopez, Genaro L. Rendon, Ruben Solis Photography: Southwest Workers Union, Amy Stapleton, Ansje Miller, Arnoldo Garcia -NNIRR, Jose Bravo, Marni Rosen, Penny Willgerodt Southwest Workers Union PO Box 830706 San Antonio, TX 78283 ph 210.299.2666 fx 210.299.4009 swu@igc.org swunion.blogspot.com www.swunion.org Copyright Notice: All material is open to public use with appropriate notice of SWU and accrediation of SWU. Please send a copy of anything used to the above address.

Steve Hollis AFGE & St. Louis Jobs with Justice

Vivian Felts Saving OurSelves Coalition

Susan Williams Highlander Research & Education Center

by AAmy Stapelton

Tufara Waller Muhammad Highlander Research & Education Center

by Marni R & Penny W

Ishmael Muhammad CLU - Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund

the group

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A Note from Emery Wright of Project South:

Reflecting on the Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Tour
Since the Gulf Coast Disaster began to unfold, I knew in my heart that this would be the single worst social injustice to occur in my lifetime. The thousands of people who suffer and die on the US-Mexico border, the rise of globalization where elite corporations gain more profit while the poor and working people get less, increasing attacks on immigrant communities and the entrenched white supremacy and hatred of Black people rooted in the US South and realized across America all joined forces in this Disaster like the Bayous of southern Louisiana that pour into the Gulf of Mexico. People on the grassroots who knew, these are our people being killed, violated and down-pressed, formed groups like Saving Our Selves and the Peoples Hurricane Committee to provide basic relief and plan for the long term. Like the reaction of blocking a punch, regular folk from the Gulf Coast stood together and said hell no, while most of the country watched in disbelief. Then American media began to do what it does best: deflect responsibility from those in power and from the systems they run, confuse the issues and cover up the real story. Within weeks we in America began to forget and get back to our normal lives. But for hundreds of thousands of people from the Gulf Coast and scattered across the country it was impossible to forget as the nightmare continued and got worse. It was in this historical moment that Southwest Workers Union began the hard work of planning a Gulf Coast Justice & Solidarity Tour. There were people who said it couldnt happen and even some who suggested that it shouldnt happen but the brothers and sisters at SWU knew that it must happen. This historical moment demanded real solidarity not rhetoric or indecision. SWU contacted communities and organizations throughout the southeast, built relationships and the result is now history. If we press on, it will be historical. Early in the process, Project South was asked to be a co-convener of this Tour and we readily agreed. 35 organizations, many from the Southeast but with representation from as far as northern Canada and Nairobi, Kenya also heard the call and would actively participate in the Tour. Seeing a City and region beat down had an emotional impact I did not expect. We stood in neighborhoods across the Gulf Coast and thought about our own neighborhoods, where we grew up and imagining every corner you hang out on, every street you pass destroyed, abandoned and occupied by military and police. In one neighborhood the stench of death was unbearable. As a young Black man, born and raised in Georgia I was honored and emboldened by the leadership that my elders on the Tour showed and the space they created, for myself and my peers, to share leadership. Hollis Watkins of Southern Echo was the first to welcome us to Mississippi, traveled throughout the Gulf Coast with us and was the last to bid us farewell when the Tour was over. Jim Hayes whose selfless humanity was our guide, took us to his neighborhood in New Orleans. Curtis Muhammad, who has earned respect for his movement work over the last 40+ years, kept us on task during our Saturday strategy reminding us of our focus: we got to find our people! All movements require intergenerational work and we did that work successfully throughout the Tour. There is an increasing amount of work to be done and the national spotlight has been removed from Black, Brown and poor people from the Gulf Coast. It will take a powerful movement to demand justice for the Gulf Coast and stakes are high. There is a united front forming and the Tour was a small contribution to that effort. We must all get on the Bus!

City of Blues
Ah yes..The Big Easy, blues playn, rhythm makn, soul of the Southland Now your blues are on the roofs Compliments of Halliburton Price tag $3500.00 Charge it, my sister says I have a tab, payn for it with my life. Houses dotted with plastic To cover up the poverty Cannot hide the great divide. The poor, the black, the immigrant Absent The white man pulls his u-haul Back to his gated compound Talk about Left Behind No book Not the bible, the law or a fundamentalist take on the end times Keep people from crossing a bridge My brother weeps Humiliated after your Red Cross confrontation Turned away cause he had no documentation The songs of this city Are now written on the backs of her people Though they sing from foreign lands
Amy Stapleton November, 00

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