I apologize for the double post.

As for General Honore,
I was like it took a Black man to get things moving. Ya'll remember his "don't get stuck on stupid" remark to the reporters asking silly questions? :) I think everyone was sad to see him go.:(

Being from the N.O. and knowing that because of the levee breaches, my parents and other relatives loss everything, it was kinda hard to watch. BUT I thought the documentary was excellent...It made me angry all over again...it was sad how the brother had to leave his dead mother...that tore me up....As we knew, the dopes in FEMA, Homeland, and the White House did not and DO not have a clue.....

Powerful!
 

Just powerful! And moving! And sad! And most of all.... BALANCED!

This was very powerful and moving thta I can't even describe it. The man whose mother died and then he had to leave her was just so sad. The kids whose mother needed the oxygen and died and then was left in the house with the kids was so sad. I mean the entire thing was just so sad. I mean what I want to know is how did the TV crews get to these people and you are telling me that Bush 7 the rest of the Gov't couldn't. That whole thing just wasn't right.

I live a couple of hours away from Biloxi, Mississippi and went down there two weeks ago. I promise it looks like the hurricane just left there. It's sad how we can get all this money to get those Americans out of the caves and rocks of Israel, but we see people on top of their houses, stuck on bridges, in water; we know where they are and they couldn't even send boats, airplanes, hell, drop some water and food from the sky. The government did nothing and if you watched anyother channel all they talked about was Jonbenet Ramsey. WTH!!??? There are people who are still missing!!!

George Bush I haven't forgot so please share with me why AOL reports a boost in your Presidential rating? America is the Captin Save 'Em for everyboby else but WE(the government) failed OUR OWN CITIZENS!

I should renounce my citizenship :(

I will post more tomorrow, but the show just went off, and all I can say is AWESOME!!!!! Spike Lee did an AWESOME job....

I need to write some stuff down because I know that I am going to forget it tomorrow, but just remember the chick who said that she was born 12-24-63 and that she was going to f*cking die there, and the dude who was like he wasn't going to sell his house but he was going to throw up some sheet rock and wave and speak to the people as usual when they go by......

Terrence Blanchard and his mom

Wendell Pierce talking about his dad and him being jerked over by the insurance company

The young student who left and his mother stayed and when he came back, he saw that there was a ZERO on the door meaning no dead body found but then he realized that the doors were all locked, so there was no way that they checked the house. Here he is thinking that his mom got out and she is somewhere, and in the end she was found dead in the house....sad:( . That was truly heartbreaking

In addition to the woman whose 5 year old daughter was with her dad and they did not evacuate. They found the daughter drowned in April. :( :( :(

All the stories about the trailers :mad: :mad:

Overwhelming is the best word to accurately describe all four parts as well as eye opening but necessary to watch.

Also...
 

Hearing the survivors talking about not having a home for the holidays also got to me, especially since *my* family used to gather at the grandmother's house for holiday dinners. It's just not the same anywhere else. :(

On a brighter note...

Ditto on all of Mrs. Montana-LeBlanc's "color commentary", esp. when she gave out her phone number (in response to what Barbara Bush said); she had me rollin'. Also liked when they talked about the culture with N.O. music, second lines, Creoles, etc. And, LOL at the Mardi Gras t-shirts montage! Gotta love that N'awlins spirit!

All in all, even with my initial reservations, I'm glad I watched this tour-de-force documentary. I love (most of) Spike's "joints" (haven't always agreed with his politics, though); this would rank in the top 5 of my favs (Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing, etc.). If he doesn't win an ishtload of Emmys for this next year (yes, I know this isn't about awards, but still...), the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is going to receive a very nasty letter from me.

(ETA: Kinda surprised Spike didn't interview Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farewell, which was my school's summer reading program book last year. He came to speak at our convocation a week before Katrina's devastation. Basically everything he "predicted" in the book came to fruition...irony just isn't the word.)

I had a dream about Mrs. Phyllis Montana-LeBlanc last night. No really.

I really want to read a few of the books by the authors interviewed in the documentary. I also really enjoyed the history lesson -- Creole, funerals, slavery in Louisiana -- last night. It gave me deeper perspective.

"Rebuild, Revive, Renew" ~ Spike Lee

My heart broke for the guy that found his mom under the fridge when after the marked the house with a 0. And for the woman who had to bury her child...:( :( people who didn't have to die.

Some of the t-shirts that people had on at the Parade had me rollin...if nothing else we are a resilient people. We will rise...

To Phyliss Montana -LeBlanc: I will personally drive you to Babs Bush's house and so you can whup her properly...

The guy who cussed out Cheyney (Beavis and Butthead) you hit the nail on the head! Thank you for saying (or yelling at) Cheyney what others wanted to say.

Once again...Kanye was right

The only thing I wish Spike did at the end was list charities that can still use money, clothing or whatever. The need is still there even if the media is now focusing on the Jon-Benet investigation a-gain. People still need to give what they can wherever they can IMO.

Thank You Spike....the world needed to see and hear this. Thank You

I need to watch this again...missed the first hour yesterday do to Big Brother...but my heart dropped again with many of the stories told last night.

OMG:eek: I forgot all about the little girl that died and they just finding her, and let's not even talk about that trailer BS.

I was totaly digging the slogans on the T-shirts. I was looking at mnost of them going ummm where can I get one.

I tell ya she was my favorite one...she shot straight from the hip and pulled no punches.

What I really liked about this guy was when he said it again because he was like well maybe he didn't hear me....

Please anyone that is from N.O. explain to me about the lower 9th Ward. Is this a really bad area, a very impoverished area, what exactly is the deal with the 9th Ward , specifically the lower 9th Ward.

The lower 9th ward is impoverished when you compare it to the French Quarter and some areas of Uptown where there are mansions. This is a fairly large area and was 99 to 99.5 percent Black. It was very family oriented there, everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood. Alot of people owned houses and lived there for 30 or more years. People there worked very Hard at jobs that either paid minimum wage or a little over, what you call your working poor. Now, of course this doesnt apply to every individual there because there are exceptions. As far as a bad area, to me crime was all over the city, maybe a few neighborhoods in the lower 9(as we call it) were "hot spots" for crime, but again we have them all over. It still looks like Katrina just hit there. It's very overwhelming and heartbreaking to know that many people will not come back because they simply can't afford to do so. Almost the entire area would have to be demolished because there, at least the part I saw, was no water line. This is the area of the city that would need the most help.
New Orleans East, is also a part of the 9th ward, just not a part of the lower 9th ward. Many people that stayed there are your lower middle to upper middle class. Many people lost everything there as well.
Although I personally didn't stay in the lower 9th ward, I had family and in-laws that did. I have lived in the East.
Everyone is still waiting for the money from the government so that they can rebuild and that hasn't happened yet. Then there are the insurance companies that won't pay as seen on the documentary. So many people are stuck in limbo.
If any of my fellow New Orleanians can add anything Please do.
I hope that this shed some light and answered your question, Soror.

Yes Soror it shed a lot of light, and thanks for the history.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/katrina_then_now/flash.htm

New Orleans and Biloxi, then and now

P.O.'ed
 

I am pissed off...

The Untied States ought not leave this much devastation on its own people.

Spike did a wonderful job relaying the thoughts and ideas of folks. Mostly all those he interviewed were affected in someway by Katrina, with a few exceptions.

The ironic part IMHO, was when one of the survivors saw these guys in uniform and asked them who they were, and they said they were the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...

I wonder when Dubya decided to get involved? When Ray Nagin lost it on the Radio? Or when the White House heard the President Hugo Chavez planned on sending support?

The other part that got me was when the radio DJ (I forget his name) was ranting (please don't read this word negatively) about the bigotry he noticed until he just broke down and cried...

It just goes to show you that outright plain hatred is very much alive and well in this country and it rears its demonic head when folks are in utter pain, dishevelment and devastation.

I'm waiting to hear what Chris Rock has to say about this...

that also struck a chord with me

The Irony of it all..
 

Please tell me someone saw on the ABC World News the Katrina survivior Rockey Vaccarella drove his FEMA trailer to the White House to have a sit down with Bush. He got his time and this is what he said to the Media. But he also has strong Republican ties as well so it figures (IMO)...


"You know, it's really amazing when a small man like me from St. Bernard Parish can meet the President of the United States. The President is a people person. I knew that from the beginning. I was confident that I could meet President Bush.

And my mission was very simple. I wanted to thank President Bush for the millions of FEMA trailers that were brought down there. They gave roofs over people's head. People had the chance to have baths, air condition. We have TV, we have toiletry, we have things that are necessities that we can live upon.

But now, I wanted to remind the President that the job's not done, and he knows that. And I just don't want the government and President Bush to forget about us. And I just wish the President could have another term in Washington."

Link to full article is here: http://www.attytood.com/archives/003647.html

I wanted to http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_9_133.gif him when he said that man deserves another term!

So this comes out right after Spike has shown his Documentary to the world? As to say see it's not so bad and neither is Bush... yeah right, don't think so..:mad:

Here is the video (you need Macromedia Flash 8 to see it)
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/guide?ca...349066#2349066

I haven’t watched Spike’s documentary and I probably won’t, but my neighbor saw it. She grew up in the Lower 9. Her dad still lived there and had a small business nearby. She was even thinking of sending her son to Holy Cross high school, in the 9th ward, last fall (BK – Before Katrina) but decided to keep him here. (They are white btw.) Neighbor said that although she hasn’t been a fan of Spike’s, she thought that the doc was excellent. She has been going around the city since last September taking pictures and documenting everything. Since she is an avid photographer, she has lots of before and after photos. She has been trying to get me down to the NO Museum of Art for months to see the Katrina exhibit. I just can’t do it. It hurts too much.

Mr. aopirose and a sister’s husband came to check on our houses the day after. They took back roads to avoid the road blocks. They passed a cemetery and the tombs had been blown out. They didn’t see any bodies but there were more than a couple of coffins in the trees. I could not imagine how that could be. That is until we were driving along 90 and I saw refrigerators right there in the trees. I am talking about up at the top just hanging out like big ol’ fruit. Pictures tell a thousand words but seeing things like this in person could fill a book or two. My goodness the MS Gulf Coast too and the destruction from Rita which also had an impact on the New Orleans area. It was hard trying to sleep after that.

I still have occasional panic attacks. They strike at the oddest times. We went to the west coast to visit family and one day we decided to see the beach. I was really looking forward to it but I couldn’t get out of the car. The way the waves were crashing on the shore was so rough. It was like when a storm comes but that was normal for that area. I can’t fully express how scared I was at that moment.

Aside from the emotional trauma that people are going through, there are legal troubles as well. A good friend is a real estate agent. She had a client from NO East two weeks ago. The woman was in her late 30’s with a young daughter. They were rescued from the second floor of their home along with her husband. Hubby was a diabetic on a pump. When the electricity went out, the pump did too and he went into shock. The boats came days later but the husband was put into a different one. They haven’t seen or heard about him since. She knows in her heart that he is dead. She would like to buy another home but she can’t sell the old one. Why? Hubby’s name is on the mortgage and he hasn’t given his consent to sell.

There is so much to tell. You just don’t know. Sorry for the ramble. I hardly talk about it.

TVOne is airing a couple of programs that those of us in the GNO area have been privy to. If you love music, the show @ 8PM CT, highlights brass bands of NO.

FYI

Thanks 2D. I will be tuning in. Hopefully I can hear some Soul Rebels and Rebirth!

I was also taken aback when the Canadian Police showed up.
You know Chris Rock got a whole lot to say. I can't wait either.

^^^ I concur
 

I too can't hear what Chris Rock has to say...

I'm looking out for pigs flying across some horizon because Canadians are coming to rescue Americans... I wonder what the temp. in hell is like right now?

I was thumbing through my new issue of Jet mag that arrived to today that has Outkast on the cover, and while thumbing through, there is a picture of a man and the caption says "Son Sues over Katrina Wheelchair Death". I looked at the picture of the man, and then realized that it's the man who had to leave his mom at the Morial Convention center. It's the man who was on Spike's doc. The one who had to leave his mom at the convention door and make the choice/decision to get on the bus. The man's mom was 91 yrs old, and the atty that is representing the family stated "Let's not forget, she survived the storm. The storm didn't get to her. She didn't survive the rescue"

That is such a powerful statement, and I can't even look at the pic without feeling such sadness. The article says that Ethel Freeman 91 (who was the mother of the man who had to leave her there) and an other covered body outside an entrance to the center came to symbolize the gov'ts slow response to the catastrophic storm.

Spike Lee developing TV show based on Katrina (Reuters)
 

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 11) - Spike Lee will follow his documentary on Hurricane Katrina with a scripted drama for NBC set in New Orleans.

Titled "NoLa," after the local slang for the Big Easy, the project is a multicultural ensemble exploring the post-Katrina lives of New Orleans residents from different social and economic backgrounds.

"It's a show about the city trying to rebuild itself and the people who are trying to put their lives together," said Lee, who will travel to New Orleans this week with screenwriter Sid Quashie to meet with residents.

Lee began thinking about a TV series set in post-Katrina New Orleans while he was filming his HBO documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts." Like the documentary, "NoLa" will be infused with humor. Lee is set to executive produce and direct the project if NBC decides to turn the script into a pilot.

"It's our goal to make great cinema for television," Lee said of his approach to the show.

Stylistically, he will pay homage to the great tradition of Italian neorealism, a 1942-52 movement in Italian cinema that involved such acclaimed filmmakers as Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini and spawned such films as De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief" and "Miracle in Milan."

Set among the poor and working class and filmed on location, Italian neorealist films contend mostly with the difficult economic and moral conditions of postwar Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions of everyday life: defeat, poverty and desperation.

Lee is taking similar approach to the stories of Katrina survivors who are picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.

"NoLa" would be filmed on location in New Orleans.

"We don't have to build sets," Lee said wryly. "Things there still look like the city's been bombed out."

Taking another page from the book of Italian neorealism, Lee plans to add to the authentic feel of the show by having some of the most colorful people featured in the documentary -- like Phyllis Montana LeBlanc -- written into the script as supporting characters and appear as fictional versions of themselves.

What does everyone, especially those who live in the NO area, think about this? Good idea or bad?

Not from New Orleans, but I can see both the pros and cons of this show.

I wonder if the money from the TV show will be given to the rebuilding of NO, specifically those who are featured in the show. If so, definite pro.

Televising the rebuilding process means that New Orleans remains in our thoughts and won't be easily forgotten.

I wish Spike Lee well with the project and hope he maintains the integrity that we saw in the HBO documentary.

I would tune in to at least the first episode.

1. I still have not watched the last 2 acts of the doc.
2. I like the effort that is being made. However, can we get some of that manpower to help rebuild neighborhoods? Not to rebuild, but to CLEAN some of the neighborhoods? :confused: Many people are saying *bump* the government, let me go out and get more into debt by applying for loans to get SOME work started on their personal efforts to rebuild.

Can't stop watching the Spike Lee Doc!
 

For the last week I have been reading Michael Eric Dyson's Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster which, in my opinion, has really delved deep into Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina. It takes Spike Lee's documentary to a whole nother level when the two are really put together in your mind. I can only really read like a chapter or two a day because it is so much to grapple with as an outsider so to speak.

Geaux Saints!!!!!
 

For a bit a good news...

GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

We Won....First game in the Superdome since Katrina, we beat the Falcons, and we lead the division....We are on an emotional high!!!!!:D :D :D :D

For my N.O. folks "Who Dat" ,"Bless You Boys" and "Ohhhh I Believeeeee...."

NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable
Celebrate Our Sisters of the Gulf Coast Wellness Journey
Scheduled activities during the
Second Anniversary of Katrina-Rita National Call to Action
August 2-29, 2007

On the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s women’s initiative, Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR), hosted a Gulf Coast Hear Me Now Listening Sessions Bus Tour of regions hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The seven-city tour set out to learn how women directly impacted by the storms were surviving one year after enduring the life-altering affects of Katrina and Rita. The tour revealed that the storms exacerbated the already fragile social and economic existence of many African American women in the Gulf Coast region in three of the most economically depressed states in the nation—Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

After listening to our sister’s voices about their experiences in the rebuilding process, the barriers they encountered and how they were affected by this natural disaster, the National Coalition was able to identify the most pressing issues thwarting recovery and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region----affordable housing, education, and mental/physical health topped the list.

As we approach the second anniversary of the worst storm in America’s history, sluggish rebuilding efforts have increased despair, frustration, and stress among people already emotionally traumatized. The never-ending struggle to secure a sense of dignity and stability has aggravated the severe mental stress and physical health problems survivors of these storms are facing on a daily basis in rural and urban communities in the Gulf Coast and all across the country where displaced survivors are attempting to rebuild their lives.

In 2006 the women of Black Women’s Roundtable heard the voices of our beloved sisters in the Gulf Coast. Further, to build upon what we learned from our Gulf Coast recovery & rebuilding work and from the women of the gulf coast over the past year, NCBCP will utilize the Black Women’s Roundtable Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Initiative to assist the women of the Gulf with their civic engagement and provide vehicles for their voices to be heard by policy and opinion makers across the country.

NCBCP will incorporate the mission of BWR – to promote healthy families – as we return to New Orleans to commemorate the second anniversary of Katrina through our 2007 BWR Celebrate Our Sisters of the Gulf Coast Wellness Journey. The journey will include a full day focused on health and wellness through exercise, volunteerism, pampering, dialogue, entertainment, spiritual upliftment, recognition, and information gathering. NCBCP will host a regional organizing briefing and conduct a scientific survey/poll of survivors to evaluate their recovery/rebuilding experiences over the past year, document their stories of success and the barriers Katrina-Rita survivors continue to encounter as well as stand in solidarity with the people of the Gulf Coast for a national call to action on August 27-29, 2007 in New Orleans, LA. Co-sponsored by Ms. Foundation for Women, AFL-CIO, Twenty-First Century Foundation.

NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable
Celebrate Our Sisters of the Gulf Coast Wellness Journey
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Tuesday August 28, 2007

A Day of Public Policy & Community Service

UNITY Day of Community Service
TIME: 7 A.M. – 5 P.M.

LOCATION: Various locations around New Orleans

DESCRIPTION: NCBCP, National Urban League, AFL-CIO, NAFEO, The Advancement Project, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, American Federation of Teachers, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Black Leadership Forum, Blacks In Government, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, International Association of Black Firefighters, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, The People’s Agenda, The Praxis Project and Saving Our Selves Coalition, and 100 Black Men of America volunteers will join volunteers from across the country for a Day of Service assisting in environmental cleaning up of damaged neighborhoods, schools and churches in New Orleans and we will visit the sick and elderly in the few nursing homes that have reopened including Guste Home Senior Citizens Highrise. Volunteers will help to paint, pressure wash and repair play grounds in a local public school and remove contaminated top soil from communities. Our goal is to personally touch as many survivors as physically possible to let the people of the Gulf know that we will not let the country forget the devastation that still exists in the Gulf. Day of Service organized by Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University, Mount Zion United Methodist Church, AALP, Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Rainbow PUSH New Orleans, Millions More Movement and LA Unity Coalition.

TO VOLUNTEER CONTACT: RosariaBeasley@bellsouth.net or call the Urban League of Greater New Orleans at 504-620-2332

Public Policy Forum

Hosted by Gulf Coast Collaborative Recovery & Renewal

Louisiana Justice Institute

TIME: 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

LOCATION: Dillard University in Lawless Memorial Chapel

The August 28th session will feature two two-hour town hall meetings with Gulf Coast residents discussing recovery and renewal efforts ranging from housing and economic development to education and the environment. One session will begin at 1:00 a.m. and a second session will start at 4:00 p.m. Expected to participate are national policymakers, including Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas), Representative William Jefferson (Louisiana), Representative Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) and Representative Maxine Waters (California). Dillard University is located in the storm racked Gentilly section of New Orleans.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracie Washington at www.louisianainstitute.org

BWR Celebrate Our Sisters of the Gulf Coast Dialogue & Recognition Ceremony

TIME: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

LOCATION: Loew’s Hotel

DESCRIPTION: NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable hosts “Celebrating Our Sisters of the Gulf Coast” Dialogue & Recognition Ceremony. NCBCP, Louisiana Unity Coalition and Saving Our Selves Coalition will recognize women from the region who have worked tirelessly to assist hurricane survivors and advocate for comprehensive recovery and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. The evening will include dinner, music, poetry, comedy, and the presentation of certificates of recognition. Each roundtable will consist of people from different regions, elected officials, and celebrity guests dispersed throughout the crowd to allow the women to share their successes and challenges on a more personal level. Speakers include: Susan Taylor, Editorial Director, Essence Magazine and Iyanla Vanzant, author, radio host and spiritual leader. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Latosha Brown at latoshab@truthspeaks.info or Ruby Pulliam at events@ncbcp.org. Co-sponsored by Ms. Foundation for Women, AFL-CIO, Twenty-First Century Foundation.

BWR Old-School Dance Therapy
TIME: 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM

LOCATION: Loew’s

DESCRIPTION: To make sure our appetizing dinner is thoroughly digested and prepare for the long day ahead of us, we’ll have a 30-minute boogie session to end the night, hosted by LA Unity Coalition.

Wednesday August 29, 2007
A DAY OF PRESENCE – A NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION!

Unity Prayer Breakfast
TIME: 7:30 am – 9:00 am

LOCATION: Loew’s

DESCRIPTION: Our journey to wellness will address our spiritual health with a morning Unity Prayer Breakfast co-hosted by Marc Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League and Melanie Campbell, ED & CEO, NCBCP.

Day of Presence National Call to Action
TIME: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Rally & Call to Action)

LOCATION: Across from Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

A Day of Presence is a national Call to Action co-convened by national, regional and locally-based organizations and leaders to demand justice NOW with and for the people of the Gulf Coast Region. National and regional co-conveners include: NCBCP, National Urban League, Children’s Defense Fund, Louisiana Unity Coalition, LA Justice Institute, AALP, Millions More Movement, NAACP, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, National Action Network, The Praxis Project, The Advancement Project, Greater New Orleans Urban League, New Orleans Rainbow PUSH, Saving Our Selves Coalition, Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Mississippi Coalition on Black Civic Participation and many others, (there will be additional national and local groups joining as co-conveners as the organizing progresses).

For more information NCBCP National Headquarters contacts:

Melanie L. Campbell

Executive Director & CEO, NCBCP

melaniec@ncbcp.org

(202) 659-4929

Kevin Parker Event Planning

Deputy Director, NCBCP Ruby Pulliam or Jean Bennett

kparker@ncbcp.org events@ncbcp.org

(202) 659-4929 (202) 659-4929

NCBCP State Affiliates - Gulf Coast Region contacts:

Vincent Sylvain

Convener, LA Unity Coalition

sylvainsolutions@msn.com

(504) 232-3499

Latosha Brown

Regional Director, NCBCP

Convener, Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation

latoshab@truthspeaks.info

(404) 664-7588

Media Contact:

Edrea Davis

edmedia@dogonvillage.com

(770) 961-6200

Check MailCompose Search Mail: Search MailSearch the Web

Katrina efforts
 

Thanks for posting this Soror. I am curious about something.

What political plan of action will be encouraged for those of us who live outside of Louisana?

Would anyone happen to know if form letters, a day to call on Congress,or other activities to engage the politicians (particularly those who are campaigning) are in the works?

During the Essence Festival, Susan Taylor suggested that we contact our US Representatives and Senators of the ongoing struggles many along the Gulf Coast Region continue to face 2 years post-Katrina/Rita.
I don't know if form letters exist.

An unpopular opinion
 

As we approach the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I extend my condolences to those of you who lost loved ones, be it friends, neighbors or relatives in the disaster, if I had not done so initially.

Having said that, I understand that many of you are upset that FEMA dropped the ball in extending expedient help and aid to those needing it in the floods and evacuation. While I fully agree that what they did (or rather, didn't do) was intentional, I disagree that it was racially motivated.

Believe it or not, IMHO there was a much bigger reason behind that, and it wasn't because "George Bush doesn't like black people".

To my fellow Black Americans, all I can say is, "Don't take it personally" (read: as a racially motivated slight).

Carry on...

Help me understand how cavalier this attitude is after millions of people were displaced by a natural disaster and who happened to be people of color?

Moreover, the failure in human public health without a directive given from our publicly elected leaders who where a bit more concerned about payment upon looming disaster.

I have never lived in NOLA, I have visited numerous times. This city was targeted just like Falluja, Iraq. The only difference is it was not OVERTLY done by human hands, unless you consider global warming.

So please, help me understand that the Fed who has a piss poor history toward African Americans would be brought to justice? Or Just Us?

Monet, you are looking at this very myopically. And FEMA and the Feds are taking full advantage of the fact that a lot of Black Americans will be seeing their lack of intervention during Katrina as racially motivated. But in the grand scheme of things, it is par for the course as far as they are concerned, and again, this whole incident ultimately goes beyond slighting Black Americans. There is something much bigger going on that we cannot afford to take this personally.

Put another way, not everyone who comes to our rescue is a Good Samaritan doing it out of goodwill. What you saw during Katrina is one instance of what will be the ultimate mindf[rea]k.

All I will say at this point is: FEMA and the Feds are playing headgames with Americans, which it is particularly easy to do with Black Americans, because we are too easily swayed by anything that even remotely appears to be race related. It's a trap! Don't fall for the okey-doke.

FEMA Response or lack there of
 

It's hard not to take the mass suffering of people personally when you are a caring individual and I am surprised by this reply.

Even the mainstream US and Europeon press has called the lack of FEMA response racially motivated. I was shocked to read the coverage of a major German publication in 2005 after the Katrina disaster where their press flat out called the US Government racist.

Now, I don't know if you have ever traveled abroad, but let's just say that Germany is not known for outstanding multicultural relations.

So given the facts and coverage of Katrina by the world press, it's not really appropriate to suggest that anyone who feels that the racist burden of suffering in Louisana myopic.

I'm not sure where you reside but I lived in Florida at one time with my family and have encountered several natural disasters including hurricanes and tornados. FEMA was always quick to respond and usually there within hours of the tragedy along with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. But we also lived in a middle class area.

Not only of the lack of FEMA response in the case of Katrina indicates short comings of this lousy administration; but it also speaks to the gross incompetence that plagues our major governmental agencies.

If you understood what was really going on with the politics behind FEMA's actions during Katrina, my post should not surprise you at all.

I look at mainstream media news with a jaundiced eye and for the most part take it with a grain of salt. But I can fully understand why they reported the Katrina news they way they did, so I can't hold it against them.

That's because you haven't peeped FEMA's/Fed's hole card; the fact that it happened in a majority black city was happenstance; Katrina could've happened in any major city and I daresay that the outcome as far as FEMA's lack of intervention would've been similar, if not identical.

FEMA did respond promptly to the disaster, just not in the ways we expected. There were a number of little incidents involving them that to the average person made no sense (why were the evacuees quarantined at the Superdome 6 days after the storm? Why weren't evacuees allowed the cross the bridge? Things that make you go Hmmmmmm). FEMA/the Fed's primary motive behind this was definately NOT racial. The fact that it involved a majority black city gives off the illusion of such, but again, if you peep FEMA's hole card, it is not racial, at least not primarily.

Personally, I wouldn't want the Feds or FEMA to help me out of my flooded basement, much less my city. Playing with FEMA involves marked cards and loaded dice, something I'm not willing to gamble with.

That's what they want you to think, and they could care less if you think that way about them. But the fact is, they are very competent, and they are VERY shrewd in how they handle matters such as this.

Again, this isn't racial. Don't let FEMA fool you into thinking this is the case. Because once you find this out, the trap will have been sprung.