StraightWords E-Zine

U.S. Social Forum pushes homegrown democracy

By Richard Muhammad

ATLANTA -- Thousands of people marched through streets here as the U.S. Social Forum, billed as one of the largest gatherings of progressive groups and activists, kicked off. The march, complete with stilt walkers, giant-headed puppets, drummers, bikers, and everyone from anti-war activists to anti-computer waste advocates finding in a place in a multi-racial throng that started out from the state Capitol Building.

Chants, whistles and shouts punctuated the air as enthusiastic men, women, and children, young and old, Black, White, Latino and Asian, gay and straight offered their picture of democracy to the world. The July 27 march went peacefully, winding past government buildings, Georgia State University facilities and Marta stations before ending at the Atlanta Civic Center, ground zero for the conference. The conference closes July 1.

Local police, office workers and everyday Atlantans watched as the lively wave of people flowed down boulevards in the "city too busy to hate."

Conference organizers said Atlanta was a logical and specific choice for the first U.S. Social Forum, modeled after World Social Forums that have grown from 15,000 to more than 150,000 people since the first meeting in Porto Alegre in Brazil in 2001.

Speaking after longtime civil rights leader Joseph Lowery laid a wreath at the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the late Coretta Scott King, organizers of the U.S. Social Forum talked about King's role and Atlanta's historic place in the struggle for civil and human rights. Other activists felt Atlanta was the right place because of the South's historic struggle for social change and its continued battles against injustice. The wreath laying was the first official conference event.

"The South has seen lots of repression and lots of resistance," said Jerome Scott, a member of the forum's National Planning Committee. Event included a variety of trainings from organizing to anti-racism to media making at the Civic Center, hotels and other venues. There were also entertainment and social activities, like a women’s soccer tournament.

Part of the forum's purpose is to inspire greater activism and to challenge U.S. hegemony and corporate dominance nationally and internationally. The gathering is also about collaboration where activists look for places where serious issues -- like racism, poverty, violence, corporate wrongdoing, and environmental abuses -- intersect and places where groups can combine efforts to challenge these problems.

"Another World is Possible; Another U.S. is Necessary" was the conference theme.

"I don’t think this generation has had the space to come together as a movement and really show that we’re not just a bunch of separate issues around, but that we’re a movement together that can build towards something better," said Karlos Schmieder, of the Youth Media Council, based in Oakland. He also worked on media for the conference.

The Forum shows the world that there is a progressive faction in America, he added.

With the 2008 presidential elections on the horizon, some activists see an opportunity to make significant change. Schmieder heard lots of rumbling among groups that were part of a bus convoy that rolled into town.

During the Peoples’ Freedom Caravan, organizations joined the fleet as it rolled southward from the West Coast. Discussions on buses often centered on the 2008 election and how to get presidential candidates to talk about important issues, he said.

Activists from New Mexico, for example, talked about getting Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson to make Katrina recovery a major issue, Schmieder noted.

"The cool thing is about how people come together and kind of build strategies in these spaces. That’s what they were somewhat looking at, trying to figure out, how can we get these candidates to really bring up our issues from the grassroots that they are not talking about now," he observed.

There were also those who want the progressive movement to look inward and outward at where change needs to take place.

"We’ve all grown up in oppressive societies. No matter how hard we fought against being hurt by them, being misinformed by the oppressions, it got in there. Those hurts and misinformation is sitting in our heads and it impacts everything that we do," said Apryl Walker, of United To End Racism, an organization that provides anti-racism trainings.

Greater awareness about of how racism divides communities, and keeps people from moving in progressive directions is needed, said Walker. "Everyone acknowledges that institutional change has to happen in order for racism to be eliminated, but part of what gets in to way of that change happening is also internalized racism," she added.

"The more we heal from racism as individuals, the better we are at making sure that we’re including people of color, in a real way, in our organizations. As white people, for those who are white activists, that (they) are thinking clearly and not letting racism get in the way of the kind of policy decisions that we are making," said Walker, who is a Black woman.

In the end, the U.S. Social Forum hopes to inspire less progressive talk and more action. "An interesting thing happens with these social forums around the world. You see it in South America, in Africa, in Asia. A wave of change and grassroots political engagement follows," said Alice Lovelace, a USSF national lead organizer.

Forum organizers hope to see a similar wave of engagement in the home of the world's greatest democracy.

More than a few bad apples in Chicago Police Department

By Richard Muhammad

Commentary

(Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published in the April 20, 2007 edition of The Chicago Defender, one of America's few remaining daily Black-owned newspapers.) 

When the mayor of Chicago speaks, people listen. Undoubtedly police recruits were listening when Mayor Richard Daley warned April 18 that officers are “in a fishbowl,” and shouldn’t be goaded into stepping over the line by wrongdoers during academy graduation ceremonies.

The problem isn’t what the mayor said, but what was apparently left unsaid. The mayor’s focus, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report was “keep your cool” and be good ambassadors for visitors to Chicago.

What appears to be missing is a strong rebuke of police misconduct and a stern warning that criminal acts by officers won’t be ignored.

Attempts to obtain a transcript of the mayor’s remarks or copy of the prepared text were unsuccessful. A mayoral spokesman declined to provide prepared remarks and said no press release or transcripts were available.

When it was pointed out that the mayor’s remarks apparently didn’t focus on the obligation to serve and protect or strongly warn recruits that violations of citizens’ rights and criminal misconduct, like beating a 90 pound woman for no reason, would result in loss of police powers and criminal prosecutions, the spokesman had a response: There is “no place in the Chicago Police Department for officers who brutalize” or discriminate in their treatment of citizens. He added that such sentiment is usually included in remarks for the mayor. But the spokesman couldn’t say exactly what words were spoken because he wasn’t present.

It’s obvious a major theme of the mayor’s remarks focused an awareness of public scrutiny and expectations. Not bad.

But coming the heels of off-duty, 300 pound officer Anthony Abatte’s videotaped beating of a tiny female bartender, his personal backdoor escort to avoid media cameras as he went to court and harassment of reporters covering the event by officers at a police captain’s behest, along with t-shirts purchased by officers to show support after that captain was disciplined, it appears plenty effort is exerted to protect bad apples as opposed to dumping them out of the barrel. Abatte’s on-camera assault was provoked by the bartender’s decision not to serve the drunken officer more alcohol.

The failure to squarely condemn criminal police misconduct is part of a failure to confront longstanding problems of police brutality and abuse. One researcher found a great number of complaints against relatively few officers, who were never disciplined or fired. The logical result is more brazen activity from bad officers and a blind eye from officers who see departmental and city leaders unwilling to uproot the problem.

The result is not just the abuse of law abiding citizens but millions of dollars spent on civil judgments. The city reportedly spent $16 million settle cases of brutality cases from about 1990 and 1995. In March 2007, a lawsuit against the city was settled for $1.75 million from a shooting after a Chicago Bulls basketball championship in 1998. One of the most embarrassing cases in city police history was the accusation that a seven- and eight-year-old boy killed 11-year-old Ryan Harris. An adult sex offender was later convicted of the crime. One of the boys reached a $6.2 million settlement with the city in 2005.

According to a 2007 study released by Developing Government Accountability to the People, the city paid out $100 million to settle civil suits filed against officers for excessive force, illegal searches and false arrest.

In the worst cases, police failures lead to the deaths, like the fatal shooting of Michael Pleasance in 2003 by an officer who violated procedures for handling his weapon and lied. It was recommended that the cop be fired, according to the Chicago Reader. Instead in 2005, the officer was promoted to detective by former Chicago Superintendent of Police Philip Cline, who resigned in the wake of separate videotaped incidents showing officers beating civilians.

The “few bad apples” excuse shifts responsibility from the department to weed out bad cops and skirts the mayor’s responsibility to oversee the department. The graduation of 46 new officers was an opportunity to send a loud and clear message:

Chicago will have zero tolerance for criminal police misconduct. It didn’t happen and that is a shame.

Beyond Imus

By Richard Muhammad

(Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published in the April 13, 2007 edition of The Chicago Defender, one of America's few remaining daily Black-owned newspapers.)

The good news is MSNBC and CBS Radio canned talk show host Don Imus for racist remarks that demeaned Black women and incited a firestorm of outrage from the Rev. Al Sharpton to TV weatherman Al Roker.

Imus initiated the confrontation by calling members of the Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy headed hos.” Those words have, for now at least, cost him his job.

CBS announced yesterday that broadcasting of the Imus in the Morning radio program on 61 stations would end effective immediately and permanently. "From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent," said CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves.

"Those who have spoken with us the last few days represent people of goodwill from all segments of our society — all races, economic groups, men and women alike. In our meetings with concerned groups, there has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," the TV exec added.

MSNBC canceled its TV simulcast of the Imus a day before CBS radio gave the venom-spewing cowpoke the boot.

Given the parade of white power brokers and media types, from Tom Oliphant of the Boston Globe, to former Bill Clinton advisor James Carville to Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, who vouched for Imus’s goodness and lack of racial animus, without the Black outrage and solidarity that followed Imus would be on tomorrow morning.

Collective Black anger – across political, economic and philosophical lines – brought Imus to his knees. Even if he doesn’t stay there very long, Black America should feel proud of its defense of Black womanhood in the face of a sexist, racist assault.

The fight isn’t over.

The “solidarity forever” pledges made to Imus by whites and the insulting attempt to lay blame for his behavior at the feet of rappers show the massive perception divide between whites and Blacks.

Blacks generally saw a clear violation, while whites, in particular powerful white men, saw an opportunity to make excuses and essentially blame the victim. The racial slurs uttered by Imus didn’t originate with rappers, but are the children of America’s long history of derogatory and demeaning expressions about Black people.

Powerful white men at record companies – just like the powerful white men who defended and paid Imus and whose children purchase a substantial number of rap records – pay some entertainers to denigrate themselves and their people.

Selling out, cooning and performing for massa are unfortunate parts of our history.

Fighting negative portrayals of Blacks are also part of our history, from the establishment of Freedom’s Journal, the first African American newspaper in the U.S. in 1827, to Oprah Winfrey’s comments blasting gangsta rap’s mistreatment of women.

We need to clean up our act, but we don’t need white folks to tell us what to do. We can figure that out for ourselves. But the question is can whites heal their own racial maladies?

Enabling Imus

By Richard Muhammad

Commentary

MSNBC and CBS Radio have seen the light and suspended talk show host Don Imus for a whole two weeks. Time to pack the protest signs and go home? Not exactly. While the venom-spewing old cowpoke may be unseen for a bit, the new question is what to do with the apologists for Imus insults aimed at Black women and media peeps who contend he really isn’t such a bad guy.

Like a troubled wife living with a nasty drunk, and sharing a raggedy filthy couch, some white journalist-types just can’t seem to kick the Imus habit, or get a healthy divorce. They have stepped forward to vouch for his character and need to embrace this "teachable moment." Led by Tom Oliphant of the Boston Globe, they see redemption deep in the soul of the man who called Rutgers basketball players a bunch of "nappy headed hos."

Seems like whenever a Black person allegedly does wrong, the lesson to be taught is accountability, responsibility and facing the consequences of one’s actions. Just ask teenager Shaquanda Cotton, who was recently released from a Texas facility where she was sentenced to seven years for allegedly pushing a white teacher’s aide.

Or ask actor Isaiah Washington if white gays saw a teachable moment when he made the mistake of using the f-word to say he didn’t call a fellow white cast mate a homosexual. There weren’t a lot of discussions about him teaching anyone anything, expect to avoid angering what one African American gay rights activist called "the gay mafia."

Some media folks feel Imus’ "nappy headed hos" slur regarding play during the NCAA tournament presents America with an opportunity.

But when Michael Ray Richardson, coach of the Albany Patroons, of the Continental Basketball Association, talked about hiring "big time Jewish lawyers" to handle his contract negotiations last month, it wasn’t a teachable moment. Richardson was quickly suspended pending an investigation by the playoff-bound team. He won’t be back this season.

Richardson reportedly said in a late March interview with the Albany, N.Y.-based Times-Union, "Listen, (Jews) are hated all over the world, so they've got to be crafty … They got a lot of power in this world, you know what I mean? Which I think is great. I don't think there's nothing wrong with it. If you look in most professional sports, they're run by Jewish people. If you look at a lot of most successful corporations and stuff, more businesses, they're run by Jewish. It's not a knock, but they are some crafty people."

Richardson is also accused of using the word "faggot" in an attempt to quiet a heckler during a game the same day. Within a couple days, he was suspended for the rest of the championship series and not allowed in the team facility. Richardson apologized a couple days later. Unlike Imus, he made no attempt to downplay the pain caused by his words, or cite previous good works that make him worthy of a pass.

I wonder if those comments have the same "lack of animus" Oliphant saw in Imus and put forward in a defense mounted April 9 during a PBS NewsHour broadcast segment with writer Clarence Page, and in his column the same day.

Newsweek editor Howard Fineman went on Imus’ show April 9, appearing before Oliphant. "Just before I came on the show, I was coming upstairs and my cell phone rang, and it was some listener who called me out of the blue. I'd never heard of the guy before. I'd never heard his name. He called me and he said, ‘Are you going to go on the show and finally confront this Imus guy? Are you going to quit enabling him?’ " said Fineman.

"And, you know, I thought about that, and I said to the guy, ‘You know, I'll puzzle that through on the radio.’ And I would like to continue to enable you to do a lot of the good things you do. Including, you know, talking about stuff happening in the world, which you do a very good job of on this show. …

"You know, it's different than it was even a few years ago, politically. I mean, we may, you know – and the environment, politically, has changed. And some of the stuff that you used to do, you probably can't do anymore," said Fineman. He described Imus’ remarks as "a big mistake" and "a teaching moment."

Newsweek columnist Mark Starr came out against kicking Imus out on the street, saying the old coot was just an example how far things have swung in the name of entertainment. In Starr’s view, we’re all responsible.

Not from where Black folks sit.

Imus is so bad that even Page, the leveled-head, non-threatening Chicago Tribune columnist, argued that it’s time for Imus to go. Page recounted having Imus take a pledge on-air several years ago to refrain from the racially-charged diatribes, including an instance in which Imus reportedly referred to Gwen Ifill, a respected African American journalist, as a "cleaning lady" allowed to cover the White House.

"To the 10 young African queens who have been disrespected and violated in public, keep your heads up high," said conservative darling Rev. DeForest "Buster" Soaries in a prelude to his Easter Sunday sermon. Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer was in attendance at the service in Somerset, N.J. According to a report in the Star-Ledger, Soaries called for Imus to be fired. "When I listened to it myself, I thought the guy is too ignorant to be on the air. … We would like Imus off the air," the article said.

How often do the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Page and Rev. Soaries, a former secretary of state under Republican Gov. Gov. Christie Whitman and Bush administration political appointee, agree a firing, protest and potential advertisers’ boycott is in order?

The widespread anger in Black America was also apparently lost on a Public Radio reporter, who covered an April 9 demonstration in Chicago by the Rev. Jackson, saying only about 50 protestors showed up. The report downplayed the way Blacks have responded, implied the protest numbers signaled a lack of interest, and had no reactions from Blacks about the controversy. The reporter also apparently missed the hours of hot conversation on Chicago's WVON-AM radio, starting at 6 a.m. April 9 with the Roland S. Martin and rolling on through three hours in the afternoon with the nationally syndicated "Keeping It Real With Rev. Al Sharpton Show," and columns by sports writer Stephen A. Smith, out of Philadelphia, Deborah Mathis of BlackAmericaWeb.Com, Black bloggers and writers. Analysis came from white media observers.

What’s going on here? Perhaps the easiest way to explain it is found in the title of Starr’s on-line column, "Imus Is Us." The "us" here consists of White America – white men in the media, in particular – unable to admit insults to Black folks actually mean something. It’s as if we are soulless beings and whites are always allowed to explain away, ridicule away, or ignore away the constant assaults on our dignity and psyche.

This bond of white attitudinal perception and brotherhood may also explain why the numbers of Blacks in newsrooms at daily newspapers and within the news industry continue to dwindle.

When the ugliness of American racism is exposed, there is always an apologist, a defender. So Michael Richards, who played Kramer on TV’s "Seinfeld," can go on David Lettermen with Jerry Seinfeld to vouch for his goodness, despite Richard’s n----r-laced, racial barrage against Blacks in a comedy club audience. And Imus can find comfort in the bosom of his brothers, who just can’t bring themselves to condemn him.

"You know, all of us who do your show, you know, we're part of the gang. And we rely on you the way you rely on us. So, you know, you're taking all of us with you when you go out there to meet with them (Rutgers basketball players), you know," said Fineman on the Imus show.

"Good morning, Mr. Imus, and solidarity forever, by the way," Oliphant said. He voiced support for Imus, called the racial broadside an accident and talked about his moral imperative to stand with the broadcaster as a member of the Imus "posse."

"But to me, that only means that those of us who, through an accident, were scheduled (on the show), who know better, have a moral obligation to stand up and say to you, ‘Solidarity forever, pal,’ " said Oliphant, in his closing words.

Imus walks and talks with America’s giants, and if he suffers from the disease of racism, what about his companions? Well, we don’t have to wonder. Just listen to what they actually say.

(Richard Muhammad is editor of Straight Words E-Zine and is based in Chicago. Read more at http://straightwords.typepad.com. He can be reached at straightwords@sbcglobal.net.)

Fox News doesn’t care about Black people, does the Congressional Black Caucus?

By James Rucker

Commentary

What would you say if someone told you that Black members of Congress were planning to host a presidential debate with a TV network that likens Black churches to cults, implies that U.S. Senator Barack Obama is a terrorist, and used the solemn occasion of Coretta Scott King’s funeral to call Black leaders “racist?” You’d probably wonder, “Have these brothers and sisters lost their minds?”

The Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBCI) is on the verge of partnering with Fox News to host 2008 presidential debates. CBC members may not have lost their minds, but they’re about to lose their way.

Fox is clearly no friend to Black people. The network regularly uses its reach to denigrate all things Black— Black people, Black cultural institutions and Black leaders—while it stokes whites’ fears of losing race-based privilege in America. John Gibson, a Fox TV host, recently urged viewers to “Make more babies!” in a segment delivering the frightening news that half of American children under five are “minority.” Regular guest Mary Matalin used Coretta Scott King’s funeral as a chance to call civil rights leaders “nothing more than racists who are keeping their brothers and sisters enslaved.” Four times in the last month, Sean Hannity has invited Black guests to attack Sen. Barack Obama’s church as separatist, racist, and cultish. After Fox repeatedly harped on Obama’s middle name, Hussein, and ran a completely fabricated story that the Senator was schooled as an Islamic fundamentalist, the Senator announced that he would no longer speak with Fox reporters at all.

Since rumors about the Fox/CBCI deal were confirmed about a month ago, more than 12,000 of our members have emailed the CBCI, making the case against Fox and asking the Institute not to proceed with the deal. After getting no response, members made more than 600 phone calls to individual members of the CBC, asking that they speak publicly against this partnership.

Instead of hearing folks’ concerns, most offices gave callers the run-around, sending them to a CBCI voicemail box that was full for over a week, and saying the Fox debate is the Institute’s issue, not the CBC’s. It’s a ridiculous response. Everything the CBC Institute does is done with the tacit approval of the CBC. The Institute is led and supported by CBC members, and any CBC member can and should speak up if the Institute goes astray. Some representatives have said privately that they don’t agree with the deal, but not one has been willing to stand up to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the CBC Institute, and the person most intent on seeing this deal go forward. Thompson is a good man, but on this issue, he is absolutely wrong.

Hurricane Katrina showed us the importance of having strong leaders in Washington who can take moral leadership and hold their own colleagues accountable. If our leaders can’t take a stand when the political consequences for doing so are minor and the issues are relatively simple, what can we expect when there’s plenty of pressure and the issues are more complicated? And when Black leaders willfully ignore the voices of Black Americans and act in opposition to our interest, what signal does that send to non-Black members of Congress?

Members of the CBC might not realize it, but the CBC is going down a dangerous path. Having Black voices at the table during presidential debates is critical, but that’s not the issue. The CBCI already has a deal with CNN to host debates, another major news network has also expressed interest, and PBS is doing a series of debates along with Tavis Smiley at HBCUs. A partnership with Fox risks sullying the Caucus’ reputation as “the conscience of Congress” and an advocate for racial equality and justice. Worse, a CBC partnership with Fox does what our enemies can only dream of: it uses the most prominent Black brand in politics to validate and legitimize an organization that attacks us on a regular basis.

The CBC can still do the right thing here, but it’s going to take Black Americans sending a strong message. It’s up to us to let them know that we’re watching and that we expect better.

You can help—call the Congressional Black Caucus Institute at 202-785-3634, or your representative if you live in a district represented by a CBC member, and ask that the Fox plans be canceled or that your congressman publicly oppose the CBC Institute/Fox deal. Visit colorofchange.org online for more information and other ways to make a difference, and foxattacks.com to see a short video of Fox’s attacks on Black America.

(James Rucker is a co-founder and executive director of ColorOfChange.org, an online advocacy organization with more than seventy thousand members dedicated to amplifying the political voice of Black American. Visit www.colorofchange.org for more information. Straight Words has joined ColorOfChange in a partnership to publicize and support this campaign.)

Vibrant Farrakhan urges ‘impeach Bush’ in Saviours’ Day speech

By Richard Muhammad

DETROIT - A vibrant Louis Farrakhan took to the stage inside the massive Ford Field downtown sports stadium, challenging Democrats in Congress to go after President Bush for lying his way into a military misadventure in Iraq.

Back after an extended hiatus, the leader of the Nation of Islam looked and sounded strong. He spoke for about two hours to thousands assembled Feb. 25 inside the domed stadium for his Saviours' Day convention address.

Check out the Saviours' Day 2007 Photo Album http://straightwords.typepad.com/photos/saviours_day_2007/

"You Democrats stop pussyfooting around with the Republicans. Do what the people voted for you to do make a change," Min. Farrakhan thundered into the microphone.

President Clinton was impeached for lying about personal misconduct with intern Monica Lewinsky, he noted.

What should happen to President Bush for "deceiving the Congress and prosecuting an unjust war? Is that not enough to sit down his whole administration?" he asked.

"Our babies are dying for the sake of a lie," Min. Farrakhan declared. He was referring to Bush administration contentions that Saddam Hussein was linked to the World Trade Center bombing in 2001; charges that the Iraqi dictator was seeking to acquire nuclear material and charges that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. None of the allegations were true and the White House has been widely accused of manipulating intelligence to justify the attack on Iraq.

He urged the Democratic majority in Congress to take strong action against Bush and apologize to the international community. "At least censure (Bush), say something went wrong with leadership and we repent,"  Min. Farrakhan said.

America's foreign policy has supported corporate interests and exploited nations around the earth, he said. U.S. exploitation and overthrow of democratically-elected leaders has fomented hatred, Min. Farrakhan added.

Pulling troops out of Iraq will not hurt America's international standing, the Muslim minister argued.

"The will of the American people started to break when you got them in the war on the basis of a lie," he said.

The problem is Democrats are too scared to take bold action, Farrakhan said. Detroit congressman John Conyers (D), who was on stage and welcomed the Minister to the city, is willing but the party is weak, the Minister added.

Religious divisions don't please God

The call for the president's impeachment came as the lecture focused on recognition of the oneness of religion and the oneness of humanity and God's judgment against America.

He opened by thanking diverse racial and religious groups that prayed for his recovery.

Religious discord and strife doesn't reflect what God wants, the minister said. If Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and Jesus were on stage together, they would embrace and love one another, Min. Farrakhan said.

Christians have fought 100-year long wars and the WWI was Christian nation against Christian nation, he said.

The inter-Islamic fratricide between the Shias and Sunnis in Iraq would make Prophet Muhammad weep, the Minister continued. "If I could say to the entire Muslim world, the prophet is grieving. He came to destroy tribalism … the putting of one ethnic group against another," Min. Farrakhan noted.

The believers in God have taken parts of his word, divided it and each glorifies in their part, he continued.

The Minister also warned that unless America changes her course - both politically and morally - she would face the same destruction as biblical Babylon.

America fits the description of past nations that veered from the right path, then were divinely judged and punished by God, he said. The U.S. will face internal racial strife and bloodshed, social conflict and famine, if she does not change, the Minister warned.

Human beings made in the image and likeness of God have fallen to beastly levels, Min. Farrakhan said.

All divine warners deliver their messages hoping the people will change, he said, adding that he hoped for change, even if it appeared unlikely.

"I want to see one nation under God where we can all live in peace," he said.

Premature speculation about succession?

Farrakhan's highly awaited return followed a six-month post-surgery recuperation period.

In his absence, and with this address billed as his last major speech, speculation has been rampant about succession within the Nation of Islam and whether its charismatic leader was on his death bed.

With Farrakhan's strong appearance and statements from Nation of Islam officials the speculation seems premature. "I don't see expiration for me, I see exaltation," Farrakhan said.

Saviours' Day 2007 marked the 77th year of the movement's history in America. It was founded in Detroit in 1930 and Ford Field sits on ground once home to "Black Bottom," the impoverished African American neighborhood where the teaching was first spread.

A great saviour, known as the Messiah of the Christians and Mahdi of the Muslims, made his appearance in Detroit and came to deliver Black people. That divine man was Master Fard Muhammad, the teacher of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, and contained the power and wisdom of God. He was not the originator of the heavens and the earth, but the “son of man” prophesized to come in the bible, he said.

Prior to Min. Farrakhan’s address several speakers offered words related to the theme, “One Nation, Under God: The Confusion, The Guidance, The Warning.” A representative of the Islamic Society of North America said wanted to hear words from the Minister. Words that “will echo the words of God himself in the Holy Qur’an,” he said. The Islamic organization representative also pointed out verses in the Qur’an that urge the Muslims to unite, and verses that declare divided man into tribes and families but does not want them to despise and oppose one another. Muslims are commanded to work together for good, and to “destroy bigotry, discrimination, racial discrimination and remove poverty from the earth,” he said.

Rev. Willie Wilson, of Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., said it was a “great day.” “We come to cheer God and the lion of Judah!” Rev. Wilson declared.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Lightfoot said Min. Farrakhan’s message reminded him of the teaching of his tribe’s elders. “We are all one family … We’re all on the same side,” said the Native American leader. It is time to unite against the “monsters” of bigotry, greed and racism, he said.

Latino activist Emma Lazano, from Chicago, thanked Min. Farrakhan for his strong stand for justice. “He is a mighty hero for my people,” she said. Blacks and Latinos need to unite, she said. In the last election, Blacks and Latinos gave Democrats the margin of victory and need to demand their reward, she said. “We need to stay together, we are one people, one nation, under God,” Lazano said.

Russell Simmons brought greetings as chair of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, whose president is Rabbi Marc Schneier. Simmons said Min. Farrakhan taught him that God is one and humanity is one. That understanding has guided my life, said Simmons. It is important that the world know and appreciate the good work of the Nation of Islam, he said.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) welcomed the Minister to Detroit, a place of “great historical importance” to the Nation. The Black congressman pledged to fight racism and injustice as chair of the House Judiciary Committee and blasted Iraq War spending, which he put at $2 trillion in direct and indirect costs. “We have got to end the war and bring our troops home,” he said.

Diplomatic well-wishes came from the leaders of Bermuda, Jamaica, Sudan, and Libya, as well as the Islamic Call Society in Tripoli. Awards were also given to the Minister from the National NAACP and the Detroit City Council. A proclamation from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was also read.

The address was also translated into Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

The program at Ford Field included performances by Anita Baker and a gospel choir. Other guests included Simmons, who contributed $60,000 to Saviours' Day; Dr. Hycel B. Taylor and National Black United Front chair Conrad Worrill and Dr. Carl Bell of Chicago; TV judge Greg Mathis, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, members of the Detroit City Council, Nation of Islam ministers, representatives of the Islamic Society of North America, Julianne Malveaux and pastors.

Other donors included rapper Ice Cube, who gave $20,000, Eminem, who gave $10,000, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal,  who gave $20,000, and former pro basketball star Larry Johnson, who donated $100,000 to help pay for the weekend conference.

Check out the Saviours' Day 2007 Photo Album http://straightwords.typepad.com/photos/saviours_day_2007/

A decade of fighting old battles in the New South

By Jaribu Hill

Guest Columnist

Much has written about the New South and expanded opportunity for Blacks and others in the old bastion of Confederate pride, but human rights and civil rights leaders in the region point to racial injustice, voter disenfranchisement, workplace violence, violations of women's rights and other issues as proof that the New South still has its old problems.

The days of the hooded night riders may take on different forms, but Blacks and people of color still live lives controlled by others, often through economic slavery.

For the hope brought by African Americans drawn to Atlanta as the Black Mecca of the South, the increased number of Black elected officials at the local, state, and national levels, and the old saying that race relations in the South are more honest than the more subtle racial interactions up North, there are other signs of how far we have to go.

It was in Atlanta, Ga., that a 90-year-old grandmother was shot to death by cops, who invaded her home. It was in Florida that a young Black man died at the hands of guards at a boot camp that was supposed to help turn his life around.

In New Orleans, Blacks are denied the right to return to their homes, while Latino workers are scapegoated, exploited, often not paid and threatened with deporation.

In Texas, Wal-Mart underpays and takes advantage of workers fearful of losing low wage jobs, even if it means not receiving hard earned overtime pay and enduring the whims of harsh Supercenter task masters.

In Mississippi, casinos are rebuilt and speculators gobble up land, but the poor people who suffered the wrath of Hurricane Katrina see the remains of the destruction and little progress toward life as usual.

The land where cotton was king has new rulers that employ old tactics of intimidation to keep workers from complaining, organzing and hoping for a better way of life. Still there is a strain of southern resistance that refuses to accept these conditions, these assualts on human dignity, and violations of human rights.

Part of the battle is understanding that these injustices aren’t just wrongs that need to be righted, but violations of international principles that protect people worldwide.

The U.S. isn’t exempt from standards of behavior it loves to foist on others around the globe. Just as the segregationists of the 1960s had a Southern Strategy for their political success, a southern organzing strategy is needed to combat today’s challenges.

Part of the strategy involves building effective coalitions across the South to show the connections between seemingly different struggles, lend support to varied campaigns, share effective organizing tools and build a bigger base of folks that support social change and justice.

Over the past ten years, the Southern Human Rights Organizing Network and the bi-annual Southern Human Rights Organizing Conference has been the engine for a growing regional movement that tackles economic justice and other issues.

Since its establishment in September, 1996 in Oxford, Miss., the network has sought to link regional organizations and support a workers rights and other campaigns. When farm workers launched a battle against Mount Olive Pickles to heighten awareness about that company’s plantation work conditions and rampant unfair labor practices, the Southern Human Rights Organizing Network was there. Network members participated in demonstrations at supermarket chains in key southern cities.

Joining with Farm Labor Organizing Committee, a member organization, the network supported a boycott against Diamond Walnuts. The best example of longstanding successful collaboration between the network and its members is found the support of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Taco Bell Boycott.

The boycott pushed for an increase in the amount paid laborers in Immokalee, Fla., for back breaking work picking tomatoes. Network members participated in the Coalition’s Truth Tour and in major demonstrations at Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and at Yum Brands company headquarters in Louisville, Ky. After several years, the campaign won a major victory for the Florida farmworkers.

Most recently, Southern Human Rights Organizing Network organizers joined picket lines in Houston to support the Justice for Janitors strike, which also proved successful.

The network has supported organizing efforts for reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, and efforts to combat police brutality, racial profiling and felony disenfranchisement.

In a partnership with the Mississippi ACLU and NAACP, the network raised public awareness to force governmental accountability after Hurricane Katrina. Southern Human Rights Organizing Network members members campaigned for decent, affordable housing and challenged state and federal officials to provide equal access to post-Katrina resources, including food and shelter.

In the next phase, the Southern Human Rights Organizing Network will establish state caucuses to strengthen the organizations. These state leaders will organize public events and actions to address human rights violations and injustice.

The determination to fight runs deep in the South and these old problems will be attacked with a historic determination to put an end to oppression.

When that day comes, we will truly be able to celebrate the rise of a New South.

Jaribu Hill is the founder of the Southern Human Rights Organizers Conference, which marked its 10th anniversary Dec. 8-10 in Houston. She is also founder and executive director of the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights, based in Greenville, Miss.

Sending out an SOS against sexual assault

Misty De Berry talks about surviving sexual assault during recent weekend forum in Chicago. Photo: Richard Muhammad

By Richard Muhammad

Misty De Berry has a presence, a voice, a smile, a confidence that can light up a room. But when she spoke to a room full of Black women and a few Black men on a recent Friday night, the performer turned on a different light. She shared her experience as a survivor of sexual assault.

The young woman struggles with what she often calls the night of the bad date, or the date that didn't go right. "I don't know what to say about it," she said. "I was raped. I'm intentionally using that word."

De Berry's struggle and resilience were echoed by a panel of Black women Oct. 6 who spoke during a weekend devoted to starting a conversation about sexual assault in Chicago's Black community and what can be done about it.

The "S.O.S.: Saving Our Sisters, Saving Our Selves" weekend included the panel discussion, workshops, victim counseling and trainings about sexual assault, a film festival, media training and frank conversations about the victimization of Black women and girls.

According to the Red Eye, a tabloid edition of the Chicago Tribune, there were 1,200 rapes in the city last year, said La Vida Davis, of the Asha Group, a principal organizer of the weekend with the All-Hail Project and the Blackgirls Anti-Violence Project. The neighborhoods with the highest numbers of assaults were Black, she noted. The exception was one Latino community that ranked among the highest in the city.

"The abuse that we perpetuate is the self hatred we have for ourselves," said Davis. "The same thing that allows a brother to think it's OK to sexually assault and rape a sister, or batter her because she's being 'smart,' or he thinks she's cheating, is the same thing that informs that brother that it's OK to shoot another brother because of the way he looked at him," said Davis

"Often when we talk about violence, it's either the hyper 'youth predator' thing, which is incorrect, or it's about like gang violence couched in just male contexts and totally ignores all other forms of violence the goes on, specifically against Black girls and Black women, it's all the same thing, it's all connected," she continued.

"By confronting the issue of violence against women, we can begin to create a space for sisters to heal. We also hope to use the arts as a tool to stimulate dialogue and community action," said Sharon Powell, of the All Hail Project.

The discussion offered basic facts about sexual violence along with stories told through the eyes of researchers, writers, survivors, advocates, activists and eyewitnesses.

Abuse cuts across lines of income, education, age, geography and sexual orientation, said presenters.

"You need a partner in order to have intimate partner violence. And the more ownership a person thinks that that they have, the more likely there is to be violence," said Esther Jenkins, Ph.d., a psychology professor at Chicago State University, who shared the results of a survey of middle school students.

Ninety percent of the 12- to 14-year-olds polled perceived themselves as being in a committed relationship. Surveys found about 10 percent of teens, girls and boys, admitted that they had been made to do something sexually they didn't want to do, she said.

"So it (research) suggests something bigger than just, 'I'm going to show you how to be a good boyfriend or a good girlfriend.' It suggests we need to talk about how do you get kids, particularly those who are raised in violent communities and see a lot of violence, to understand that you don't use violence in your relationships period," Dr. Jenkins said.

Dealing with sexual violence will take more than just focusing on individual cases, Dr. Jenkins said. Having more widespread education in schools, for example, may be needed, she added.

"It's very important that people understand what sexual violence is. Most people think it's what happened to me, a stranger with a weapon, but the majority of people who are raped are raped by someone they know," commented Lori S. Robinson, a former writer for Emerge magazine. She was also one of the evening's panelists.

"Consequently there are lots of people walking around suffering the consequences of rape, without even understanding why, and understanding what happened to them," said Robinson, who is the author of "I Will Survive," a book specifically written to help Blacks heal from sexual assault and abuse.

De Berry, a date rape victim, didn't fully realize what had happened to her until she wandered into an on-line chat room for survivors of sexual assault. She was raped four-years-ago.
Seeking a safe space

According to the evening's presenters, rape and sexual violence is connected with overall Black on Black violence, complicated by ambivalent feelings about turning Black men over to an oppressive criminal justice system, and a continued community refusal to confront the problem head-on.

Tennille Power runs a YWCA full service rape crisis program. It provides medical and legal advocacy, counseling, public education and community outreach. It is the only rape crisis center on the south side of Chicago and has seven counselors.

She and others believe Black women need a safe space to talk about sexual violence within their own community and a space independent of white organizations engaged in similar work. Black women must navigate a much different terrain, they argue. Often within the community there is a lack of support and outside the community, whether in service providing or the legal system, there are other hurdles and a lack of trust, they said.

"With white women … they feel like they can identify with me as a Black woman on the woman level, but when it's time to talk about race, they back up and back away, and they're afraid to talk about that. So it's important for Black women to have space to do this work and we've had to fight to maintain to keep our space in this work," Power said.

Black advocates usually live in the same communities where the violence take place and know what's going on, she said. Power called the night wonderful and wants to see the dialogue continue.
She also warned that increasing numbers of teenage girls are victims of gang rapes by four or five males. The girls don't know how to respond and some see it as a kind of rite of passage because their mothers or other female relatives endured rape, Power said.

"If we don't do something, we will see an annihilation of our Black women," said Power.

"Our young ladies are getting abused. No one knows, who even cares to find out about it?" asked Natasha Pittman, a Blackgirls Anti-Violence youth coordinator. She has been exposed to violence and seen women beaten by their boyfriends. Some females are experiencing violence as they look for love or replacements for fathers that have abandoned them, the teenager said.

S.O.S. organizers believe it will take a multi-pronged approach that ranges from community organizing and public education to expansion of existing women's shelters and services to using the arts in this struggle. It hopes to provide space where people can come together to seek solutions and plans post-weekend follow-up sessions.

There is also a place in the struggle for men and the larger community.

Sabrina Hampton, of the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network, talked about how some men come to court-ordered batterers programs wanting to change. But, she said, they go back into communities where violence against women is tolerated.

Others echoed her sentiment. Author Lori Robinson, who often tours college campuses talking about sexual violence, said she was gratified to see men around the country engaged in activism and educating youth about sexual violence.

"This is a women's issue, but it's a men's issue. We won't end sexual violence until men become engaged in this issue," said Robinson said.

(Richard Muhammad assisted SOS with media work for their weekend conference.)

Mississippi still struggles a year after Hurricane Katrina

By Richard Muhammad

The one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina brought the focus back to New Orleans, but Gulf Coast communities in Mississippi still struggle to get attention and help for areas swept away by last summer’s deadly super storm.

“We have been so overshadowed. In Mississippi, we have total neighborhoods that have been just completely wiped off the map. Not even streets were left,” said Cynthia Seawright Wright, who lives in Ocean Springs, Miss. Before the hurricane, she lived in Escawtapa, Miss. Driving around nearby Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss., after the storm, she couldn’t find her way around areas she’d known all her life. Most apartment buildings were destroyed, Seawright Wright said.

"We are still living in trailers that are meant for you to live in for a few days," said Darneice Williams, who is raising her granddaughter Brianna with her son deployed in Iraq. (Shown in photo at left) Her son has not been allowed to come to Mississippi to tend to his family because the Army does not want him “injured” trying to help rebuild, she said. Meanwhile, Williams said she was diagnosed with severe liver damage from drinking dirty water in the FEMA trailers. "I need to talk to someone, I need psychological help, I cannot get it,
I don't know what to do," she said.

“There is still such a long way to go and still a lot of work to be done,” commented Rev. George Rouse, pastor of Missionary Baptist Church in Gulfport, Miss. He and other faith-based leaders and churches are renovating and putting survivors back in their homes. He hasn’t seen a lot of federal government help. About 1 in 10 people knocked out of their homes are back inside, he said. FEMA trailers dot many places as Mississippians await help and try to rebuild on their own.

“The government isn’t the one who are really putting the people in houses, it’s actually the church or faith-based organizations,” Rev. Rouse said. “FEMA has put people in their FEMA trailers, however, the church stepped up and put people in their homes,” he added, quoting one of his church deacons.

Rebuilding for profit, not for peoples' lives?

Jaribu Hill, executive director of the Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights, in Greenville, sees grassroots organizations and community leaders at work. But, she pointed out; there is no excuse for the lack of federal government support and action. No one in the government has been held accountable, she said. The racial disparities and injustices existed before Hurricane Katrina, but the disaster has made them more pronounced, she added. The Mississippi Workers’ Center has been working on the Gulf Coast for more than eight years combating workplace hate violence and other issues.

The priority is rebuilding casinos with promises of economic development, without a commitment to building low-income housing, according to Hill. Casinos offer low-wage jobs that help keep people in poverty, she said. Questions remain about public education and getting students on track, environmental hazards abound, workers are getting hurt at unsafe sites and some immigrant workers aren’t paid at all, she added.

“They are rebuilding for the sake of profit, not for the rebuilding of peoples’ lives,” she said. Hill’s group and the U.S. Human Rights Network opened the Mississippi Hurricane Media Center in Biloxi, Miss., to try to draw attention and document survivors’ experiences. She wants survivors to be given a real role and voice in the rebuilding effort, government commitments to make survivors whole, and a push for a better way of life. The FEMA trailers need to be replaced with decent, affordable housing, Hill said.

“People don’t have a desire to go back to the same conditions they were in before Katrina. Katrina exposed the gaps and the underclass and the face of the poor. It only comes up when people are put on the national media. Dead bodies floating in the water, people trying to swim to save themselves, it’s a media event. That’s the only reason we’re seeing the poor in the United States,” she said.

Worst of all, Hill continued, the basic things that people want, food, clothing, shelter, safety, income and education, are human rights. The U.S. has been exposed as a major human rights violator, and sham democracy as it exports “freedom” around the world, she said.

“We are seeing people use this event as a media opportunity, but it is an opportunity to change things,” Hill continued. She believes Black and Brown unity, visible solidarity from Black communities outside the Gulf Coast, a constant demand for updates and answers about why residents can’t return, or rebuild, are needed.

“We need people from every community letting the government know that this is not an isolated incident, but you’ve got to be concerned about all of us,” she said.

According to Gulf Coast activists, 231 people died from Katrina, 750,000 people were displaced by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, damages in Mississippi hit $125 billion, the state’s fishing and shrimp industry is still reeling, unemployment remains high, billions are needed to repair public schools, and just 12 percent of $2 billion in federal contracts went to the state.

Housing remains a major concern, activists add.  Just over 100,000 people still live in temporary housing and 274,000 individuals and families still receive housing assistance from FEMA, which provided over 37,000 trailer and mobile homes in Mississippi.

'Stranded, lost, left out, homeless'

“Stranded, lost, left out and homeless,” said Karen Madison, of the L.C. Jones public housing development in Gulf Port, Miss., describing the plight of residents. Some buildings were patched up to keep residents in apartments, but now the property is going up for sale, she said.

Federal officials promise housing vouchers and transfers to other developments, Madison said. But, she added, three public housing complexes with more than 3,000 residents each are closing. “I don’t know of no other public housing around here that they could move us to,” Madison said.

The 32-year-old mother of three is worried about moving further from work, and where her children will go to school. “To me, they’re just telling us, you ain’t got nothing, get out. If there was anywhere to go we wouldn’t be having all these FEMA trailers out here,” she said. “We have no help, other than working. And, those that can’t work, they’re ground zero.”

Cynthia Seawright Wright watched the storm hit the Gulf Coast on TV in Atlanta, having evacuated her home. When she came back to the mostly Black community of Moss Point, Miss., neighbors had stacked possessions on the side of roads, trying to salvage things. Seawright Wright found four feet of water inside her home. She moved.

“I walked in the house, turned around and walked out,” she said. “I did not want to touch anything that had been in that sewage water.” Seawright Wright was worried about what a nearby industrial plant and a water treatment facility might have dumped in the water and environmental hazards. Her possessions, packed in boxes and suitcases on the floor of a friend’s home in anticipation of moving, were drenched.

When Seawright Wright saw her friend’s bath tub and commode filled with three to four inches of a blue-green sludge, it confirmed her decision to abandon everything.

Later, she found out Moss Point had high levels of arsenic left after floodwaters receded and many suffered from rashes and respiratory problems. Violence, suicides, and depression have increased, Seawright Wright said.

The Red Cross came out the third week after the storm, the Salvation Army showed up late and dumped things “funky old clothes” in church parking lots and at shopping centers, Seawright Wright recalled. By that time, she had started her own emergency distribution effort. She recruited a former beauty queen to help. Her sister, Toni Seawright, was the first Black woman chosen as Miss Mississippi, make appeals for assistance. With some news coverage and some breaks, helped started to pour in, she said.

Then there were problems, with people treated badly and questions about how a pastor was using donated money, according to Seawright Wright. She turned to another pastor in Moss Point and went to work. Out of her efforts was born An Outreach of Love, a faith-based group. “We called it that because we weren’t getting paid. We still don’t get paid,” said Seawright Wright, who receives disability payments.

Distributed by the Katrina Information Network and the Hurricane Katrina Media Center.

Simply blown away

By Emma Dixon

COMMENTARY

When I was a child, I remember my mother waking all of us children in our modest house north of New Orleans to alert us about a severe storm. The crashing thunder and the lighting flashing at the windows had already made sleep virtually impossible.

My mother insisted that we get dressed so that if we were blown away, we would be fully clothed.

Five decades later, my mother was blown away by Hurricane Katrina. She survived the 160 mph winds, but the storm shook her foundations, as it did with the houses near her home in Bogalusa. Her health, already precarious, deteriorated steadily over this past year. She was hospitalized earlier this summer, and is still unable to come home.

I’m not alone in struggling with seniors’ reactions to Hurricane Katrina. One friend’s elderly mother dwindled from a size 14 to a size 8 over the last year. Seventy-six-year-old Rita Collins, according to an August 16 Knight Ridder article, died of a stroke in May after being moved twice in the aftermath of the storm. Her daughter Michelle said, "We were trying to get her back to Buras, but we never made it. It was the stress, not knowing where she was at. It killed her."

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has not only affected seniors, of course.

Overall, suicide rates in New Orleans have almost tripled, and some professionals say that half a million people in the Katrina-affected area need mental health care. An estimated 80 percent of local psychiatrists have left the area, and there’s a shortage of psychiatric hospital beds.

"We really have a mental health crisis, and we've had it for months," said Tulane psychiatrist Dr. Janet Johnson.

But the new mental health services now being funded do not focus on the particular needs of seniors. One icon for the storm is Milvirtha Hendricks, the frail 85-year-old lady wrapped in the star-spangled coverlet, who appears in Spike Lee’s new movie and innumerable magazine reports.

Yet more attention has been paid to the youngest survivors of the storm than to the oldest. It’s much easier for young and middle-aged adults to pick up and start a new life. The toll on the elderly has been tremendous, with their health weakened by anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

The loss of homes, churches, neighborhoods and family treasures is more than the frail elderly can bear. And many African American seniors, especially those with low incomes, already had more risk factors than their white counterparts. In “A Different Shade of Gray: Midlife and Beyond in the Inner City,” Katherine S. Newman spotlights the challenges that working-class minorities face sooner and more severely than anyone else.

The vast majority of African Americans now in their 70s spent their formative years in deep poverty, with little access to education. They worked very hard with little reward. Diabetes, cancer and heart disease hit them at younger ages than whites. Some lost children to dangerous street life, leaving them with too little family to help them and sometimes with grandchildren to support.

Seniors of color are less likely to own homes or have savings to cushion their old age. In “The Color of Wealth,” Meizhu Lui and her co- authors describe how asset ownership is influenced by public policies affecting previous generations. White Americans built assets with the help of programs such as the Homestead Act and the GI Bill, which were inaccessible to most minorities. Many of today’s white families have been able to pass down some assets, and even modest assets bring security.

In Black families, by contrast, the working generation more commonly needs to support the elders financially. Black homeowners are more likely to lose their homes to debt, foreclosure and bankruptcy, often after long illnesses not covered by health insurance. My mother’s generation of African Americans lived through a time of enormous political and economic change.

They grew up under Jim Crow and broke its barriers for us, but couldn’t take full advantage of the new opportunities available for younger African Americans. Many of them are people of deep faith. They were our steady rocks during our childhood storms. Now they need us to steady them. One year later, we owe it to the eldest Katrina survivors to surround them with all the love, services and support they need.

Emma Dixon of Mandeville, Louisiana (dzkem@i-55.com) is an economics educator with United for a Fair Economy and co-author of "Stalling the Dream: Cars, Race and Hurricane Evacuation."