On September 9th, Vinny and I arrived in
Houston, Texas along with Blank from Portland, Oregon to provide aid in the
aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. The three of us headed to Houston to
help with with independent media, including a low power fm radio station which was
being organized for the Astrodome. Upon our arrival in Houston, we learned that the Astrodome emergency radio station was again being
blocked from broadcasting information to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
We went to the Astrodome and spoke with people who were willing to speak with us. We listened to their experiences in the past and at the Astrodome. Please visit the following links for audio, photos and written reports published by Vinny, Blank and I.
Audio:
Criticism of Red Cross Relief Efforts at Astrodome ||
Katrina Survivor Recounts Experiences ||
Another Katrina Survivor Recounts Experiences ||
"One Day at a Time" ||
Katrina Survivors Organize for Better Conditions ||
Interview from 'Dome City' with Joseph Bijou of New Orleans ||
Activists Organize to Free Frances Newton
Photos:
The Surreal Scene of Dome City ||
More Scenes from 'Dome City'
Words:
The Houston Astrodome: Do You Know What Is Really Happening?
While in Houston, we were asked if we could go down to the Algiers neighborhood of
New Orleans, Louisiana to help set up an emergency low power fm radio station. We were welcomed into the Algiers community by Malik Rahim and
Common Ground, a community-run organization offering temporary assistance and mutual aid to the citizens of New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
Words:
Algiers New Orleans: Where Common Ground Is Found
Photos:
Creativity, Solidarity and Mutual Aid in Algiers, New Orleans ||
Community Support in Algiers, New Orleans ||
Common Ground Wellness Center in Algiers, New Orleans ||
Finding Common Ground in New Orleans
Audio:
Interview with Noah, a volunteer medic ||
Algiers residents starting to return ||
Leenie Halbert interview ||
FSRN: Grassroots Groups Offer Assistance in Algiers
We returned to
Houston on September 16th. Blank traveled back to Portland and Vinny and I stayed in Houston. We continued trying to find out what was happening with the people at the shelters; human souls that we are referring to as "Katrina survivors."
Audio:
Struggles for Katrina Survivors at George R. Brown Convention Center ||
Interview from 'Dome City' with Josh from New Orleans ||
Houston Ends Katrina Shelter Operations ||
Struggling for a Home After Hurricane Katrina
Photos:
No Compassion at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston ||
Scenes from the Reliant Arena ||
Exit Only at the George R. Brown in Houston ||
Struggling for a Home After Hurricane Katrina
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a look down on the floor of the Astrodome in Houston 9/9/05
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Tim Hall speaks with Vinny inside the Astrodome 9/10/05
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Reginald called the lack of response in New Orleans "premeditated murder" 9/12/05

getting 94.5 FM, The Battle For Algiers, on the air in New Orleans 9/13/05
Click on image for a larger version

Masjib Bilal Mosque in Algiers being used as a wellness center 9/14/05
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Robert shows us the damage to his laundromat in Mid-City 9/15/05
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A Texas State Police officer tries to prevent me from taking photos at the George R. Brown 9/17/05
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this is a look inside the Reliant Arena 9/17/05
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Exit Only at the George R. Brown in Houston 9/20/05
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people get on buses to Ellington Field, Texas to then fly to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas 9/20/05
Vinny and I left Houston in the early morning of September 21st as
concern about Hurricane Rita was was quickly growing. In many ways, it
felt very bad to be back in Santa Cruz, California.
el enemigo común, neo-liberalism, is capitalizing on Hurricane Katrina and will capitalize on Hurricane Rita. It took activists like you and i to respond to Hurricane Katrina with important services such as wellness centers to provide health care, media centers for local and global communications, kitchens and housing to provide food and shelter, etc...
The destruction caused by Katrina, racism and classism will never go away.
We must use our time now to organize. We must find common ground.
Comments
more resources for information
houston.indymedia.org
Common Ground Relief
www.commongroundrelief.org
New Orleans Indymedia
neworleans.indymedia.org
Live radio from New Orleans! Listen to MP3 stream
ahimsa-radio1.indymedia.org/algiers.mp3
In New Orleans, tune in at 88.7FM or call in at 303-572-4390
Real Reports of Katrina Relief
realreports.blogspot.com
Katrina Indymedia
katrina.indymedia.us
Indybay's poverty page
www.indybay.org/poverty
Portland Indymedia's katrina aftermath page
portland.indymedia.org/en/action/katrina
Infoshops's Hurricane Katrina Mutual Aid Relief
www.infoshop.org/hurricanekatrina.html
Food Not Bombs
www.foodnotbombs.net/katrina.html
Grassroots/Low-income/People of Color-led
Hurricane Katrina Relief
katrina.mayfirst.org
Common Ground: How You Can Help
www.commongroundrelief.org/2005/09/how_you_can_help.html
If you would like to send cheques to Common Ground, please make them payable to:
Common Ground
P.O. Box 3216
Gretna, LA 70054
* *
If you can make it out to Texas, Mississippi, Alabama or Louisiana, your help is definitely needed.
Also, if you can donate money to support independent media for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, that would be very helpful as well.
Vinny and I have put out a request for donations. Please read the following article for information on one important way that you can help out. thanks.
Support Independent Media in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18525/index.php
Re: Audio, Photos and Written Reports from Houston and New Orleans