Katrina conference calls December actions

A conference of Hurricane Katrina survivors and their allies from across the country was held here the weekend of Sept. 30. The meeting, convened by the People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Community Labor United, brought together about 100 people, including activists, community leaders and residents of the Gulf Coast.

Organizations present included Black Workers for Justice, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the Troops Out Now Coalition, the Million Worker March Movement, Friends and Family of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence and others.

Survivors expressed the horrors they had undergone as a result of government neglect of the region—before, during and after the hurricane. A pressing concern expressed at the meeting was finding the survivors who have been scattered across the country.

A significant outcome of the meeting was the creation of a National Solidarity Committee for Gulf Coast Hurricane Survivors, which will provide support to survivors and organizers in the Gulf Coast. In addition, plans were made for a Dec. 9 summit of hurricane survivors to take place in the Gulf region, as well as a Dec. 10 march on New Orleans on International Human Rights Day. The march is to denounce the crimes against humanity committed by the U.S. government in the region, and to demand the right of return for all survivors.