Million Worker March Movement: ‘Let survivors return home’

The plight of Katrina survivors in the Gulf Coast region, who suffered criminal neglect at the hands of the government, was the theme of a march on the morning of Oct. 15 that began at the Teamsters hall in D.C. and wound up at the Millions More Movement rally on the National Mall.

Larry Holmes and Brenda Stokely

Leaders of the Million Worker March Movement kicked off the march with talks about the need to set up national solidarity committees for the survivors that would, among other goals, struggle for their right to return home. They brought in the cost of the war in Iraq and how that impacted the Katrina disaster, exposing the racist, pro-war nature of all levels of the U.S. government.

March participants came from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, Raleigh, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit and Providence.

Oct. 14 march.

The day before, the MWMM had held an all-day forum at Local 639 Teamsters hall in D.C. on issues that impact the workers and the poor here and worldwide. Chris Silvera, chair of the National Teamsters Black Caucus, and Clarence Thomas, co-chair of the MWMM, presided over that event.

That same day, another important rally was held in D.C. to support the ongoing struggle for reparations. It was sponsored by N'COBRA--National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America.