U.S. Rep. Waters on H.R. 1227 Interview Reaches 1,000 Views
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Rainbow Push Addresses “The Katrina Crisis”
Thursday, July 26, 2007
CHICAGO - Sunday 3 June.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund held a day long conference on the sub-par status of Hurricane Katrina relief for those displaced throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Afterwards, BNO spoke with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, Rev. Jesse Jackson and New Orleans City Councilmember Cynthia Willard-Lewis. Get informed, get engaged and
CHICAGO - Saturday 2 June, Photo Credit: Adrian S. Burrows/Rainbow Push Coalition
President Bill Clinton addressed the 36th annual Rainbow PUSH/ Citizen Education Fund Convention. His remarks challenged us to take responsibility for our actions and to become more politically engaged citizens.
President Clinton - who leads The George H.W. Bush & Bill Clinton Katrina Fund, has made a significantly positive impact in the Gulf Coast post-Katrina building infrastructure and creating economic opportunity. I enjoyed sharing a few moments with a fellow graduate of Georgetown University: Click Here To Read My Graduation Reflection.
BNO Founder Speaks To The Louisiana Leadership Institute
Thursday, July 26, 2007
CHICAGO - Tuesday June 5, 2007
I had the opportunity to speak to and empower about 100 students from the Louisiana Leadership Institute, an iniative sponsored by Louisiana State Senator Cleo Fields. It was a great pleasure to speak with them. These high school students attended the Rainbow PUSH/Citizenship Education Fund conference on “Financial Literarcy and Empowerment.”
My message and challenge to them was clear. As a fellow young person, I encouraged them to stay involved in their communities and to spend time on the weekends volunteering to improve the condition of the neighborhoods we call home. I told them that society needed their civic leadership now more than ever.
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath has fundamentally changed our life and livlihood. Everything around us has changed, in some cases - for the worse. We can let that moment define us or we can redefine it for the better and leave this room committed to making the difference.
Afterwards, the high school students from New Orleans and Baton Rouge stood, accepting our challenge to spend time this summer serving those less fortunate. It was encouraging!
Al Gore & The Big Apple!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
NEW YORK - Friday 25 May. The Barnes & Noble Book Store at Union Sqaure.
I was on hand for the New York release of Al Gore’s latest book:The Assault on Reason. It was a great opportunity to network and learn from other civicly engaged people who are doing something everyday to improve our environment.
Gore empowered me when he said “the Founders of our Republic place the responsibility of democracy and citizenship on everyday Americans.” He went onto say that we as a people have not done enough to challenge the misguided decisions of our officials in the current Executive Branch.
His book further expounds on those remarks: The Bush administration has “no fear of being held accountable for a cavalier, lackluster, mistaken, and inadequate response to the onrushing tragedy in New Orleans” (207).
The full U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee has not seriously probed or investigated the actions of the Bush administration in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - despite the recent revelations that the Departments of State and Homeland Security squandered and mishandled millions of dollars in grants and aid from overseas (Washington Post: “Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed,” Sunday, April 29, 2007).
And while a provision within the Stafford Act (a law requiring the Gulf Coast states to repay 10% of the federal disaster assistance they received after Katrina) was finally waived by the federal government last week - Congress continues to fail the victims of Katrina displaced throughout the Gulf Coast by not fulfilling its constitutional role to “check” and Probe The White House.
Lastly, Gore challenges us to be agents of change: “When the corpses of American citizens are floating in toxic floodwaters five days after a hurricane strikes, it is time not only to respond directly to the victims of the catastrophe, but to hold the processes of our nation accountable, and the leaders of our nation accountable, for the failures that have taken place” (206).
New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg: by Ed Reed, Offical Mayoral Photographer
Aside from operating in New Orleans, Washington D.C. and Chicago - now thanks to the generosity of a gracious donor - we have office space in Times Square, New York!
In addition to providing direct humanitarian relief to many individuals and families throughout The Big Easy, Team BNO has worked hard as Katrina survivors advocates in our nation’s capital.
Impressed by our persistent and sustained efforts, an anynomous donor has awared us office space in NYC, charging us with transporting the resources of “The Financial Capital of the World” into the hands of those displaced by Katrina.
Our team will spend the summer meeting with CEOs and senior executives of major business corporations in DC and NYC, persuading them to invest in New Orleans’ marginalized neighborhoods.
Our time in New York will be especially valuable in organizing and planning our major fundraising campaign during our historic 500 mile bike ride tracing the storm path of Hurricane Katrina from Tallahassee to New Orleans 25 - 29 August.
Hope you can join in our success whether supporting our bike ride or applying for/spreading the news about our internships! For Internship Information: http://bnonoun.blogspot.com/
Katrina Relief: 21st Century Civil Rights Movement
Thursday, July 26, 2007
NEW ORLEANS, Saturday 28 April (Johnson far left, Rev. S.L. Harvey, Rev. Jesse Jackson far right) Photo Credit: Blanket New Orleans, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
It was an honor to march 3 miles side by side with the Reverend S.L. Harvey (82 years old), a seminal civil rights activist who was instrumental in orchestrating the election of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Along the route from Frederick Douglass High School to the location of the breached levee in the Lower 9, Rev. Harvey shared with me some of the lessons he learned along the way as a partner with Dr. King in the fight for civil rights. Most memorably, Rev. Harvey said: “stay in the fight and don’t compromise what you believe in.”
Additionally, 2,000 people were led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial for the “Right to Return, Right To Reconstruction, Right to Rebuild” march and rally. I was grateful for the opportunity to address the rally and to share my thoughts about the need for greater self-sacrifice from every American and citizen of the World to help rebuild a truly unique city.
Sec. Chertoff & President Bush: Waive The Stafford Act & Aid Katrina Victims TODAY
Thursday, July 26, 2007
During the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner (21 April), Blanket New Orleans, Inc. Founder & CEO spoke to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and specifically asked him to encourage President Bush to waive the Stafford Act, which is a law requiring the Gulf Coast states to repay 10 percent of the federal recovery assistance they received after Hurricane Katrina.
The current administration must waive the Stafford Act just as previous Presidents did so immediately after Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.
Waiving the Stafford Act would, for example, allow the State of Louisiana to spend more recovery assistance on advancing economic development and permanent job creation.
The Stafford Act prohibits the Gulf Coast states from developing adequate housing, equitable health care access, and quality educational resources in marginalized communities.
Secretary Chertoff coordinates FEMA’s natural disaster management and is aware that “64,000″ (New York Times Editorial - 17 April; “Broken Promises to a Broken Gulf”) homeless and displaced Louisiana residents currently live in trailers. And yet, this White House administration has not done enough to help those in need.
Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. Therefore, aiding the victims of Katrina is the greatest moral challenge of our time - every American must make a sacrifice in order to help rebuild our homeland.
Here is how you can help. Simply call the White House Comment Line: 202.456.6213 and say the following:
“Please tell President Bush to waive the Stafford Act law requiring the Gulf Coast states to repay 10% of the federal recovery aid they received after Katrina.”
America can only fulfill her constitutional promise to “establish justice” for the victims of Katrina when each of us participates in our democratic process.
Don’t sit on the sidelines, Stand Up For Justice.
