New Orleans Black Community Leaders Charge Racism

by **proldic** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:52 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2005, 3:30 p.m. CST Press conference: Tuesday, September 6, 2005 4:00 p.m. CST outside the Reliance Center at Kirby and McNee New Orleans Black Community Leaders Charge Racism in Government Neglect of Hurricane Survivors Press conference to announce plan to save lives and demand role in rebuilding effort HOUSTON - A national alliance of black community leaders will announce the formation of a New Orleans People's Committee to demand a decision-making role in the short-term care of hurricane survivors and long- term rebuilding of New Orleans. Community Labor United (CLU), a New Orleans coalition of labor and community activists, has put out a call to activists and organizations across the country to work on a 'people's campaign' of community development. Organizing efforts will take place across hundreds of temporary shelters. The population of New Orleans is 67 percent black and over 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, reflecting the current demographic of hurricane survivors displaced all over the South. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the White House, and Governor Blanco attempt to regain the public's trust by evading the question of who's to blame, a short and long-term plan for New Orleans hurricane survivors has remained in a political vault of silence. 'This is plain, ugly, real racism,' states Curtis Muhammad, CLU Organizing Director. 'While some politicians and organizations might skirt around the issue of race, we in New Orleans are not afraid to call it what it is. The moral values of our government is to 'shoot to kill' hungry, thirsty black hurricane survivors for trying to live through the aftermath. This is not just immoral this has turned a natural disaster into a man-made disaster, fueled by racism.' Leaders of CLU, in alliance with nearly twenty other local organizations and several national organizations will discuss their plan at a press conference on Tuesday, September 6, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. CST outside the Reliance Center at Kirby and McNee. The coalition will announce: * The formation of the New Orleans People's Committee composed of hurricane survivors from each of the shelters, which will: 1. Demand to oversee FEMA, the Red Cross, and other organizations collecting resources on behalf of the black community of New Orleans 2. Demand decision-making power in the long-term redevelopment of New Orleans * Issue a national call for volunteers to assist with housing, healthcare, education, and legal matters for the duration of the displacement Tax-exempt donations for the People's Committee and the national coalition can be made out to: Young People's Project, 440 N. Mills St., Suite 200, Jackson, MS 39202 or visit www.qecr.org. Labor United is a coalition of progressive organizations in New Orleans formed in 1998. Their mission is to build organizational unity and support efforts that address poverty, racism, and education. CLU organized in the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. Curtis Muhammad is a veteran Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organizer and co-founder of CLU. For more information, please contact: Curtis Muhammad, Community Labor United (CLU) muhammadcurtis@bellsouth.net Becky Belcore, Quality Education as a Civil Right (QECR) bbelcore@hotmail.com Becky Belcore, Volunteer Organizer Louisiana Research Institute for Community Empowerment (LaRICE) bbelcore@hotmail.com _______________________________________________________ portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a news, discussion and debate service of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It aims to provide varied material of interest to people on the left. For answers to frequently asked questions: <<a href="http://www.portside.org/faq>">www.portside.org/faq></a> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change settings: <<a href="http://lists.portside.org/mailman/listinfo/portside>">lists.portside.org/mailma.../portside></a> To submit material, paste into an email and send to: <moderator@portside.org> (postings are moderated) For assistance with your account: <support@portside.org> To search the portside archive: <<a href="http://people-link5.inch.com/pipermail/portside/>">people-link5.inch.com/pip...portside/></a> "Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable - that mankind is doomed - that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade - therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable - and we believe they can do it again." -- President John F. Kennedy, Commencement Address at American University in Washington, 10 June 1963

by **DrDebugDU** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:05 pm

Written in 1964 by the "King of Blue Beat" who is the father of Raggae and Ska and the inventor of the Judge Dread character. (You're rough, you're tough, you're rough, you're tough) Order, now my court is in session, will you please stand? First, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Judge Hundred-Years Some people call me Judge Dread Now, I am from Ethopia To try all you rude boys for shooting black people In my court only we talk, because I'm vexed, and I am the rudeboy today [Indecipherable name]? > Yes, sir Rudeboy Adolfus James? > Yes, sir Rudeboy Emmanuel Zechariah Zechipaul? > Present George Grabandflee? > Present Hmm... Adolfus James, I see here you have been charged with Ten shooting attempts Five murder charge Six grab and flee charge" > But your honor, I didn't-- --Hush up! Guilty or not guilty? > Not guilty, sir I don't care what you say, take four hundred years. Stand down Emmanuel Zechariah Zechipaul? > Yes, sir? You've been charged with fifteen charge of shooting attempts Fifteen murder charge And I heard that you was the one there on Sutton Street Who tell the judge, 'Rudeboys don't care' Well, this is King Street, and my name is Judge Dread, and I don't care Now take four hundred years > But ya don't know what I would say, your good honor-- --Hush up! What you trying to do, shoot me, too? > No, your honor, but I-- Quiet! Four hundred more years for you!... George Grabandflee?" > Yes, sir? Stop your crying, rudeboys don't cry, that's what I hear > But I didn't do that, them frame me, and I don't deserve that-- --I don't care, hush up! This is my court! You're charged for robbing school-children Rob with aggravation... [Incoherent mumbling] Hush up, order! Adolfus James? > Yes sir? You rob school-children You ? the people's house You shot black people > But your honor, I didn't-- --Hush up! Just for talking, I now charge you for contempt, and that Is a separate hundred years I hereby sentence you to four hundred years [Incoherent mumbling] I said hush up, hush up! You're sentenced to four hundred years and five hundred lashes I am going to set an example, I--rudeboys don't cry, don't cry! When I was in harbor, I hear you were tough. Court adjourned, take them away! <a href="http://hem.passagen.se/textsidan/p/princebuster/judgedread.html">hem.passagen.se/textsidan/p/princebuster/judgedread.html</a> <img src="http://www.vespaclublonigo.it/prince_buster.jpg"/>

New Orleans Black Community Leaders Charge Racism

New Orleans Black Community Leaders Charge Racism

Re: Prince Buster - Judge Dread

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