AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PROJECT 's "REMEMBERING KATRINA OBSERVANCE"
(Mtangulizi Sanyika - African American Leadership Project)
NEW ORLEANS, LA, The New Orleans Agenda - - The African American Leadership Project AALP has joined with other organizations convened by the People's Hurricane Relief Fund (PHRF) "to plan an observance of the devastating events of Katrina, and to rededicate ourselves to the struggle for a just and equitable reconstruction of New Orleans" said the group's spokesperson Mtangulizi Sanyika. According to Sanyika, the groups are planning a series of activities that will run from Friday, August 25 - Tuesday, August 29, 2006.
The organizations invite all citizens and persons of good will to join them in a solemn and sober "Citizens and People's Remembrance" of the devastating events that forever changed all of our lives. Those who died and suffered deserve nothing less.
Sanyika cautioned, "we do not condone or support any event or activity that seeks to capitalize on our people's sufferings by turning Aug 29th into a "Katrinaized Mardi Gras" with floats, fireworks and expensive galas. We urge the city and the citizens of the city to remember Katrina, but not to exploit it for profit, or to send false messages to the nation about the recovery".
Sanyika's comments appears to be in response to unconfirmed reports that certain sectors of the New Orleans business community were planning to a celebratory type event, complete with fireworks as means of remembering the events of August 29, 2005.
August 29th is the 1st Anniversary of the most devastating disaster in modern US history; the Katrina storm and its aftermath. To date, 1500 lives have been "officially lost", hundreds of thousands have suffered, billions in property damages has been incurred , and better than 300,000 persons remain in exile in some 48 states in the US. Schools remain closed, health care is fractured, housing is unavailable, infrastructure is not functional in many places, yet uptown appears fine while many downtown neighborhoods remain broken and uninhabitable. "While we are thankful for life itself and a few modest improvements, there is little else to celebrate one year later. However, there is much to remember, much to reflect on, much to understand, and much to plan and organize for in order to compel the rebuilding of a just, equitable and hurricane safe city" added Mrs Gail Glapion, AALP's Chairperson.
AALP has released the following tentative schedule:
FRIDAY, AUG. 25TH 7 PM - 9 PM
* "NATIONAL DIALOGUE" ASHE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
* Marc H. Morial
* Julianne Malveaux
* Ron Daniels
* George Curry
* Richard Hatcher (invited)
* Ron Dellums (invited)
SATURDAY, AUG. 26TH 12 PM - 3 PM
* "'HANDS AROUND THE DOME"
* A Umoja Circle around the Superdome and March to the Convention Center in Memory of the Lives Lost to Katrina
SUNDAY, AUG 27TH 2 PM - 4:30 PM
* " ECUMENICAL/INTERFAITH WORSHIP SERVICE"
* Watson Teaching Ministries
* A Praise and Workshop Service featuring all Faith Traditions to Consecrate the Memory and Experience of the Survivors
* Katrina Remembrance & White Buffalo Day at Congo Square with Cyril Neville
MONDAY, AUG 28TH 7 PM - 9:30 PM
* 1st ANNUAL KATRINA LECTURE SERIES
* Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Author of "Come Hell or High Water" (invited)
* Dr. Ivan Van Heerden, Author of "The Storm" & Deputy Director of the LSU Hurricane Research Center (confirmed)
TUESDAY, AUG. 29TH 10 AM
* GREAT FLOOD COMMEMORATION MARCH
* From the Lower 9th Ward to Congo Square in conjunction with The PEOPLE'S HURRICANE RELIEF FUND AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS (assemble at Jordan and North Galvez Street)
* 6:30 PM- 9:30 PM CLOSING EVENT: LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN
* Premier of The Final Call's DVD "Unmasking New Orleans"
* A Town Hall Meeting on "The Future of the City"
The AALP invites you to share this info with others, in that they would like the broadest possible participation in the events. If you have any thoughts on a possible Katrina Memorial, do share them with AALP.
For more information, contact the AALP Chair, Mrs Gail Glapion, or the Project Manager, Mtangulizi Sanyika at 504-242-8353, e-mail: wazuri@aol.com
Tags: [Katrina anniversary], [Katrina rememberance], [Katrina recovery], [Hurricane Katrina], [African Americans], [New Orleans]
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