Common Ground Relief - Articles by Volunteers

South East Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center Opens

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:14:30 +0000

Article and Photos by Edwin Lopez
May 14, 2008

On May 12, Seedco Financial celebrated the grand opening of the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center. Located in Belle Chasse, the new Center hopes to help stabilize and formalize the local fishing industry and to help it to grow in the coming years.

Considered a “one-stop” shop for commercial fisherman, the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center will offer financial services, training and advisory services, technical assistance, and workforce support. According to a press release, the Center is the first of its kind and will support the needs of commercial fisherman of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, and Orleans Parishes.

The commercial fishing community of Southeast Louisiana has endured a number challenges that include competition from foreign imports and a national economic downturn. In addition to this Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wiped out the commercial fishing infrastructure of Southeast Louisiana. Docks, vessels, and commercial outlets were destroyed. “Katrina came down hard,” said one of the organizers of the event.

Peoples' Festival Raises Funds, Roof

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:16:25 +0000

by Eugene Yacobson

Michael Franti and Spearhead perform "Time to go Home" at CGR's Peoples' Festival

On May 2, far from the crowds and caravans of JazzFest, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in the Lower 9th Ward was filled with the sounds of brass, blues and general jubilation. The occasion was the 1st Annual Peoples’ Festival, organized by Common Ground Relief, and featuring such JazzFest heavy-hitters as Big Chief Victor Harris and Fi Yi Yi, the Rebirth Brass Band and Michael Franti with Spearhead – all playing free of charge.

Lasting for more than four hours, the festival raised both funds and spirits - $4,500 of the former (all in donations from attendees of the concert), the latter in quantities indefinable. But the occasion had an even deeper purpose than raising money for the Lower 9th’s rebuilding efforts: to reflect the spirit of a different side of New Orleans, and to demonstrate that, for all its post-Katrina troubles, the neighborhood is back.

The venue and performers were symbolic of the Peoples’ Festival’s intentions. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology, which remains the only educational institution in the Lower 9th, was gutted and re-opened in 2006 by hundreds of volunteers defying open threats of arrest, becoming a nexus of hope for further grassroots rebuilding efforts. Similarly, the performers at the festival were far from the benign big names of JazzFest that draw tourists from all over the world, but instead many were lesser known local acts, whose music resounds with the struggles of this city’s neglected communities. Bluesy singer-songwriter Sista Otis, New Orleans rapper Truth Universal, the aforementioned Fi Yi Yi Mardi Gras Indians, Revolution Second Line dancers and the explosive Rebirth Brass Band which featured guest vocalist Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers were all inspired to dodge the big clubs for an evening, join together and play free music for the people of the Lower 9th to express their solidarity.

Make it Right: A Sculpture Installation

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:59:48 +0000

A decidedly unusual site now greets visitors to the Lower Ninth ward: lots which have remained mostly vacant since August 29, 2005, have been transformed into a village of bright pink cubes.

Formally unveiled on December 3, the structures, which are constructed from scaffolding covered in custom tarpaulin, cover 12 city blocks. The installation will remain in place until January 8, open for visitors to walk through during the day, or drive through at night, when they are dramatically illuminated from below. The cubes represent homes simultaneously past and future. In their current, scattered state, they reflect the post-Katrina devastation. As contributions are made to the show’s organizers, the Make it Right Foundation, the cubes will be gradually rearranged into a neighborhood, symbolic of the homes that can and will be built.

Waiting for Godot in the Lower 9th

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:01:50 +0000

On November 2-4, the quiet, abandoned streets of the Lower 9th were filled with N.O.P.D. vehicles, strings of parked cars, and the sounds of jazz and people. All of this was brought to the Lower 9th Ward by Creative Time's production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, a tragicomedy directed by Christopher McElroen and Paul Chan, starring Wendell Pierce (of HBO's "The Wire"), J. Kyle Manzay, T. Ryder Smith, Mark McLaughlin, Tony Felix, and Michael Pepp. The production was enormously successful, and because of the unprecedented response, a third day was added in the Lower 9th to accommodate the many people who were turned away the first few nights. Even on the extra night, the number of people who attended were in excess of 400.

Common Ground and the "Journey for Humanity" Tour Unite Against Bush

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:06:04 +0000

By Devin McNulty
Photography by Mavis Yorks

NEW ORLEANS - On Wednesday, July 11th the prominent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan visited Common Ground as part of her eighteen city “Journey for Humanity” tour. Sheehan and her caravan met with Common Ground leaders and volunteers at the Common Ground Relief's Distribution Center in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Obama and Clinton Rock the Essence Festival

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:56:58 +0000

by Kate Marvin
Photography by Mavis Yorks

On the eve of July 5th, the first night of the Essence Festival concert series, I had trouble getting to the Superdome. I had tickets, but no car, and when I walked to Canal St. to hail a cab, I couldn’t find one. At 10pm, after a long trial with public transportation, I finally made it to the concert. I might have given up, if I hadn’t known that Senator Barack Obama was going to speak there. I wanted to see him in person. I wanted to hear what he had to say to the thousands of primarily African American people who came to celebrate at the Essence Festival. I wanted to know what he would say about New Orleans.

Long Term Volunteer Leaves But Recollects Fond Memories

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:50:58 +0000

By Aletheia Higgins
Photography by Mavis Yorks
June 28, 2007

Jeh has three days left with Common Ground. At midnight tonight, he and nine other members of the collective will leave from New Orleans to drive to the first ever United States Social Forum in Atlanta, GA. After the forum, Jeh will not return to New Orleans with the others, but will begin another chapter in his life in Berkeley, CA. He has been a dedicated member of Common Ground for nearly sixteen months, since March 2006 and says, “I have seen Common Ground go through a lot of changes… a lot of ups and downs.” He is both happy and sad to be leaving, he tells me, “I am tired but hopeful.”

Common Ground Attends D.C. Anti-War Protest

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:18:00 +0000

March 22nd, New Orleans—Last weekend, Common Ground brought a group of New Orleans residents and volunteers to Washington D.C. for the March 17th demonstration against the occupation of Iraq. Joining tens of thousands of protesters from across the country, the New Orleans activists criticized the priorities of Bush’s government, demanding an end to the war in Iraq and more funding to rebuild the Gulf Coast. The protest, held at the pentagon, was organized by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coalition (A.N.S.W.E.R.), a national anti-war organization committed to the principles of anti-racism, anti-imperialism.

Coalition to Stop Demolition Rallies

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 21:11:46 +0000

Ms. Sharon Jasper voices her opinion at a rally Thursday.
photo by Mavis Yorks

Thursday morning, The Coalition to Stop Demolition rallied in front of City Hall to call attention to the projected demolition of four public housing complexes. The broad-based Coalition was formed out of a concern that thousands of families will permanently lose their homes. Furthermore, the Coalition is critical of the idea of mixed income housing because they believe it will fall short of addressing the housing needs of a community that has yet to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Raising a banner that read “Stop the Demolitions” Rose Kennedy Guy stated that public housing offers opportunities for residents that are not available in the private sector. She said that if there is a plumbing problem, it gets fixed. But “outside the projects you got slumlords,” who fail to address their needs. Rose shared with a local reporter that she is here today to fight and to pray and closed by saying, “I deserve to sleep in a comfortable bed.”

Alongside Rose stood Chantel Young. Chantel is a 27 year resident of St. Bernard Public Housing. She stated that mixed income housing limited the number people who will get housing, “A lot of qualified people won’t be able to get in.” She also stated that the public housing complexes are safe to live in because they survived the hurricane and the flood. “It makes me sick to my stomach,” Chantel declared, when thinking about the proposed demolition.

Communication for a Better New Orleans

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:43:55 +0000

by Ian Mayes

In these times of widespread social violence, a devastated city, & devastated lives - an honest public dialogue, conversation without selling an agenda, is all the more important. That is just what happened on October 17th of this year, thanks to the Communication Department of Xavier University of New Orleans.

The event took place in the cavernous ballroom on campus, five people in a row on a panel, moderator at the side by a podium, numerous seats pointed towards them. Presented with the title of "Media, Communication, and Community: Private & Public Interests in Rebuilding New Orleans", this dialogue was moderated by Bruce France, a former public-speaking professor of Xavier University and a co-founder & co-artistic director of the local art company Mondo Bizarro. France began with a few remarks of his own, one of which was a question which he used to present to his students at Xavier:

"Are you paying attention to the world around you, or are you paying attention to what is going on for you?"

He then answered this question, for himself: "I can barely be paying attention to any of this stuff (world events). Why? Because I live in New Orleans." He then remarked on how "more people die per capita here in New Orleans than in Baghdad," and on some other challenges the city faces, and thus, the discussion began.

This dialogue consisted of a panel of five people, and the audience at large. The panel was comprised of:

Bart Everson, a local activist & blogger and multimedia artist for Xavier's Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Holy Ground Church Razed: Reverend Adams Fights for Justice

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:40:37 +0000

by Kate Marvin
Photography by Mavis Yorks
Reverend Louis Adams is one of the many New Orleans residents struggling to rebuild his life and his community in New Orleans. Despite months of fighting through a deluge of red tape, he is strong, and he is determined.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the Reverend ran Holy Ground, a church on Lizardi Street in the Lower Ninth Ward. Prior to the storm, Holy Ground was feeding over 100 people a week. The Reverend had plans to expand the church’s community outreach programs to include services for single parents and people with drug and alcohol abuse problems. He had spent over $60,000 dollars in renovations before the storm.

Soil & Sediment testing Results

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:19:15 +0000

The wetlands group has several studies to share about the quality of the wetlands and the soil near Murphy's Oil Refinery. A tank at Murphy's Oil Refinery in Chalmette, LA spilled one million gallons of crude oil into the surrounding residential area during the flooding that happened after Katrina.

The first study was conducted in January 2006 by an independent consulting firm. This study found significant oil contamination.

In the second study Common Ground volunteers took samples and a Professor from Xavier University tested the samples for oil contamination.

Wetlands Restoration: A Volunteer's Tale

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:53:56 +0000

April 19th, I joined Common Ground volunteers and environmental workers in planting on the coastal wetlands. We were going to plant spartina, a grass that thrives in the salty water and damp soil of the wetlands. The benefit of planting this grass is great: its roots help anchor the soil, preserving the wetlands and helping to prevent further erosion. Two other volunteers and I drove out to the Westbank town of Lafitte, bordering on the Intracoastal Waterway. There we met with another three environmental workers, and soon the six of us were in a small motorboat, eager to plant. We reached our first destination about twenty minutes later – a small island off the Waterway. The banks in the section where we arrived were noticeably barer than those of most the other small islands.

New Orleans Alternative Christmas Carols

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:34:31 +0000

New Orleans Alternative Christmas Carols

In the spirit of the holiday season, some activists, including Bork from the Common Ground Algiers Health Clinic, who have worked since Hurricane Katrina to fight the governmentally created parts of the disaster, decided to have some fun and make alternative lyrics to some of the most well known Christmas songs. We thought they would be an innovative way to communicate our frustrations and disappointments. We collected our results and created this booklet for you.

Those of us who had previously worked on such songs for a political housing group, Mayday DC, in Washington DC got us permission to barrow from their songbook. Additional song lyrics were gathered and adapted from other political groups efforts such as Welfare Warriors of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and The Center for a New American Dream.

Home Despot

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 18:19:15 +0000

January 31st, 2006
by: jeremy

Just as I was coming back from my second trip home, I read this in the Times-Picayune. It’s hard to believe how far these corporations and politicians will actually go in the face of this housing crisis. The devastation of the hurricanes, much like that of the Iraq war, have opened the door to the most aggressive and drastic ruling class agenda. Paul Bremer and the neo-cons tried to impose a free-market utopia on post-war Iraq. That continues blow up in their faces.

Post-Katrina New Orleans was seen as a similar opportunity for radical capitalist reshaping: “Demographic changes,” real estate booms, dismantling public social programs. In come the charter schools, out goes public housing.