In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities across the Gulf Coast began to meet, share experiences, and work together across previous geographic and racial divides. Now facing new and ongoing challenges like the BP oil disaster, hurricane "recovery" efforts, and coastal land loss, these communities continue to rely on and strengthen these relationships.
“My name is Sharon Hanshaw… I’m a native of Biloxi, Mississippi. I was a cosmetologist for twenty-one years… and Hurricane Katrina hit. Hurricane Katrina just sped my life into this whirlwind of activism. I had no choice but to step up, and try to make sure that our voices were heard in the recovery process, now and in the future.”
Although, Gulf Coast Claims Facility administrator Kenneth Feinberg had agreed to meet with a coalition of local citizens on two occasions during meetings held by the facility in South Louisiana, the presidential appointee has not responded to repeated attempts to facilitate the gathering.
By Matt Davis, crossposted from The Lens - The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously [yesterday] afternoon in support of an ordinance granting permission for Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman to build a 1,438-bed jail.
For more than 30 years, Sarah and her daugher Annette Rigaud owned one of the most popular eateries on Grand Isle, LA. Sarah’s Restaurant is a cozy place filled with mementoes of sun-splashed beach vacations and fishing trips. It was a prosperous business, part of a proud family lineage that dates back to the colonial days of the 1700s here. The Rigauds have endured hurricanes, droughts, disease outbreaks and pirates that once roamed these marsh-filled ocean bayous.
Then the BP oil disaster washed ashore last summer.
When I first saw Paul Doomm at a health forum of Gulf residents in New Orleans, he was flat on his back, gasping for air from a seizure that had suddenly overcome him. His mother, father and 11-year old brother were at his side consoling him in the meeting hall of the First Unitarian Church, trying to keep his head from banging against the hard floor as his body went into convulsions.
Community Condemns Intimidation of Community Leaders During Prayer Vigil. Demand to Gusman: Guarantee Sheriff’s officers will not retaliate against Day Laborers Exercising their First Amendment Rights. Crossposted from
By Ada McMahon and Liana Lopez, videos by Bryan Parras. Alarming levels of toxic chemicals from the BP disaster have entered the blood of some Gulf Coast citizens, who are showing symptoms like internal bleeding, kidney infection, muscle atrophy, pain, headaches, and ble
By Kindra Arnesen. I want to tell you about the Gulf Claim 20 Billion $$$$$ BP paid fund. Now I am no writer so please forgive the incorrect spelling & or improper use of english Thank You. Ok, so 20 billion. I am going to address the fishries & a few other things keeping it as simple as possible.
By Dahr Jamail and Erika Blumenfeld. Crossposted from Truthout. Residents who live along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, all the way from Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, to well into western Florida, continue to tell me of acute symptoms they attribute to ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals being released from BP's crude oil and the toxic Corexit dispersants used to s
On Monday, February 14th, the Sierra Club took Mississippi Power’s proposed lignite coalmine and power plant to court, as part of its ongoing attempt to stop the project from being built.
By P Anne Battiste, crossposted from The Gazette (At South Mississippi). Mississippi’s Governor and 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate, Haley Barbour, finds himself once again in the hot bed of racial controversy. Politico’s Kaise Hunt 2/15/11 post at 6:43 PM EST (Updated: 2/15/11 10:29 PM EST) revealed, “In the latest racially charged incident in his home state, Haley Barbour on Tuesda
Just when you thought BP couldn’t top former CEO Tony Hayward’s ham-handed statements last summer, it appears the giant oil conglomerate still has the mojo to make gulf residents’ blood boil.
This week the local organization Women With a Vision (WWAV) is celebrating a huge step forward in their fight on behalf of low income women and lgbt people of color in New Orleans.
By Fritzi Presley I was born in Long Beach, Mississippi. Our home was at 124 East Beach...we lived on the water...no, literally...if we weren't fishin', we were crabbin'...if we weren't crabbin' we were sailin'...if we weren't sailin', we were swimmin'...well, you get the point...we even managed to squeeze school into our schedules...Catholic, of course.
In the Gulf, the temperature is rising. The magical spring season should soon bring warm waters teeming with life back to the region’s marshy bayous and sandy shores.
In a few short weeks the public view will, without doubt, fall back upon the coast and her people. We must take clear and insurmountable advantage of this. We must decide that this will be our stand.
By Pam Brundige Batson - As all of you know, I've been distressed about the deaths of the baby dolphins. I had planned to use my day off today to go to the beach and scout around. But then, I couldn't bring myself to go. What would I do should a dolphin calf wash up at my feet? It would surely send me into a hysterical tizzy, and who's listening anyway?
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities across the Gulf Coast began to meet, share experiences, and work together across previous geographic and racial divides. Now facing new and ongoing challenges like the BP oil disaster, hurricane "recovery" efforts, and coastal land loss, these communities continue to rely on and strengthen these relationships.
“My name is Sharon Hanshaw… I’m a native of Biloxi, Mississippi. I was a cosmetologist for twenty-one years… and Hurricane Katrina hit. Hurricane Katrina just sped my life into this whirlwind of activism. I had no choice but to step up, and try to make sure that our voices were heard in the recovery process, now and in the future.”
Although, Gulf Coast Claims Facility administrator Kenneth Feinberg had agreed to meet with a coalition of local citizens on two occasions during meetings held by the facility in South Louisiana, the presidential appointee has not responded to repeated attempts to facilitate the gathering.
By Matt Davis, crossposted from 
Crossposted from 
By 
By Kindra Arnesen. I want to tell you about the Gulf Claim 20 Billion $$$$$ BP paid fund. Now I am no writer so please forgive the incorrect spelling & or improper use of english Thank You. Ok, so 20 billion. I am going to address the fishries & a few other things keeping it as simple as possible.
By Dahr Jamail and Erika Blumenfeld. 
On Monday, February 14th, the 
By P Anne Battiste, crossposted from 
This week the local organization 
By Pam Brundige Batson - As all of you know, I've been distressed about the