Ten Years Later: Gulf Coast Communities Commemorate Hurricane Katrina
(photo: Evans family home in the Turkey Creek neighborhood of Gulfport, MS, by Leah Mahan)
From now through the end of August, communities across the Gulf Coast will come together in order to commemorate ten years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall. Below are some of the scheduled events:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st - SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd
(LA) Community Uprising: Katrina, Resilience, Resistance & Culture After 10 Years - Location: Ellis Marsalis Center for Music 1901 Bartholomew St., New Orleans, LA - The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies is organizing a two-day conference to centralize the ongoing struggles and resiliency of communities of color in post-Katrina New Orleans. This conference coincides with the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and brings together international, national and local thought leaders to discuss recovery, community resilience and place. This concept of resilience will be problematized within the context of disaster in communities that struggle with chronic and toxic stress. A key component will be exploring the role of culture as a protective factor against chronic stress; and the potential for transformation through resilience. For more information and to register, please go to http://www.iwes-resilience.org/conference/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/1610628215875735/.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st - SUNDAY, AUGUST 30th
Katrina 10 Week of Action - Location: Various Locations Across the Gulf Coast - From Gulf South Rising, “Local and regional organizations are collaborating to produce the Katrina 10 Week of Action for the tenth year commemoration of Hurricane Katrina. This week of action features performance arts, policy forums, film screenings, teach-ins, youth gatherings, healing spaces, a march with a second-line, and rally in multiple locations from Coden, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana. From August 21 – 30, 2015, there will be a powerful coming together of communities resisting injustice masked as “recovery” and “resilience” in the aftermath of Katrina. They will share their vision for human rights, equity, and climate justice in the Gulf Region. All events are free and open to the public.” For more information, please go to http://www.gulfsouthrising.org/katrina-10-week-of-action/.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26th
(MS) The 10th Anniversary Katrina Commemoration Summit - Location: Gulfport, MS - The Education, Economic, Environmental, Climate and Health Organization (A coalition of a dozen plus frontline community groups in the Gulf Region) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Gulf Region units) will co-host a 10th Anniversary Katrina Commemoration Summit. The theme is: Sunshine After the Storm: Honoring Our Collective Leadership and Charting a Just Transition to a Thriving Gulf for ALL. The Katrina Anniversary events will include a faith leaders' climate change training, a youth engagement event, a Gulf Leadership Appreciation Sunday, a Gender Justice/U.S. Women's Equality Day Summit, two Human Rights Tribunals and a truth circle to reflect on the past, and multiple topical strategy sessions to plan for the future. For more information, please email Katherine Egland by phone at 228-617-0891 or email ktegland@aol.com.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd
(LA) 2:00pm CT - 4:00pm CT - Greater New Orleans Organizers Round Table - Location: Ashe Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA - There will be a review and discussion/forum of a documentary film on the recovery and resiliency of New Orleanians post-Katrina. For more information, please contact Monique Harden at 504-919-4590.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23rd
Watering the Roots for a Strong Gulf Coast - Location: Online - From the Life Support Project, “In the last ten years the Gulf Coast region has suffered the affects of 5 major hurricanes and one devil of an oil spill. Yet there are those among us who have worked bravely and tirelessly in pursuit of justice and equitable care for our peoples and environment. In honor of their personal sacrifices, and in recognition of the Tenth Commemoration of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we are asking in your support to lift up fence line/ frontline/ grass roots leaders and organizations in need.” For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1639552712952000/.
MONDAY, AUGUST 24th
(MS) 5:00pm CT - Dinner Screening of Catching the Sun - Location: Good Deeds Community Center, 15101 Madison Street, Gulfport, MS - About the Film, “Through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China, Catching the Sun is a feature length documentary that explores the global race to lead the clean energy future. Catching the Sun follows the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry. An unlikely ensemble of characters contrast with preconceived notions about who is at the forefront of a transition to clean energy. By telling personal, emotional stories that deal with the universal theme of hope for a better life, set against the urgent struggle to build a 'green economy’.” The screening will be followed by a Q & A with filmmaker Shalini Kantayya. For more information, please email eeecho@cableone.net or call 228-617-0891.
(MS) 5:30pm CT - 8:00pm CT - Katrina 10 Years Later - Recovery & Resiliency: The People’s Story - Location: Biloxi Civic Center, 587 Howard Ave., Biloxi, MS - “In the aftermath of one of the most dangerous storms in history, our communities were resilient, but the reality is that we are not all recovered. This year we commemorate Katrina 10 by lifting up the people’s experiences: stories of resilience, of reinvention and of the ongoing process of recovery.” Participants are encouraged to bring a favorite family side dish to share, as well as pictures, personal stories and other mementos for the MS Gulf Coast community story wall. For more information, please go to http://files.ctctcdn.com/2f66636f101/db25fbae-4510-4207-9c1b-1f13502d6b20.pdf.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25th
3:00pm CT - 4:00pm CT - #katrinastories Twitter Chat with Filmmakers who Documented Katrina - Location: Twitter - Filmmakers from Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek, A Village Called Versailles, My Louisiana Love and Land of Opportunity will participate in a Twitter chat with the hashtag #katrinastories. Following the chat, My Louisiana Love and Come Hell or High Water will broadcast on the World Channel (see below.)
6:00pm CT - 7:00pm CT - Broadcast of My Louisiana Love - Location: World Channel - From World Channel,“My Louisiana Love follows a young Native American woman, Monique Verdin, as she returns to Southeast Louisiana to reunite with her Houma Indian family. But soon she sees that her people’s traditional way of life - fishing, trapping, and hunting these fragile wetlands – is threatened by a cycle of man-made environmental crises. As Louisiana is devastated by Hurricane Katrina and Rita and then the BP oil leak, Monique finds herself turning to environmental activism. She documents her family’s struggle to stay close to the land despite the cycle of disasters and the rapidly disappearing coastline. The film looks at the complex and uneven relationship between the oil industry and the indigenous community of the Mississippi Delta. “ For more information and to confirm broadcast times in your location, please go to http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/my-louisiana-love/.
7:00pm CT - 8:00pm CT - Broadcast of Come Hell or High Water - Location: The World Channel - From The World Channel, “Descendants of emancipated slaves who settled on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the residents of Turkey Creek have been stewards of the creek's rich wetland habitat for generations. Today, the town is surrounded by an airport, big-box stores, highways and an industrial canal which threatens both the community and its wetlands. When the graves of Derrick Evans's ancestors are bulldozed for the sprawling city of Gulfport, the Boston teacher returns home to stand up to powerful corporate interests and politicians alongside his neighbors over the course of a decade. Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek follows Derrick's painful but inspiring journey. In 2001, Derrick travels to Mississippi with filmmaker Leah Mahan to record oral history but a visit to the community cemetery changes the course of his life. Joining protestors against a mayor who called them "dumb bastards" for standing in the way of progress, the residents and allies succeed in halting development in a watershed. But the victory unravels after Hurricane Katrina hits.” For more information and to confirm broadcast times in your location, please go to http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/come-hell-or-high-water-battle-turkey-creek/.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26th - SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th
(LA) Urban League of Greater New Orleans Katrina Commemorative Conference - Location: Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Ave., New Orleans, LA - The Urban League of Greater New Orleans (ULGNO) will host a conference to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The theme of the conference "RISE: Katrina 10", symbolizes continual growth in our city's re-emergence. The events will bring together a cross-section of community members, civic, industry, and national leaders. For more information and to register, please go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rise-katrina-10-commemorative-conference-tickets-16863979617?aff=efbnreg.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27th
(LA) 6:00pm CT - 8:30pm CT - Katrina 10 Year Memorial: Equity, Justice & Black Leadership for New Orleans - Location: Ashe Cultural Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA - Ten years later and the recovery continues. For more information, please go to https://fflic.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=183.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28th - SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th
(TX - LA) Buses from Houston & Dallas To New Orleans - Location: Buses Depart Dallas from the DART Hampton Station Park and Depart Houston from the Metro Maxey Park & Ride - Free buses will depart from Houston and Dallas to take displaced residents of New Orleans back for the Katrina 10th anniversary commemoration events. To secure a spot on the bus or for more information, please contact Cherrelle Blazer at cherelle.blazer@sierraclub.org.
(LA) Lower 9 Resilience Festival - Location: Andrew Sanchez Center, New Orleans, LA - Lower 9 Reslilence Festival is a free two-day event to commemorate and acknowledge the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/694939677299991/ or http://l9rfest.org/.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28th - MONDAY, AUGUST 31st
(LA) Visual Opera: Ecohybridity - A Love Song for NOLA, a Visual (Black) Opera in 5 Movements - Various New Orleans Locations - “To mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Gallery of the Streets is currently touring excerpts of our 1st performance and installation, Ecohybridity: Love Song for NOLA, a [black] opera in 5 movements. A touring exhibit and movement-building project, Ecohybridity fuses public art and direct action organizing to confront power. In addition to exhibiting the art, we are also collecting solidarity statements and other messages to share with New Orleanians in preparation for the upcoming anniversary.” For more information, please go to http://galleryofthestreets.org/.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28th
(LA) 9:00am CT - 4:00pm CT - Gulf South Climate Justice Convergence - Location: 2601 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA - The purpose of the event is to cultivate and connect young leaders who will carry forward the fight for justice, resilience and resistance in the Gulf South in the face of climate change. The all day convergence will offer trainings and community building for participants, and provide opportunities for individuals to learn about the work Gulf South Rising and its partners are doing both locally and nationally. Though not exclusive to young people, this intergenerational event aims to lift up youth leaders and put youth experience at the forefront. For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/687556031377892/.
(LA) 2:00pm CT - 5:00pm CT - Southern Movement Assembly V: Youth Movement Assembly & Art Build - Location: Congo Square, 700 Block of N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA - Local and regional youth (13-30-year olds, or anyone who is old enough to think critically and young enough to have an open mind) will unite in Congo Square, a sacred space of resistance, to demand, design, and commit to a sustainable, healthy, and equitable future. For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1692259474335386/.
(LA) 6:30pm CT - Katrina Video/Photography Project - Location: Rev. Percy Murphy Griffin Community Center, 15577 Hwy 15, Davante, LA - Zion Travelers Cooperative Center youth will present their video documenting the impact Hurricane Katrina had on the lives of children. A panel of young people from throughout Plaquemines will be available for Q & A following the video. For more information, please contact Rev. Tyronne Edwards at 504-473-2996.
(LA) 7:00pm CT - 9:30pm CT - A Tale of Two Cities: Local and National Leaders in Dialogue on the Uneven Outcomes of the Katrina Recovery - Location: Beecher Memorial United Church of Christ (UCC), 1914 N. Miro St., New Orleans, LA - From event organizers, “Recent studies and facts reveal a Tale of two Cities... one richer, whiter and more stable, the other poorer, black and more marginal. Despite city-wide improvements and growth, benefits are not equitably realized. Black folks and many devastated neighborhoods have been left behind. Why and how did this happen and what can be done to change it?" For more information, please contact Pastor Brenda Square at 504-259-8702.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th
(LA) K10 on the Levee: Yoga & Music - Location: Holy Cross Levee, Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans, LA - A community of yogis and musicians will come together for a transformational, commemorative event on the 10th anniversary of Katrina. Joining forces with 7+ yoga studios and a range of musicians, the day will begin with sunrise meditation and yoga and culminate with a powerful sunset yoga benefit concert at 6:30pm.The event is open to the public and all donations are optional. 100% of funds raised will go to Common Ground Relief, a non-profit in the lower ninth ward that creates resilient Gulf Coast communities. For more information, please go to http://www.k10onthelevee.org/?utm_source=August+14%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Aug+15%2C+2015&utm_medium=email.
(LA) 8:30am CT - 12:30pm CT - Katrina 10 Volunteer Day - Location: The Backyard Gardeners' Guerrilla Garden and Sites Throughout New Orleans - The Citywide Day of Service will engage thousands of volunteers and focus service on seven specific regions of the City. Volunteers will support over 100 individual projects. This event is open to volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience. The Backyard Gardeners’ Guerrilla Garden will be a project site. For more information, please go to http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9dab2786a944b4d24d427314e&id=b8ec000c9a&e=94d387635c.
(LA) 9:00pm CT - 12:00am CT - Katrina Artistically Revisited - Location: The Theatres at Canal Place, 333 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA - The 10th annual "Katrina Artistically Revisited" is a special multi-media commemorative event of films, art and music and it’s free and open to the public. In the theater at 10 p.m., Lower 9 resident Robert Lynn Green, Sr. will be featured in a Q&A entitled "Katrina Story Never Told in Public Before." There will also be a short film by Rick Lavine, M.D., chronicling Mr. Green's second lines each Katrina anniversary. For more information, please go to http://www.nola.com/events/event/katrina-artistically-revisited/182958/.
(LA) 9:00am - 4:00pm CT - Rising Tide X - Location: Xavier University, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA - “After the flood that followed Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, the internet became a vital connection among dispersed New Orleanians, former New Orleanians, friends of the city and of the Gulf Coast region. A surge of new blogs erupted and, combined with those that were already online, a community of bloggers with a shared interest in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast developed. In the summer of 2006, after the success of the first Geek Dinner, and to mark the anniversary of the flood, the newly formed NOLA Bloggers organized the first Rising Tide Conference, taking their shared interest in technology, the internet and social media and turning advocacy for the city into action….civil rights activist DeRay McKesson (@deray) will deliver the keynote speech. Since the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, McKesson has used social media to amplify protest and advocacy against oppressive systems. In the past year he has become one of the most widely-recognized civil rights leaders of his generation. His keynote, scheduled for 2pm, will highlight a full day of multi-track content at Rising Tide X. “ For more information and to register, please go to http://risingtidenola.com/history.php.
(LA) 10:00am CT - 10th Annual Katrina March & Second Line - Location: Marching from Jourdan & Galvez to Hunters Field, New Orleans, LA - For more information, please go to http://www.gulfsouthrising.org/event/second-line/?instance_id=47.
(AL) 11:00am CT - 9:00pm CT - Bringing Back the Bayou: 10 Years Hurricane Katrina Gathering - Location: Coastal Response Center, 7285 Hwy. 188, Coden, AL - From South Bay Communities Alliance, “We are still here after Hurricane Katrina and the BP Disaster. Our communities across the coast have suffered massive losses, from the seafood industries to chronic health issues. All of us matter. Everyone is important, has a talent, a purpose and something to share.” For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/811081232344484/ or contact Lori at 251-206-9990 or ibosarge@centurytel.net.
(LA) 11:00am CT - 1:00pm CT - Panel Discussion & Unveiling of the Katrina Quilt - Location: Greenwell Springs Road Regional Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Rd., Baton Rouge, LA - All are invited to hear musical guests, speakers,and for the quilt unveiling. For more information, please call 225-274-4450.
(LA) 12:00pm CT - 11:30pm CT - Rhythmic Alchemy Art Healing - Location: Congo Square, 700 North Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA - Rhythmic Alchemy is an art healing space rooted in authentic African, Native American and South Louisiana cultural and healing traditions to commemorate the 10 years of recovery since Hurricane Katrina. Rhythmic Alchemy uses drumming, spoken word, live muralist, cultural dance, DJ, traditional exhibits, Second Line, masquerade, and collective movement to create a unique experience for all who attend. For more information, please go to http://www.gulfsouthrising.org/event/katrina-10-week-of-action/.
(LA) 1:30pm CT - 5:30pm CT - Hands Around the Dome March and Ceremony - Location: Assemble at Duncan Plaza at 1:30 pm, march around the Superdome at 2 pm, and return to Duncan Plaza for the rally at 3 pm - The march will encircle the Superdome to remember losses and promote healing. Following the march, a rally will focus on equity, economic justice, educational reform and a living wage to end the tale of two cities. For more information, please contact Ernest Jones at 504-251-1005 or Mtangulizi Sanyika at 713-376-3364.
(LA) 3:00pm CT - 11:00pm CT - Gracias Latinos: Free Katrina Anniversary Concert - Location: Casa Borrega, 1719, Oretha C. Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA - From Casa Borrega, “We thank the many Hispanic immigrants who helped rebuild our City on this 10th anniversary of Katrina - featuring the Alexis "Papo" Guevara Afro Cuban Trio and Javier Gutierrez & VIVAZ! Speakers are scheduled as follows: 4pm - Councilmember Stacy Head; 5pm - Luis Fernando Reyes, Delgado Community College; 6pm - Sarah Fouts, Tulane Center for Latin American Studies; 8pm - Carolina Hernandez - Puentes.” For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1460780010904766/.
(MS) 4:15pm CT - 7:00pm CT - Pass Christian Concert and Katrina Remembrance - Location: Pass Christian, MS - The concert will feature Dr. Rock and the Interns, followed by a ceremony on the beach to remember those whose lives were lost in the storm. Businesses and nonprofits are welcome to set up information tables to promote their organizations or to sell food to attendees. For more, please go to http://www.sunherald.com/2015/08/11/6360836_pass-christian-planning-concert.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy.
(LA) 7:00pm CT - 9:00pm CT - Film Showing in Front of Resident Robert Green’s House - Location: 1826 Tennessee Street, New Orleans, LA - Films scheduled to be shown include: Jonathan Demme's "The Right To Return" Discovery Channel's "Floods" Estee Blachard's "From My Heart" National Relief Network's "Children of the Storm" Dr. Rick Levine's film "Robert Lynn Green, Sr" The viewing will be followed by an after party until sunrise. For more information, please click on http://www.xjournals.com/2015/08/15/hurricane-katrina-10th-anniversary/?utm_source=August+21%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Aug+21%2C+2015&utm_medium=email.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30th
(LA) 3:00pm CT - 8:00pm CT - Peoples History of Hurricane Katrina Conference - Location: Unitarian Universalist Church, 5212 S. Claiborne, New Orleans, LA - The conference brings together Katrina Survivors and Katrina scholars who present a narrative of Katrina and the so-called Katrina Recovery from the perspective of working class and African American Katrina Survivors. For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/105525623130582/.
(LA) 6:00pm CT - 9:00pm CT - New Orleans Social Justice Social: Katrina 10th Decompression Gathering - Location: Scott Edwards Photography Studio & Galler, 2109 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA - From Social Justice Social, “This is an invitation for New Orleans folks to gather, relax, grieve and heal together after the storm of Katrina 10th-related observance activities, media coverage and surge of emotions.” For more information, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/442663745906335/.