I’ve only got about two minutes of sunday left, so today’s letter will have to be a short one. Remember New Orleans? Sure you do. Its that city the government forgot about. Well, its time to give them another reminder. Why? Well, if it wasn’t bad enough that the city was destroyed due to improper handling on behald of the Army Corps of Engineers and the federal goverment’s misapporpriation of funds, now the largely immigrant workforce cleaning and rebuilding the city is being stepped on.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has just filed two lawsuits against to major contractors and is also calling for stricter enforcement of federal worker protection laws. The problem stems from the fact that the government hires subcontractors who hire subcontractors. Along the way, they are all taking a chunk of money meant for workers, while creating less and less accountability. The SPLC is asking for concerned citizens to help out with these lawsuits by putting pressure on the federal government to enforce standards and protect workers. You can do so by signing their petition. One article about the litigation quoted SPLC Immigrant Justice Project attorney J.J. Rosenbaum as saying:
“Lawsuits alone won’t stop the widespread exploitation of workers that’s going on in New Orleans. The people working in New Orleans to rebuild its schools, hospitals and university buildings need and deserve the protection of the federal government.”
Take two minutes out of your day and sign the petition to help protect workers’ rights and safety.
a very special thanks to nubian at blac(k)ademic for posting this conversation between damali ayo and Tim Wise. This is a great reminder that its not about guilt, its about laziness; and its not about charity, its about accountability. So get off your lazy, privileged ass and start creating some goddamn accountability in your life! Oh, and there’s some good conversation about how we all need to breath and learn to laugh a little. Here are some more links:
damaliayo.com
timwise.org
At least that is what the media would have you believe. And while Mayor Nagin has made some comments and decisions that have pointed to his own internalized racism against other Black people, this is not exactly what the media is talking about.
Tim Wise has recently published a great commentary call “Ray Nagin, White Rage and the Manufacturing of “Reverse” Racism“. He sums it up pretty nicely in the beginning:
If you’re looking to understand why discussions between blacks and whites about racism are often so difficult in this country, you need only know this: when the subject is race and racism, whites and blacks are often not talking about the same thing.
The comment that has put Ray Nagin in the hot seat was one claiming that New Orleans would once again be a “chocolate city”. The argument is that if a White mayor had said that his city should remain a “vanilla” city then it would obviously be racist, so therefore Nagin’s comment is racist. Not quite.
While the hypothetical White mayor’s comments would be about perpetuating policies that have kept people of color out of the city, Nagin’s comments are about fighting the proposed whitewashing/gentrification of what has traditionally been a Black city. In fact, some White folks in positions of power are suggesting wiping out entire Black neighborhoods that were hit hard by Katrina. Nagin has never suggested keeping White folks out of New Orleans, he has simply argued to allow Black folks back in to their own homes.
A recent study from Brown University showed that 80 percent of New Orlean’s Black population may not return because “their neighborhoods would not be rebuilt, they would be unable to afford the relocation costs, or they would put down roots in other cities.” 75 percent of the residents from neighborhoods with serious damage were Black. If 80 percent of those residents don’t return you have a complete switch in demographics, which, as Wise contents, would destroy New Orleans as we knew it.
[tags]Nagin, racism, New Orleans[/tags]
