New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Press Conference

From the New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation:

On Tuesday, August 24, the New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation will have a press conference, with the theme New Orleans has not finished rebuilding.

WHY: We must never forget Hurricane Katrina victims, who died without warning. We must remember the human cost of the destruction and the reason for the destruction – levee failure. The New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation is hosting its Fifth Annual Katrina Commemoration March/Secondline to commemorate loved ones lost during Hurricane Katrina and the Great Flood. In addition to a commemoration of lives lost, we march to support those who are working to rebuild and restore our community and environment to its healthy entirety. It is very difficult to restore our community when so much of New Orleans – Uptown, Downtown and New Orleans East- needs serious infrastructure upgrades.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, with oil washing ashore from the BP Drilling Disaster and another hurricane season upon us, the hard times in New Orleans keep getting harder. Poor decision-making; from inadequate levees and flood control to unsafe drilling, have devastated local communities, economies and the environment. It’s time to make better decisions. We know we need restoration on both sides of the levee to fully recover. Restoring the coastal wetlands protecting our communities from storm surge is key to a resilient, sustainable New Orleans. We have learned from the past that maintaining sufficient wetlands will protect coastal Louisiana communities in the future. This is why we need the nation’s support to restore our coast and protect New Orleans, a unique American treasure.

WHO: Sess 4-5, CEO Nuthin But Fire Records and the Co-Founder, New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation; Keilen "Shrimp Man" Williams, The Only African-American Shrimp Brand In the U.S.; Derrick Morrison, Committee To Reopen Charity, Monique Harden, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, and Sharon Jasper, Housing Activist and Freedom Fighter; Amanda R. Moore, National Wildlife Federation; and Tracie L. Washington, Louisiana Justice Institute.

WHAT: Press Conference To Focus on Rebuilding Our Environment and Community.

WHERE: 3400 Florida Avenue - The Florida Desire Mental Health Clinic (Corner of Desire Street and Florida Avenue).

WHEN: 10:00am, Tuesday August 24.

MEDIA CONTACT :
Mr. Reggie Dance, P: 973-353-8413, Rdance@therdprgroup.com,
Ms. Upenda Glover, C: 504-496-2668, katrinacommemoration@email.com

ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS KATRINA COMMEMORATION FOUNDATION: The New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation is a local grassroots organization formed to commemorate loved ones lost during Hurricane Katrina and the Great Flood. The annual commemoration march secondline supports the community's hard work for housing justice, education justice, healthcare justice, law enforcement justice and environmental justice.

ABOUT THE HIP HOP CAUCUS: The Hip Hop Caucus organizes young people in urban communities to be active in elections, policymaking, and service projects. The Hip Hop Caucus is a member of the Black Leadership Forum and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. With nearly 700,000 members around the country, in 2008, the Hip Hop Caucus created the “Respect My Vote!” campaign with recording artists T.I. and Keyshia Cole.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION: The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization. We work with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming and connect with nature.

This commemoration is a unified community partnership for healing with the following members and supporters: 1SKY - 2CENT ENTERTAINMENT - 350.ORG - ADVOCATES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS - AFL-CIO - AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTALIST ASSOCIATION - AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION - AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL FUND - AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS - AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE - AMERICAN RIGHTS AT WORK - ANTI-RACISM WORKING GROUP - APOLLO ALLIANCE - ASANTE FOUNDATION - BENJAMIN FOUNDATION - BLACK LEADERSHIP FORUM - BLACK LOVE MOVEMENT - BLACK MEN UNITED - BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT - BLOWOUT CONSCIOUSNESS - BROTHER UMRANI - CATHOLIC CHARITIES - CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENT COMMERCE AND ENERGY - CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK - COMMITTEE TO RE-OPEN CHARITY - COMMON GROUND HEALTH CLINIC - COMMUNITY BOOK CENTER - COMMUNITY UNITED FOR CHANGE - CRAIGE CULTURAL CENTER - CRESCENT CITY ANTI-AUTHORITARIANS - DC GREENWORKS - DEEP SOUTH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY - DIARY FROM THE DOME - DREAMING OUT LOUD, INC. - EARLINE'S PRALINES - ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE - FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN - FINDING OUR FOLKS - FRIENDS OF THE EARTH - FYRE YOUTH SQUAD - GET FRESH - GRASSROOTS AMERICA - GREEN DMV - GRIND FOR THE GREEN - GRINDSTAFF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - GRIS GRIS LAB - HEADCOUNT - HIP HOP CAUCUS - HOT 8 BRASS BAND - HOT OFF DA PRESS PROMOTION - INDUSTRY INFLUENCE - IRON RAIL BOOK COLLECTIVE - JUNEBUG - JUVENILE JUSTICE PROJECT OF LOUISIANA - LEVI.ORG - LOUISIANA JUSTICE INSTITUTION - LOYOLA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION - MALCOLM X GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT - MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE NEW ORLEANS - MIKE B. THE GRINDA - N'COBRA - NATIONAL BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION - NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS - NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK MAYORS - NATIONAL CONGRESS OF BLACK WOMEN - NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN - NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION - NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN - NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION - NOLA.TV - NUTHIN’ BUT FIRE RECORDS - PEACE KEEPERS - RAINBOW PUSH COALITION - RS SECURITY INC - SESS 4-5 - SLAM NEW ORLEANS - SOJOURNER TRUTH COMMUNITY CENTER - SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AT NEW ORLEANS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION - STAND WITH UNITY - STOOGES BRASS BAND - SURVIVORS VILLAGE - TAMBORINE AND FAN­THE FRUIT WIZARD - THE UPTOWN WING SHACK - TRANSAFRICA FORUM - TRUTH UNIVERSAL - TULANE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM - UNITED TEACHERS OF NEW ORLEANS - UPTOWN WING SHACK - VITAMINWATER - WILD WAYNE - YOUNG SINO