Gulf Coast Justice Initiative

Justice and Witness Ministries

July 2007 

Introduction:

The United Church of Christ National Disaster Response, housed in Wider Church Ministries, was mobilized immediately following the devastating Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that hit the Gulf Coast in the fall of 2005. The initial concentration was directed at recovery efforts to assist persons who were displaced and those who needed immediate attention as a result of this tragedy.  The seriousness of the situation was made evident in media reports, which showed people on rooftops, freeway ramps, bridges, and roadways trying to make their way to designated centers for assistance.  News reports coming from New Orleans were especially disturbing because they clearly revealed that the systems of local, state, and national support had collapsed. One need only see one glimpse of the panorama to recognize the enormous impact on the African American residents of New Orleans.   

Within weeks after the storm and the breaching of the levees, Justice and Witness Ministries dispatched its program and executive staff to respond to the disaster.  Traveling through Houston, New Orleans, Biloxi and Gulfport, JWM's Minister for Criminal Justice and Human Rights and Minister of Communication assisted communities of faith, local officials and individuals in need.  They surveyed the immediate justice concerns that were apparent there and reported their findings to the JWM Board of Directors at its fall 2005 meeting.  With these accounts and subsequent visits by the JWM Executive Minister and other program ministers the stories of local residents of the area were heard.

Three primary guiding principles steer this initiative:

1)    Local residents have the right to self-determination therefore their perspective on the situation and possible solutions are fundamental to decision making.

2)    All justice response efforts will be conducted in partnership with the local community, Wider Church Ministries Disaster Relief Office and other organizations and institutions trusted by the local community. 

3)    While recognizing that there are expansive justice concerns along the entire Gulf Coast, JWM will concentrate its efforts in particular regions that respond to the area of greatest need that are not being addressed by other major organizations.

Discussions among local residents and partners named eleven areas of possible justice collaboration and local leadership empowerment. 

1)   Empowering young adults for justice work;

2)   Addressing affordable housing;

3)   Sustaining and creating quality public education;

4)   Determining the path of Federal monies;

5)   Supporting the effort to rebuild areas in environmentally safe conditions;

6)   Creating opportunities for economic empowerment;

7)   Providing quality health care;

8)   Assisting local and state governments in the creation and implementation of a justice based reclamation  program for residents;

9)   Creating legal clinics to address insurance fraud and home ownership;                        

10) Identifying one local area to focus efforts on returning, reclaiming, organizing, restoring and empowering; and

11) Addressing the justice issues of migrant workers.

Program Plan:

Demographic analyzes derived from the "Brown University Impact of Katrina: Race and Class in Storm-Damaged Neighborhoods Report" of 2006 substantiated our determination.  Specifically, the report indicated that the (Katrina) storm's impact was disproportionately borne by the region's African American population.  More than one third of the regions 1.7 million residents lived in the areas that suffered moderate to catastrophic damage: New Orleans over 350,000; suburban Jefferson parish 175,000; St Bernard Parish 53,000; and 54,000 along the Mississippi coast.  By race 45.8 % affected were black.  Further, the devastating projection is that the New Orleans area is at risk of losing 80% of its black population.  These facts could not be overlooked.

Upon analysis of the lack of progress made in these areas after almost two years, the realization of human and financial resources, the discussion with local residents, and the desire to have a meaningful impact and presence in the area resulted in the determination to concentrate our efforts to three issues.  Upon the recommendation of the partners, JWM will concentrate its initial efforts in New Orleans.

To this end a plan was crafted for justice implementation and the development of local leadership for self determination within the following three areas of concentration:

1) Empower young adults in higher education to do justice work.

We envision selecting two (2) college interns from Dillard University and one (1) from a local law school.  They would be hired at either 20 hours per week at $250 or 15 hours per week at $200 plus travel expenses.  Prior to the internship each intern would be required to attend a two day training session which would include sessions on community organizing, introduction to the UCC with specificity on JWM and WCM and  theology of advocacy.  One intern would have the responsibility of campus organizing in the New Orleans area from eight colleges (Xavier, Tulane, Loyola, Delgado Community, LSU, Dillard, New Orleans University and Southern University). The prospective intern will:

• Establish relationships with other students at Dillard and other area universities;
• Identify student leaders on other campuses with whom to partner;
• Run educational and justice-oriented programs to educate students about the issues around rebuilding and restoring New Orleans;
• Create Gulf Coast Justice groups on the campuses where there is sufficient interest and local student leaders;
• Meet with local supervisor on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to assess progress and craft strategy; and
• Meet periodically with UCC national staff to report progress and craft strategy.

A second intern position's portfolio will serve as an outreach organizer.  All Congregations together (ACT), a grass roots faith based organization working for the just re-building, reclamation and restoration of the Gulf coast which we believe is vital to reclaiming the area for the displaced residents and empowering them for self determination.  The respective duties would be to:

• Establish relationships with community leaders;
• Attend neighborhood meetings and gatherings to learn what the pressing concerns of the local community are;
• Reach out to the churches in the neighborhood;
• Help to organize community meetings where UCC staff can meet the neighborhood as well;
• Help to disseminate the information about the environmental study of the lower 9th ward when it is available;
• Do one-on-ones to learn people's stories;
• Meet with a local supervisor on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to assess progress and craft strategy; and
• Meet periodically with UCC national staff to report progress and craft strategy.

The third intern position will be a legal clinic organizer. Regrettably, in the New Orleans area and we believe in the state of Louisiana, law students are prohibited from doing pro-bono work.  Further, access to legal aid attorneys is prohibitive.  To compound matters there is a movement underway that seeks to undermine home ownership.  Home owners are required to prove ownership even when all has been lost.  Additionally, assistance in filling out the proper paperwork, combating the practice of misleading those who file insurance claims and applying for various services must be addressed as a justice issue.  This position will:

• Establish relationships with local churches and find locations where we can set up legal clinics;
• Identify neighborhoods where residents would benefit from these services and advertise this service;
• Work with the existing Advancement Project  and/or Lawyers for Civil Rights to organize lawyers and others who will serve in the legal clinics;
• Meet with  local supervisor on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to assess progress and craft strategy; and
• Meet periodically with UCC national staff to report progress and craft strategy

2) Partner with All Congregations Together (ACT) for the just re-building, reclamation and restoration of the Gulf Coast including the provision of environmental testing of the areas within the lower 9th ward of New Orleans.

This is based on the realization that a concerted highly visible grass roots organizing effort focusing on justice initiatives was not only possible but probable.  In the lower 9th Ward area, the neighborhood south of Clayborn Avenue has a 60% ownership rate.  The home ownership is divided between both the young and the elderly.  Most of the buildings are still standing and based on discussions with local leaders, this area is most likely to receive help from the local government.  Our plan is to attend local organizing meetings to hear from the residents and determine what assistance we can provide to address the justice issues they identify in partnership with existing local justice organizations.  The major problem however is the question of environmental safety.  To this end we plan to commission environmental testing for the area and distribute the results to the community by an independent tester.  The director of ACT has assured us the residents are "desperate for the information and just want to be able to make informed decisions."  The residents have a right to know and that right is being denied.  We are excited about making a positive difference in this community.  By concentrating our efforts we believe we will be able to do so.

3) Create legal clinics housed in our local UCC churches to assist residents in reclaiming their property and other legal matters.

Establishing legal clinics in our local UCC churches in partnership with the Advancement project, Lawyers for Civil Rights and/or local non-profit legal entities is critical.  This emphasis would tie in the local church, conference and the national setting together in a cooperative initiative. It would no doubt have an unbelievable positive impact in the area.  One cannot imagine how disturbing it would be to live in a home that you owned for 30 plus years, but due to breach of the levy, where all of your paper work was lost and no governmental record of your home ownership exists, the question of ownership becomes paramount because a movement to secure the area for development looms over your head like a circling vulture. Further, with the question of affordable housing not being addressed and questionable insurance practices it appears legal redress is in order.  This is obviously a great opportunity to have a meaningful justice impact on a devastated community.

Summary Statement:

The Gulf Coast Justice Initiative Coordinating Committee is energized by the possibility of having a major impact in the greater New Orleans area.  The Committee is convened by Rev. Dr. Carl P. Wallace, the coordinator of this initiative.  Other members include Ms. Jan W. Resseger, Minister for Public Education and Witness; Ms. Barbara Baylor, Minister for Health and Wellness;  Rev. Sala W. J. Nolan, Minister for Criminal Justice and Human Rights; Rev. Lois M. Powell, Minister and Co-Team Leader; and, Ms. Florence Coppola, Executive,  National Disaster Ministers, Wider Church Ministries.  Other UCC Covenantal partners include UCC Local Church Ministries, the South Central Conference, New Orleans Association and local New Orleans congregations.  While this initiative is directed at three primary goals, other JWM Program Ministers will continue to address critical justice issues in the region.  They include Rev. Dr. Carlos J. Correa Bernier, Minister for Environmental Justice and Dr. Edith Rasell, Minister for Labor Relations and Community Economic Development.  The JWM Leadership Team, led by Executive Minister Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, endorsed this plan on July 11, 2006 and committed significant new program initiative funds to support this critical work. 

Witness for Justice Related articles:

Ode to New Orleans  - September 26, 2005 - by Bernice Powell Jackson(pdf)

The Aftermath - October 3, 2005 - by Bernice Powell Jackson(pdf)

Across the Map - October 24, 2005 - by Diane Ford Jones(pdf)

No Right to Vote - No Democracy - April 10, 2006 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

Invisible People - May 22, 2006 - by Carl P. Wallace(pdf)

"I Think I Can" - The Closing of the Chef Mentuer Landfill Site in New Orleans  - August 7, 2006  by Carl P. Wallace (pdf)

Target Practice - October 16, 2006 - by Carl P. Wallace (pdf)

2007 Message on Public Education, by Jan Resseger— cover story, "Public Education in New Orleans In the Aftermath of Katrina," explores the fragmentation of the school district in a massive charter school experiment.

My Home Is Not Mine Anymore? - December 18, 2006 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

A Glimpse of Heaven: New Orleans Work Experience - January 7, 2007 - by Lukas Moeller (pdf)

Dr. King Would Be Appalled -January 15, 2007 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf) 

New Orleans Pledges to Educate Children on Waiting Lists - February 12, 2007 - by Jan Resseger (pdf)

Fix the Levees the Right Way - Now  - May 14, 2007 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

Forty Years Later - July 30, 2007 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

The Soul of a Nation - August 27, 2007 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

It's Not Over - September 24, 2007 - by M. Linda Jaramillo (pdf)

2008 Message on Public Education, by Jan Resseger — Look for "New Orleans Charter School Experiment: Betrayal of the Common Good," beginning on p. 2.

Link to:  NCC Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast

New Orleans: Jobs, Workers, and Barriers to Economic Equity

An examination of the conditions that workers in New Orleans still face more than two years after Katrina including nonpayment and underpayment of promised wages, exposure to toxins, workplace injuries, and structural racism.

  Another World is Possible in New Orleans!