Action of The Week: Third Anniversary of Katrina, Immanuel Presbyterian Church,
Friday, Aug. 29
By Carman Tse
It was clear from the onset – a performance by a Korean drumming corps – that the National Day of Action Friday was going to be about more than just Katrina and New Orleans, even as the Bush administration in the face of Gustav aimed to prove to the world (and American voters) it had learned its lesson.
“What happened in New Orleans,” said Hamid Khan, executive director of the South Asian Network, “was symbolic of what happens in other communities. It doesn’t just occur in the shape of natural disasters, but in the shape of politics.”
Khan was de facto emcee of Los Angeles’s National Day of Action, taking place in an auditorium in Koreatown’s Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Along with his South Asian Network, the event was hosted by the Right to the City Alliance, a collection of six community-oriented organizations working to fight gentrification, displacement, and police brutality. According to Khan, “We live in a police state! The city wants to bring in a thousand more cops but doesn’t have the audacity to keep open hospitals and clinics!”
While Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath was largely a struggle for the historically large African-American community in New Orleans, Right to the City saw the same events happening here. Instead of having an act of God as the agent, it was through developers and financiers that a drastic shift was affecting the communities within Los Angeles. It wasn’t just a struggle for the African-American community in New Orleans, but also for the multiple ethnic communities in L.A. and nationwide – and so we saw the multicultural approach to the event. In addition to the previously mentioned Korean drumming, activities included a Latin American tribal dance and a buffet that included Mexican, Korean, and Indian food.
The highlight was Rogers Youngblood, 19, a survivor of the Katrina tragedy who shared his struggle with the few hundred who came out to fight for change. Unlike the rest of the speakers who came with prewritten speeches and emanated with clarity, Youngblood was soft-spoken and struggled for words at times. His struggle was not only the aftermath of Katrina, but of his place in society. “I’m a young back man, I am a target of the New Orleans Police Department,” he said, simply and matter-of-fact.
The day concluded with a candlelight vigil held outside on Wilshire Boulevard, with the intent of sharing their fight with the city as they drove by. While commemorating those who lost their lives – literally and figuratively – from Hurricane Katrina, they wanted the world to know that it was a never-ending struggle until there was justice. “Katrina taught me it was about how many obstacles and hardships you can overcome,” said Youngblood. “You can’t quit.”
Published: 09/03/2008
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