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Gordon Plaza Residents Rally

Travis London, a volunteer organizer with 350.org and a resident of St. James Parish, addresses rally at Gordon Plaza.

By Shera Phillips

On September 8, the residents of Gordon Plaza opened their arms at a rally organized by the People’s Assembly, and welcomed people to explore the nightmare that has been their reality for the past 22 years, the nightmare that has caused them physical, financial, emotional and spiritual pain. This nightmare, that outsiders were only able to catch a small glimpse of means life on land so toxic it has caused more death and disease than can be accounted for.

Upon arrival, a few things were alarming. This community is less than three blocks from a public school and college. To the average passerby, there is NO SEPARATION between toxic and “non-toxic” land. The neighborhood makes one feels transported back in time and the abandoned infrastructure reeks of devastation. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I noticed a stench in the air that made me think of the lives lost and the constant battle the residents of Gordon Plaza continue to fight to be recognized as human, deserving of a life free of the 150+ toxins that currently plague their existence.

It is not only imperative that the people of New Orleans, Louisiana, the United States and the world get involved in this fight, but it is especially important for people who live, play, work and study in this community where there is NO POSSIBLE WAY of containing its toxins. The 9th ward IS Gordon Plaza and the Residents NEED a FULLY FUNDED, IMMEDIATE RELOCATION. We are ALL affected. We MUST DEMAND our government’s accountability for their negligence! NOW AND ALWAYS! #WeAreGordonPlaza #BlackLivesMatter

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Peoples Assembly Women’s Dinner: Black August, Solidarity With Prisoners

By Shera Phillips

I am increasingly more and more excited for each Women Dinner’s Wednesday. This past one set fire down in my soul. August is famous for solidarity with the incarcerated in the form of black august. There have been prison strikes all over the country in which the incarcerated demand to be regarded as human beings.

I learned a great deal and we had a host of dynamic speakers educate us on various topics from mass incarceration and its connection to slavery and racism, the enormous capitalistic gains of private corporations and individuals made by the prison complex, what a world could look like without prisons and a powerful testimony of how the prison industry has affected the institution of family made by Fox Rich, as well as spoken word.

The power in the room moved many to tears. We sang, we shouted and we cried. We found community, empowerment and ways to engage in this much needed work for liberation of all.

Join us in our next Women’s Dinner Wednesday where will be hosting a community sing. Singing negro spirituals fuels us, encourages us, purges us, and rejuvenates us. We are reminded of the state of being and passion of our ancestors as they endured and fought for non-negotiable progress.