take action: new orleans to emulate Philly' success withblight”

here is a message from some friends:

do you think philly's "success with blight" should be exported to new orleans? if not, here's an easy way to speak out against gentrification in philly AND in new orleans. ray nagin, the mayor of new orleans, recently visited philadelphia in order to learn from our city’s “success with blight” and is now hoping to emulate some of the programs which many of us have organized against. penn alexander (the private/public school near upenn) and the brewerytown condos are named explictly as the kind of projects nagin wants to see happen in new orleans. here’s the link to the article in the Times-Picayune:

full article

if you have any time, we urge you to write letters to the editor of the times-picayune (and any philly papers this situation has appeared in--- i haven't seen any yet but i'm sure it will show up), letting them know that classist redevelopment plans have not and will not improve the lives of the majority Black working class and poor residents of either city, and that ensuring the right to return for new orleanians and the right to stay for philadelphians depends on affordable housing, decent schools for everyone, and a redevelopment plan that does not privilege the rich.

it would be powerful to mention groups organizing in philly and in new orleans around on these issues, and mention their demands/points of unity. in new orleans, check out the peopleÂ’s hurricane relief fund (www.peopleshurricane.org), NENA: the 9th ward neighborhood empowerment association (lower9thwardnena.com), and survivorsÂ’ village (www.survivorsvillage.com). in philly, i know there must be folks we're forgetting, but for starters check out the african american business and homeowners' association of brewerytown (www.aabra.org), INCITE's anti-displacement solidarity committee (www.allforthetaking.org), and casino-free philly (www.casinofreephila.org), all doing anti-displacement work and organizing around eminent domain and would be good to mention.

groups in new orleans are putting out some of these points which you might use in a letter: · mainly Black working class residents of public housing are being systematically cleansed from New Orleans · residents' rights to return to their homes and resume their leases is guaranteed by the UN International Policy on Internally Displaced Persons · affordable housing, decent schools, and genuine tenants rights must be won for the displaced to come home and returning residents to be able to stay

all for the taking.org says this about the struggle in philly: “We believe in the right to affordable housing for all, community empowerment, and mutual support. We reject the displacement of poor, working, and middle class communities due to development pressures and gentrification- rising rents and real estate taxes, speculation, the creation of casinos and luxury housing, the ten year tax abatement on new construction, increased foreclosures, tax liens, and eminent domain.”

towards justice, for the east coast and the gulf coast -molly and drewchristopher

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