Date Published:
September 13, 2005
Dear friends:
New Orleans is an incredibly important place for Critical Resistance. We held our most recent conference in New Orleans' historic Treme community, drawing thousands from New Orleans and the South. Our Southern Regional office -- now destroyed -- in New Orleans' Mid City neighborhood became Critical Resistance's hub for the entire South, along with a center for organizing around imprisonment and police brutality in New Orleans itself.
We are heartbroken by the devastation in a city we love -- and by the media's racist and classist portrayal of our communities, the demonization of our brothers and sisters who have been in dire straits for decades, and the militarized, brutal response towards those left behind.
Everything we had in New Orleans is gone. Our office was located in one of the harder hit areas of the city. Fortunately, Critical Resistance's Southern Regional Coordinator, Tamika Middleton, and our core organizing members and allies appear to be safe, though now scattered across the country. We are working on a coordinated response that includes direct support and communication with prisoners and family members in New Orleans, supporting the Treme community, strategizing around rebuilding and reuniting neighborhoods, and media work.
At the same time, we are scrambling to rebuild our infrastructure and find a-temporary office for our Southern Regional Coordinator. We will need computers, office supplies, and support for our community organizing and rebuilding work.
All of this, of course, will be expensive -- so please help us rebuild our Southern Regional hub! We know that there is great need everywhere in New Orleans -- but also know that Critical Resistance's grassroots power, vision and organizing, particularly in the aftermath of this disaster, is more needed than ever, as we fight for New Orleans' rebirth.
There are many ways to help. Here are a few:
1) Please help support the rebuilding of our Southern Regional office and organizing in New Orleans through our website at
http://www.criticalresistance.orglindex . php?name=New-Orleans .
You can also write a check made out to "Critical Resistance/Justice Now", and mail it to 1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504, Oakland, CA 94612. Please write "New Orleans" in the memo.
2} Critical Resistance members across the country are working on a coordinated response. If you want to get involved in a chapter near you -- there are 11 in the United States -- please visit to get in touch.
3} Do you have computers, printers, a copier, file cabinets, or other office supplies? Please call us at 510-444-0484, or email
crnational [at] criticalresistance [dot] org to talk about getting those to us. We also need frequent flier miles for our work.
4) Organize a house party to raise funds to help rebuild our Southern office and fuel our organizing in New Orleans. You can also call us at 510-444-0484 or email
crnational [at] criticalresistance [dot] org for materials and ideas.
Thank you so much for your support. As always, please email or call us with any questions you may have. We hope you and your loved ones are safe.
In struggle and hope.
Tamika Middleton, Kai Barrow, Pilar Maschi, Rose Braz, and Sitara Nieves, Critical Resistance staff
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Sitara Nieves, Organizer Critical Resistance
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504 Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-444-0484 Fax:510-444-2177
www.criticalresistance . org
