‘Stardust & Empty Wagons,’ an update from CC Campbell-Rock

Hot 8 Brass Band

The Brava Theater Center wants you to be our special guests during the world premiere of "Stardust & Empty Wagons: Voices of the Katrina Diaspora." The stage play, which chronicles the journey of 13 survivors to the Bay Area, runs Nov. 7-25 at the Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St., San Francisco.

The Hot 8 Brass Band will perform live during the first week of the stage play. You should come on Wednesday, Nov. 7, Thursday, Nov. 8, or Friday Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. or attend the Sunday, Nov. 11, matinee at 3 p.m. Otherwise you can attend through Nov. 25. You must show a valid Gulf Coast ID in order to pick up your tickets. To get on the will call list for free tickets and for more information, contact Angela Carrier, angela [at] brava [dot] org or (415) 641-7657, ext. 107.

Public housing activist Sam Jackson says: Stop dozing and stop HUD/Bush's bulldozers! End the racist war in Iraq and at home! Stop the demolition of public housing! Pass Senate Bill 1668 now!

Despite the desperate need for affordable housing in New Orleans, the federal courts have given a green light to the Bush administration's demolition plan for some 5,000 viable public housing apartments. While public housing is in better shape than most of the private hosing stock and desperately needed, with rentals sky-high, the Bush Department of Housing and Urban and Development, with the Nagin administration's full support, wants to go ahead with this outrage.

The attack on New Orleans' public housing and other public services is just the flip side of criminal aggression against Iraq. Just as we are building a movement that can stop them in Iraq, we have to build one to stop their crimes at home. Sam Jackson and the public housing movement invite all anti-war activists to press for passage of Senate Bill 1668 that would reopen public housing, but which is now being blocked by Sen. David "Family-Values" Vitter.

National coalition endorses Gulf Coast Civic Works Act: The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project fully supports the introduction of H.R. 4048, the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act of 2007, introduced Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives. ACORN, RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights and the national network of student and faculty supporters would like to thank representatives Zoe Lofgren of California, Charlie Melancon of Louisiana and Gene Taylor of Mississippi for their leadership in introducing this groundbreaking legislation offering a renewed federal commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast and empowering the region's greatest assets, the disaster's survivors.

This legislation would create stronger and more equitable communities by funding and implementing critical infrastructure projects, directly creating 100,000 jobs for displaced and current residents. The bill creates partnerships to rebuild neighborhoods across the region devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

"Communities across the Gulf Coast suffer from crumbling roads and water systems, ill constructed flood protection, and closed police stations, fire house, schools and hospitals," says Stephen Bradberry, head state organizer of ACORN Louisiana, the region's largest association of low and middle income families. "We have an opportunity to jumpstart the recovery by empowering communities with the resources they need to lead."

The bill addresses the community infrastructure needs, including education, public safety and transportation, which have kept displaced families from returning. It promotes sustainable economic development by giving priority to local businesses for contracts, promoting workforce development and upgrading services while providing opportunities for returning and displaced residents to pull themselves into the middle class through living wage jobs and apprenticeships.

"During the New Deal the federal government partnered with communities to create 4 million jobs in two months building or repairing thousands of hospitals, schools and playgrounds through public works programs," says Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton, San Jose State professor and Gulf Coast Civic Works Project organizer. "This is exactly what the Gulf Coast now needs."

Through a Civilian Conservation Corps-inspired program, youth workers 17-24 will engage in environmental programs to rebuild wetlands and promote a healthy environment. Innovative local advisory bodies ensure community participation in a citizen driven recovery.

"This bill is a critical step towards restoring human rights in the Gulf Coast," said Monika Kalra Varma, director of the RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights. "With this bill, Congress has the opportunity to help disaster survivors realize their human rights to return and participate in rebuilding their communities."

For more information and to get involved, visit the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project, www.solvingpoverty.com, ACORN Louisiana, http://acorn.org/index.php?id=8219, and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, www.rfkmemorial.org.

The Hurricane Information Relief Network is the Bay View newspaper's nonprofit 501(c)(3) project to provide information and news coverage by, for and about the Katrina survivors who remain stranded across the U.S. and those who want to return home to rebuild their lives and communities. Send news and financial contributions to HRIN, EIN 20-4324012, 4917 Third St., San Francisco CA 94124, (415) 671-0789 or toll free 1 (877) 226-8100, fax (415) 671-0316 or hrin [at] sfbayview [dot] com.">hrin [at] sfbayview [dot] com.