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Endesha Juakali and Ward ‘Mack’ McClendon will present on the topics of “America’s Dirty War on the Women & Children of New Orleans Public Housing” and “Community Rebuilding of the Lower 9th Ward”.

ENDESHA JUAKALI

Endesha Juakali was born and raised in the St. Bernard Housing Projects in the 7th Ward of New Orleans. Juakali has been active since his early teen years in organizing and struggling on behalf of public housing residents in New Orleans and beyond. Juakali went on to get his law degree from Tulane University and stayed in the 7th Ward to develop a community center for public housing youth, The New Day daycare and community center. Juakali is the former chairman of the Board of the Housing Authority of New Orleans and a Newsweek National Unsung Hero in 1992.

Since Hurricane Katrina, Juakali was displaced and forced to relocate thirteen times. After months of being bussed around, Juakali returned to the 7th Ward and played a key leadership role in the 21/2 year struggle to save public housing. In 2007, along with public housing advocates from Miami, D.C., and New York, he formed the Coalition to Save Public and Subsidized Housing, helping to unite the public housing struggle nationwide. He is currently in the process of rebuilding the community center adjacent to St. Bernard, renamed the Rising Sun Center.

Juakali will present a 20-minute film clip on the struggle to save Public Housing in New Orleans, and he will discuss the ways in which the government is attacking public housing all over the United States.
 
MACK MCCLENDON

Ward 'Mack' McClendon grew up in and is a long-time resident of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, LA. After Hurricane Katrina, he put aside his dream of running an antique car shop and instead turned his focus towards the needs of his neighborhood. With the support of the community, Mack is in the process of transforming an old warehouse into a community center. He is the director and visionary mind behind the Lower 9th Ward Village.

About the Village

The Lower 9th Ward Village, a post Katrina nonprofit community center, is a work in progress. The vision of the “Village” is to become a multipurpose, multi-use facility that caters to the community in general, with emphasis on providing services, skills training, and recreational activities to the youth and elderly.

Mack hopes that the “Village” will serve as an incubator to encourage residents to return to the Lower 9th Ward and then help them get the necessary materials, training, and social support to rebuild their own community. He hopes that this effort will serve as a blueprint for how communities can unite and respond to a disaster together.

Mack speaks often in New Orleans and elsewhere about the displacement of the people in his community, particularly the youth and elderly who have been deprived of virtually all social services and programs in the Lower 9th Ward. His focus is on youth development and the importance of community centers in sustaining strong community bonds, even in the face of catastrophe. Mack will discuss the ‘Where is Your Neighbor?’ program and other grassroots efforts to rebuild the Lower 9th Ward.

The event will start at 6:00 pm & end at 7:30 pm. The event is FREE & open to the public, but donations are encouraged to support grassroots rebuilding efforts in New Orleans.

The event will occur on Saturday, November 15th at the New College Teaching Auditorium/ HCL008 (5920 General Dougher Place)
 
Further information can be obtained at: 487-4499 OR 780-3819
www.ncf.edu/vista
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Monday

Fall Break Trip to NEW ORLEANS!!!!

Information meeting @ 7 in the GDC

If you are interested in volunteering in New Orleans over fall break come to this meeting! We are going to discuss what day to leave/return, where to volunteer, and transportation. Transportation will be paid for, and the whole trip should be super cheap!

We will focus on two organizations:

Common Ground Relief (http://www.commongroundrelief.org/) and Survivor’s Village (http://lower9thwardvillage.org/)

Tuesday

Mentor and help tutor at the Boys and Girls Club!!

Meet in front of Sudakoff @ 3:30 and we will be back by 6

This is a great way to help out the Newtown Community, get off campus, and meet new people!
 

Wednesday

IndyMedia and the Climate Justice Squad present “Pickaxe”

Pickaxe documents efforts to halt logging at Warner Creek, a federally protected forest in Oregon. Following a suspicious fire in 1991 that cleared the land, Congress suspended environmental regulations to allow logging in the area. Since arson was determined to be the cause of the fire, however, environmental activists argued that allowing logging at Warner Creek would set a bad example and possibly lead to similarly motivated forest fires. What followed was an 11-month battle complete with a 79-day hunger strike and an amazing blockade of a remote mountain logging road. This inspiring documentary shows the power of direct action, determination and good leadership.

http://sarasota.indymedia.org/indymedia/09-25-2008-pickaxe-film-showing-special-guests-climate-justice-squad

Meet in front of Sudakoff at 6:30, the movie will be shown at Big E’s Coffee Shop @ 7

Friday

Food Not Bombs!!

Meet in Dort Lounge @ 3 to cook and the van will leave at 6 to serve food to homeless people downtown…this is a great way to start off the weekend!

If you can’t come to cook, you can still come to serve and you can even bring a (vegetarian) dish of your own to share!

Saturday

The Heart Walk

The American Heart Association is sponsoring a non-competitive 5K walk/ run to raise awareness and funds for research to fight heart disease. Join the New College team of walkers and get a free T-shirt! Subway will be catering the event too! This is a great activity to do with your families this weekend….for more information email bbowen@ncf.edu or mbrezin@ncf.edu
 

Meet in front of Sudakoff at 7:30 am to drive to Payne Park…or just be at the park by 8am!

UPCOMING EVENTS!!

Fall Break Trip to New Orleans October 11-17 (approximate dates)

Weekend Trip to Immokalee and possibly Miami November 7-9

Habitat for Humanity, Food not Bombs, Boys and Girls Club, Newtown Community Center (next week), IndyMedia documentary every Wednesday…
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Transportation provided for all the events! (Please RSVP if you want to go in the van! Please!)

Monday:

Boys and Girls Club
3:30 @ Sudakoff

Mentor, tutor, and make art with adorable elementary and middle school aged children. This is a really fun and rewarding experience, so you should come out and try it for a few hours…the kids are so cute!

More info: http://www.boysandgirlsclubs.com/index.php

Wednesday:

Children First
2 @ Sudakoff

Play with preschool aged kids who come from low-income backgrounds. Children First has been designated a “Program of Excellence” and provide nutritional, educational, medical, emotional and developmental support for families and children. Again, super cute kids, this time even younger!

More info: http://www.childrenfirst.net/index.cfm

IndyMedia presents “The Agronomist”
6:30 @ Sudakoff

http://sarasota.indymedia.org/local/09-04-2008-agronomist-film-showing-community-discussion

Jean Dominique, the Haitian radio personality, investigative journalist, and political activist who was assassinated in April 2000, is the subject of Jonathan Demme's informative documentary. Demme, who has directed other documentaries about charismatic figures such as Spalding Gray (SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA), asked Dominique to participate in this film in 1991. At that time, Dominique was exiled from Haiti and living in New York City, where he remained dedicated to combatting the oppressive Haitian government. Interviews with Dominique and his wife Michele Montas shed light on the strong personalities and utter conviction of these two charming renegades, while Demme interweaves footage that puts their lives in context. Shots of their independent radio station, Radio Haiti, show the husband-wife team broadcasting inside the station, as well as the building's bullet-riddled exterior. A tour of Dominique's childhood home, where his mother shares her reflections, instantly communicate his deep attachment to Haiti. Meanwhile, harder pictures of riots and violence show the country's deep-seated poverty, injustice, and political unrest. All of this culminates in a simple explanation of why Dominique was so dedicated to trying to make a change. With a nice balance of character development--highlighting Dominique's remarkable spirit--and political background about Haiti and Dominique's impact on its people, THE AGRONOMIST is a superb film. The excellent, dub-heavy soundtrack by Wyclef Jean brings a contemporary edge to the film's events.
 

Friday:

Newtown Community Center
12:45 @ Sudakoff

Tutoring, playing sports and games with kids in the Newtown Community…fun fun fun!

More info: http://www.scgov.net/
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