Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday that the country cannot fail New Orleans
again and that as president, he would keep the city in mind every day.
"The words 'never again' cannot be another empty phrase," he said in front
of one of the few rebuilt houses he saw on a brief tour of the city's Gentilly
Woods section. "It cannot become another broken promise."
Obama is the first of several presidential candidates from both parties who
are set to visit New Orleans in connection with the second anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday. President Bush also is expected to mark the
occasion with a trip to the Gulf Coast.[See the Obama video at Chicago Tribune]
As many presidential candidates convene in the city today for a summit spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Landrieu, the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landing in New Orleans is providing an opportunity for people to try to gauge how the country's next leader will handle the fallout from disasters past and future.
Being the first on the ground gave the Senator an opportunity to discuss his plan for rebuilding, which included: Incentives such as loan forgiveness to attract students and needed professionals back to the region; national catastrophic insurance reserve; and funding for community policing operations, among others.
Followup report on event at NOLALive
ALSO
In THE BLACK COLLEGIAN / Black College Wire interview with Obama last year, the Senator had stressed the importance of students' volunteerism to help rebuild communities like New Orleans', and to address racial inequities and issues of poverty.
As part of on weeklong series of Katrina anniversary superevents in New Orleans, a coalition of organizations from around the nation have called for Tuesday AUGUST 28 to be a UNITY Day of Community Service, urging volunteers from across the country to assist in environmental cleaning up of damaged neighborhoods, schools and churches in New Orleans and we will visit the sick and elderly in the few nursing homes that have reopened including Guste Home Senior Citizens Highrise. "Volunteers will help to paint, pressure wash and repair play grounds in a local public school and remove contaminated top soil from communities. Our goal is to personally touch as many survivors as physically possible to let the people of the Gulf know that we will not let the country forget the devastation that still exists in the Gulf." Main local organizers include Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University, Mount Zion United Methodist Church, AALP, Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Rainbow PUSH New Orleans, Millions More Movement and LA Unity Coalition.
TO VOLUNTEER CONTACT: RosariaBeasley@bellsouth.net or call the Urban League of Greater New Orleans at 504-620-2332
