John,
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Now is the time for action. Sixteen years to the date that Hurricane
Katrina first hit Louisiana, Category 4 Hurricane Ida has made landfall on
the Gulf Coast,^1 leaving residents stranded in their homes,^2 facing
upwards of 6 weeks with no power,^3 hospitals damaged or running on
back-up power,^4 and a wave of our family members, friends, and loved ones
displaced and seeking safety just days after a shameful end to the federal
moratorium on evictions. In the wake of the George Floyd protests, we saw
corporations of all kinds claiming publicly to care about Black lives. But
the fact is, it’s moments like these that let us know which corporations
are actually willing to put their money where their values are. That's why
we're calling on hotel chains to house hurricane survivors at no cost.
As people struggle to survive for the next month, or more, without
electricity, to make hard decisions about if, when, and how they can leave
the parts of the region hit hardest by the storm, and to make plans that
will minimize their exposure to COVID-19 in a region already experiencing
a surge in the deadly Delta variant, we need hotel chains and major online
lodging rental platforms to step up and provide housing for residents
along the Gulf Coast who have been displaced by Hurricane Ida.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Color Of Change’s founders realized
that no one—from politicians, to the media, to corporations—was afraid of
disappointing Black people. This time, we have the power to change that.
Join us in calling on hotel chains and major online lodging rental
platforms to house people displaced by Hurricane Ida at no cost so that we
can get our folks to safety now.
[ [link removed] ]SIGN THE PETITION to call for Hotels to House Hurricane IDA Survivors
Make no mistake, there is nothing “natural” about this disaster. From
Flint to New Orleans, predominantly Black cities have been experiencing
the results of intentional disinvestment in the infrastructure our
communities need to stop, slow, or respond to climate disaster for as long
as those cities have existed. And the politicians and corporations in
those cities have long restricted where Black people can live, placing us
firmly in the initial impact zone of climate danger.
The crisis unfolding in Louisiana is the result of decades of
mismanagement of federal funding, the systematic defunding of public
goods, and the government’s willingness to prioritize profit over Black
people’s lives. More than 2,000 miles of power transmission lines have
failed, leaving more than a million people without power. According to a
recent report, the areas hardest hit by the storm could take up to six
weeks to see power restored. In the meantime, hospitals that were already
strained are dealing with outages themselves, as well as a surge of
patients with storm-related injuries. With lingering dangers like down
power lines, unsafe roads and bridges, severely damaged homes across the
region, and the risk of COVID-19 spreading at community shelters, we need
decisive action from the corporations that claim to believe Black lives
matter. Let hotel chains and online lodging rental platforms know they
must come up with a plan to house those displaced by Hurricane Ida
immediately.
[ [link removed] ]SIGN THE PETITION to call for Hotels to House Hurricane IDA Survivors
Color Of Change was founded in response to the slow government response to
Hurricane Katrina and the systemic lack of protective infrastructure as a
result of environmental racism. We have demanded corporate and
governmental accountability for subjecting Black communities to climate
injustice ever since. We know the situation along the Gulf Coast is
serious. So many of us have loved ones who are navigating the storm and
whom we are worried about and trying to check in with as we speak. But we
also know that in times like these we have the power to act in ways that
will keep ourselves and our communities safe. Join us in calling on hotel
chains and online lodging rental companies to house those displaced by
Hurricane Ida at no cost, today.
[ [link removed] ]SIGN THE PETITION to call for Hotels to House Hurricane IDA Survivors
Until justice is real,
Jade Magnus Oguinnake & the Color Of Change team
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References:
1. "New Orleans slammed by Hurricane Ida on 16th anniversary of Katrina,"
Axios, August 30, 2021,
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2. "Ida carves path of destruction across Louisiana, leaves low-lying
towns stranded," Reuters, August 30, 2021,
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3. "It Will Take 6 Weeks To Return Power To Jefferson Parish After Ida
Hit, Official Says," NPR, August 30, 2021,
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4. "Ida slams Louisiana hospitals brimming with virus patients," ABC
News, August 29, 2021
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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please
help keep our movement strong.
[ [link removed] ]Make a Donation
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