Building a People's
Movement Against War & Racism
October 29 Public Forum in LA a Step Forward
[ Back ] [ Next ]
New Orleans based hip-hop artist Creó
|
Keishia Brunston |
Derrick Williams, displaced from New Orleans by Katrina. |
 On Saturday, October 29, a multi-national crowd of more than 70
participated in public forum on the struggle against war and racism.
The forum was sponsored by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition and held at
the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research in
South Los Angeles. People from the
surrounding community attended, along with victims of police
brutality, progressive activists and others.
The overall theme of the afternoon forum was how to fight racism in
the United States. Speakers talked about the fight against police
brutality in Los Angeles, the necessity of defending immigrant
rights, racism in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and building a
movement to demand real relief for the people of New Orleans and the
Gulf region.
Muna Coobtee of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition kicked-off the
forum by linking the struggle against racism to the war and
occupation of Iraq and the U.S.-backed Israeli assault on the
Palestinian people. She stressed that the goal of the forum was to
provide a venue for the community to discuss racism and forge unity
in all of our struggles.
Keishia Brunston, aunt of Deandre Brunston who was brutally
murdered by Compton sheriffs in 2003, spoke about how
racist police violence has affected her family. She mentioned the
need to continue to raise the issue of police brutality as a main
demand in the struggle against racism. Brunston detailed how she has
helped raise awareness about police brutality by mobilizing the
community to protest the murders of Devin Brown and baby Suzie Marie
Peña.
 Carlos Alvarez, organizer with Youth and Student A.N.S.W.E.R.
Coalition talked about the need to defend immigrant rights. He
outlined how U.S. neo-liberal policies force people to come to the
U.S. looking for work. Alvarez noted that immigrants, especially
undocumented workers, are our natural allies in the struggle against
racism and for a better world.
Hurricane Katrina survivor Derrick Williams recounted his
families experience in New Orleans when Katrina hit. He spoke of the
lack of any help from local, state and federal authorities, and
blamed the Bush administration for criminally neglecting the African
American people of New Orleans. His brother, political
hip-hop artist Creó, performed his newly recorded song
"Hurricane Katrina," as the audience clapped and sang along.
A.N.S.W.E.R. leader from San Francisco and union president,
Gloria La Riva, then spoke about Katrina and screened her new
film "Heroes, Not Looters: Eyewitness New Orleans and Texas." La
Riva pointed out that the current system in the U.S. is racist to
its core. She discussed how A.N.S.W.E.R. is sending a delegation to
work in New Orleans with local organizers to help build a political
movement in the region against the racism and repression. She also
noted that, no matter how difficult the struggle seems, people
shouldn't lose hope. "We can organize ourselves and fight back
together. Only the people can force the changes we need," said La
Riva.
For the next 45 minutes, audience members asked questions and
discussed the topics raised at the forum. The speakers and audience
pledged to continue the struggle against racism and to bring more
people into the important discussions sparked by the forum.
|
New Orleans based hip-hop artist Creó
|
Derrick Williams, displaced from New Orleans by Katrina. |
Keishia Brunston |
|
|
