Almost 13 years ago, days after Hurricane Katrina, Mary Ratcliff of the Bay View News Paper called me for an interview which later was entitled "This is Criminal." First, this article exposed the fact that over 150,000 people (the vast majority being Black) in the City of New Orleans were abandoned and offered no relief. Second, it launched the founding of one of this nation's greatest relief efforts, the Common Ground Collective. Through this collective, Common Ground Relief and Common Ground Health Clinic were organized. Together, we served over a 1/2 Million people in 19 affected parishes in Louisiana as well as counties in both Mississippi and Alabama. We provided outreach assistance to displaced residents in over 20 states.

All three organizations were founded at the home of my late Mother (Lubertha and step Father Irwin Johnson). I also housed over 200 of the early volunteers while serving as their first distribution center. Over 4,000 people received aid at my late mother's home. And it was from that home on Atlantic Ave, just weeks after Hurricane Katrina when we were hit by another hurricane, Rita. These early volunteers, working from my family home, cleaned hundreds of storm drains, preventing Algiers (which later became the community that the City of New Orleans was able to use to begin it's recovery efforts) from flooding. Never has the City of New Orleans, State of Louisiana nor this nation acknowledged the role and sacrifice those who volunteered with these organizations played in the aftermath of both hurricanes.

Now, in this New Orleans' 300th year anniversary, the city is attempting to sell my family home for back taxes. Taxes I will pay, for I truly believe there are enough grateful people in New Orleans to help me raise $ 31,000, to save a home if renovated would be valued over $200,000. But as these taxes are paid, I will be filing a civil right's law suit against the City of New Orleans, State of Louisiana and U.S. Federal Government, declaring our civil rights were violated, that I was targeted for being a member of the Black Panther Party and for the work I did to free the Angola 3 (three men who spent a combine total of 114 years in solitary confinement). But most of all, for exposing the injustice infected in my community in the aftermath of these hurricanes.

Please support my effort by not only making a contribution to save my home but calling for city, state, and congressional hearing on this civil action. Remember this can happen again if we fail to act.





Thanking you in advance for your support.

In the struggle for environmental peace & justice.

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