On August 29, 2005 — Katrina’s storm surge caused 53 different levee breaches in greater New Orleans, submerging 80% of the city. The storm surge also devastated the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, and displaced over one million people from the central Gulf coast, becoming the largest diaspora in the history of the United States. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina also raised up issues of racism and black poverty in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans in New Orleans were stranded for 5 days with no food, water, or supplies. The media’s coverage also showed a racial bias, labeling black people as “looters” and “thugs” when they were shown looking for food and supplies. Instead of being supported and having their communities be rebuilt, they were met with increased enforcement and displacement. Join Got Green for a free movie showing of “Trouble the Water” and discussion of lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and what we can do to ensure that racial justice and the communities hit first and worse by the impacts of climate change are at the center of the solutions.
#OurPowerSummer #JustTransition #ClimateJustice
Saturday, August 29th 6-9PM Hillman Collabratory (5623 Rainier AVE S, Seattle)
This event is sponsored by Communities of Color for Climate Justice and Seattle Public Utilities.
Watch the Trailer:
Film Description of “Trouble the Water” : As Hurricane Katrina raged around them, Scott and Kimberly Rivers Roberts took shelter with some neighbors in their attic in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. Kimberly, an aspiring rapper, brought her video camera and filmed herself, her husband and their friends before and during the devastating storm. This footage is at the heart of Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s documentary about the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, along with the filmmakers’ own footage of Kimberly and Scott rebuilding their lives afterwards.
Initial release: January 20, 2008 Directors: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal