Katrina Resources The Opportunity Agenda



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Katrina Resources

The week of February 27 marked the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As media outlets, political commentators, and everyday Americans refocus briefly on the disaster, it’s important to reopen the discussion of unequal opportunity in America and to build support for real change.

Our communications during this period can make the connection between the people of the Gulf Coast, who were abandoned in the storm and continue to struggle to restore their lives, and the broader problems of vastly unequal opportunity, poverty, and disenfranchisement that continue to exist in so many parts of our country.

Below you will find a set of tools designed to highlight the vastly unequal opportunity revealed by Katrina and advance solutions that can expand opportunity in the Gulf Coast region and beyond.



	Fact Sheet: Opportunity and the Gulf Coast Our government’s flawed response to Hurricane Katrina reflected a profound abandonment of the American values of opportunity—equal treatment, economic security and mobility, a voice in decisions that affect us, shared responsibility for each other, and a chance to start over after misfortune or missteps. The recovery process has similarly failed to uphold those values, in ways that reflect larger problems of unequal opportunity in our country. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Talking Points: Promoting Opportunity for All on the Six-Month Anniversary of Katrina A set of messages that can help to promote opportunity values, concerns, and policies to a broad audience. Read More>>



	Letter to the Editor Template Urge your local papers to keep their coverage focused on the disparities revealed by Katrina. Write a Letter>>



	Letter to Elected Officials Template Encourage your elected officials to speak out on behalf of those displaced by Katrina and ensure that America lives up to its promise as a land of opportunity for all. Write a Letter>>



	Media Watchdog Tips An analysis by Think Progress determined that in the 7 days following Katrina, only 22 out of 1,300 stories on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN focused on race or class as the main topic of discussion. Don't let history repeat itself. Contact the cable networks and demand that their coverage of the six-month anniversary of Katrina encompass a wide range of stories - including racial and economic inequality - and encourage them to book a diverse guest list representative of all communities affected by the storm. Find out how>>



	Links To learn more about the devastation caused by Katrina, and how you can help expand opportunity for those affected by the hurricane, we recommend the following resources: Gulf Coast Technical Assistance Project - The Brennan Center for Justice and the Partnership for Working Families are providing technical assistance to grassroots groups, advocacy organizations and policymakers working to ensure that Katrina survivors stand front and center in rebuilding their communities. Katrina Information Network - An information and action clearinghouse. KIN shares expert viewpoints and action from the communities that have been devastated by Katrina with up-to-the-minute news and analysis. The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity - The Institute offers detailed maps of the affected areas in New Orleans based on a range of economic and environmental indicators. LinkedFate - The National Alliance to Restore Opportunity to the Gulf Coast and Displaced Persons: an alliance of faith-based, civil rights, and humanitarian organizations organizing a day of prayer and action weekend. The Ms. Foundation for Women Katrina Response Fund - The fund provides strategic support to meet the immediate needs of women of color and low-income women in the Gulf Coast. Policy Link - A ten-point plan for rebuilding in the Gulf Coast region. PBS NOW - Watch PBS's series reporting on the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina.