Sorry for the interruption
...i've been mentally exhuasted... more later

This just posted:
$2,000 debit cards for Katrina victims

Comments?

Program your TIVO!
BET will be airing "SOS (Saving Ourselves): The BET Relief Telethon on Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST/PST. The all star roster includes some of the biggest names in music such as Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Diddy, Alicia Keys, Common, Wynton Marsalis, Ciara, Ludacris and a lot more.

Someone Please Find Me...Respond to my Blog
Mood:  on fire
Topic: Mobilize
Right now, all I can do is to keep watching the broadcasts to keep me going...I have to eat, breathe, and sleep this situation to keep this flame alive and not allow myself 2 bcome complacent w/watching on t.v. and fall back into the "...there's nothing I can do..." mindset. or,
well, they have help now, it's pretty much over
I know that's not true. Those people can only stay in the astrodome temporarily (2 wks max). They will need someplace to live for a few months.

Bush is making people think that the recovery will be simple. He gave three solutions that prob sound logical to middle class folk

• 1. FEMA will provide temp. housing - well, how long does that last? Where? in the stadiums? Seriously, how feasible is that? Also, there is a 6pm curfew being imposed. If someone did find a job, would they be able to comply with the curfew hours? Who cares for the children while people find work? FEMA won't find you work. How can you move from temp housing?

(Please know that right now, that area is CASH-ONLY. If you didn't have $$ under your mattress, you are SHORT. Please note that this is the first of the month when most people get paid so, if you are getting social service benefits or live paycheck to paycheck on a 1st and 15th schedule--you are SHORT.)

• 2. Low interest loans for homes and small businesses will be available. HELLO?! The majority of the people left by the storm couldn't get no damn loans, pleeze Mr. Bush wake up. You have no idea what these people are like. How can you represent this country adequately w/o knowing its people?! God help us.


• 3. People will b able to fill out forms for gov't assistance.
  Now this is something we know about. The thing is, how long will that take? Also, more than likely, before people can apply, they need a LOT of documentation like birth certificates, soc.sec. cards, tax forms, i.d. w/pic, etc. etc. Noone mentioned this. These people left BARELY with the clothes on their backs. Then, if u already have that stuff, it takes months to get into the system?!

I'm telling u now, we need to take care of our own. Get them in safe places to apply to get their ID info back (did I mention that you really can't get a job w/o i.d., unless you're a day laborer?! And hate to say it but the illegal immigrants have that market sewn up so, brothers/sisters u might b short), relocate them, help build their self-esteem, build our own communities, or own culture that doesn't worship money but one another, care for our people...on our own.

I'm going to BLAST this url...I really hope someone finds me...

Iyanla Vanzant, I feel u right now...you told me to step into my greatness, we don't know what we're capable of doing until we do it, I'm pushing forward the best way I know how...

400 people coming from Louisiana to DC
Topic: my people in despair
I'm glad about this. The veterans arrived a couple of days ago.

I'd like to put my plan into affect when they arrive. (xpecially since the National Guard has already taken care of transportation--#3 in the Plan) Thing is, it seems that these people already have hosts. They will b military families and families of people living in the DC area.

I will be there to greet them just in case someone needs a place to stay. I have a 1360 sq. ft. 2 bdrm. apt. w/den that I share with my 9 year-old son. I plan to block off my family room and make it a private sleeping space for dislocated people.

I want to make welcome packages which will include incidentals listed in the Plan.

This gives me another thought, contact the group at NAACP that provided lunches/water at the anti-abortion rally, maybe they can help. I was so happy when the greeted us there...I've served on the Parent Council and been a member of NAACP, my father, stepmother, and grandfather all have been local chapter Presidents, I attend banquets every year but, that time that those women were handing out lunches (GOOD ONES TOO) and water, I couldn't have felt better about the NAACP. They were finally responding to important contemporary issues, women's issues.

Go Kanye
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Mobilize
The troops have now come in bringing supplies...

Go Kanye!!

Kanye West used live TV to his advantage when he went into a tirade against President Bush during NBC's Hurricane Katrina fundraiser...

Tirade?! I missed that part, all he said was "...Bush does not care about Black people..."
That's obvious. Xpecially in the past 5 days it's become apparent. Now what? Now they're saying that bcause of that statement, less people will donate.
What the f&*^?!

I say, let's try our best 2 do this on our own. We can do this together.
Kanye, I hope your cd sales skyrocket. Maybe through your lyrics, people will become more aware of what's going on in this country and do something about.

You could be the Pied Piper of our community to help us mobilize.

Too much pressure? Sorry bro, you're already on your way. I bought the cd the first day it released just to hear the messages.

Let's do this together.

Call to the Elders in the African American community
Topic: Mobilize
Please help us know what to do...we r so lost...

I get angry when I hear people my age saying, "Where are the Black leaders?"

We should be the leaders, we ought to have cared for them after they have struggled for us through one of the most significant movements in this country. We have dissapointed them I know, it's never too late . No time for that soapbox now...

This is a call to our ELDERS: (Please forgive me if I don't get the credentials right, you can contact me to correct. I know how important these things are in our community)
Dr. Dorothy Height
Rev. Al Sharpton
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
Julian Bond
Dr. Bill Cosby

Help US to mobilize...we will be the foot soldiers. Please give us another chance. We are vulnerable and many will be awakened...we can no longer fear our own strength and abilities. Our people need US. Show us the way...I can only speak for myself, right now I'm only one but, I'm hoping word will spread...this is how it starts right?

Who do you help first?
Topic: The Plan
I especially notice children who are being cared for by their grandparents when watching the media reports. Having been a teenage parent, my first inclination was to focus on the empowerment of the single mothers that have lost EVERYTHING and need to provide for their children alone. I want them to not feel alone, not just financially but, emotionally. I personally know they already felt unsupported but, I can't imagine after something like this?! A lot of these grandparents could be single parents too, or living like them on limited incomes. Then, I notice the men, BLACK men mainly being portrayed as outlaws--trying to make us think they are so weak and unable to care...that the white man is going to come in and save his families 'cause he's too busy shooting, fighting, and raping...RISE UP! Don't fall for this anymore, let's FOCUS--see those BLACK men carrying babies? supporting fainting BLACK women? covering the bodies out of respect for the dead and protection of their families?
PLEASE, DON'T EVEN TRY IT...
We're going to use this moment to RISE UP! Our culture teaches us to help one another. Historically, we haven't been motivated by money, that didn't come from our ancestors, we are motivated spiritually, by our hearts. Let's go there, to the place that we've been socialized not to go because it's "ugly", "inhumane" and now we're to afraid... Let's go to what we know, in our hearts and inner spirits, we will find unbelievable STRENGTH. We know this is so, deep down, we know this is so. We have history to prove it. Please, let's go there... I'm willing to but, I need help...

The Plan part 1
Mood:  bright
Topic: Mobilize

• 1) To get people to commit to hosting families in their homes


• 2) Ways to transport people to these homes


• 3) Supplies (food, clothing, hygiene items) to give the people when they arrive in our care


• 4) Grief counselors




Posted by riseupchildren at 12:02 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 2 September 2005 3:49 PM EDT
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Rise Up Children!
Topic: my people in despair
Go With It Baby, Don't Doubt Yourself...Step Into Your Greatness and Don't Back Down. Sometimes Me, Myself and I get in the way... The pain I'm feeling is overwhelming. To see MY PEOPLE suffering in front of my eyes. Moving bodies out of the way and covering them to protect them, hunger in their eyes, desparation wrinkles on their faces. Bodies already turning hollow from lack of... So close but, so far away... I'm here in the DC Metro area feeling helpless but, that's not so. And, I mustn't allow myself to think there is nothing I can do. My people need ME, not Bush, not the same ol' African American leaders, not organizations that will accept money and take hefty percentages off the top, they need ME. And they need YOU. Starting this blog is my way of stepping up. I have a plan, but need help. I'm just an "average" citizen (that's what I've put out into the universe but, I know that's not so)with a calling that I'm going to follow for once in my life. Let's see where it takes me... If it fails, that's fine. We need to not wait for the government, we as Black people need to help ourselves, now is the time. I don't need to get on my political soapbox, you should know the story by now. If you don't, I don't have the time to enlighten you in this forum. There is an urgent need that I must tend to...