Notes from Mississippi

by: Jeremy Burton

Wed Nov 17, 2010 at 11:32:22 AM EST

Last week we gave a lot of attention to New Orleans here.  That made sense since so many of us were there for the GA and, let's face it, it was easier to give folks site visits 10 minutes from the French Quarter rather than hours away.  But the story of the Gulf Coast recovery after Katrina, Rita, BP et al (they've really gotten shafted these past 5 years) is broader than NOLA, bigger than Lousiana, stretching across 5 states from Texas to Florida. 

So last wednesday, Mae & I set off for the Mississippi coast to visit with friends, connect with partners, and plan for this winter, when JFSJ will be taking several service learning groups to work in Gulfport & Biloxi, two adjacent coastal cities.This area was hit hard by Katrina, and hasn't always gotten the resources for some of it's poorer residents to recover.

1st stop, Gulfport, where we visited with Mrs. Dorothy McClendon of the Soria City Civic Association, and also a Gulf Coast Fellow.  She's working to preserve a historic black neighborhood in Gulfport, and particularly focusing on the lack of quality youth programs and educational services (we'll be helping with afterschool reading programs). I think Mae was a little horrified when - as we toured the community in our rental car with Mrs. Dorothy showing us where they hope to establish an after school center - a Gulfport police car pulled aside to inquire if we were lost, and then, having assured him that I knew where we were, he tagged along a block behind us for the duration, until we (literally) crossed over the railroad tracks into the more upscale beachfront area.

On down the beach to Biloxi.  Stopped briefly at Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home, where the Confederate flag still flies to honor their president, and where the state of MS is building a Presidential library (because it's good for tourism of course).  Mae is horrified again (check out the music on their site), I'm not since I've been there before (and have maybe spent a little more time in the deep south).

Finally, we're in East Biloxi. 1st we're visiting with Sharon Hanshaw at Coastal Women for Change, another of the awesome

organizations we'll be doing service with, at a community garden.

Both Soria City and CWC are part of a broad community coalition that emerged after Katrina, the Steps Coalition. Across coastal Mississippi, before Katrina various "different" communities were disconnected from each other: Blacks, Latinos, Vietnamese, environmental justice folks and anti-poverty folks, etc...  In the months and years after Katrina (and with the support of funders including JFSJ) they've come together to build power and speak with one voice and one vision of a people's voice for the MS Gulf Coast.  It's not insignificant that through the work of many within this coalition, real victories are starting to happen for the people of the region, like this week's announcment of more resources from HUD and the state for housing, though these wins haven't come easy. Reilly Morse @ Mississippi Center for Justice was one of the drivers behind creating the Steps Coalition and was a huge force behind this week's victory.

It's been a great and sometime challenging process to observe, so it was cool for me, after some time away from the region, to visit with these folks and with the still relatively new Steps ED, Roberta Avila.

That visit was a treat for us.  In addition to her being a fabulous organizer and a strong woman, turns out she's 1) a daughter of Mexican immigrants in Colorado (as regular readers know, a community I identify with), 2) committed to practicing transformative organizing (our Seasons Fund partnership supports Steps) &, here's the kicker, 3) she's an active member of coastal MS's Jewish community along with her husband, Milton Grisham, a local realtor and life long member of the Gulfport/Biloxi Jewish community.

The thing you gotta know about the Jewish community here is that there is but one (Conservative) synagogue for 3 counties along the coast.  When I spent a shabbat here as part of a service trip, families drove from well over an hour each way for friday night services, for some the only time of the week they get to see other Jews.  It's a strong community were people know each other and have to make do for themselves, leading tefillah, organizing programs (for all it's history, it can feel like an indy minyan). A student rabbi from JTS flies in once per month.  It's really special to be with such a community, and while we've often had service groups spend shabbat with them, I hadn't previously made the connection between them and Steps.

All that + the best bubble tea I've ever had (at least since the last time I've been here) at this charming shop in East Biloxi (lots of authentic Vietnamese food here ever since American allies and their families were lifted out and given fast track citizenship back in the 70's).

All that + several other stops, and, after a twilight visit to pay our respects at the Mississippi Katrina memorial (photo at top), we made our way back to New Orleans. I think our service groups are going to have a great time this winter doing meaningfull work, I'm thrilled we're continuing our committment to the recovery of this region, and I hope I get to come back soon.  Because there's still plenty of work to do here, where 40% of the homes haven't yet been rebuilt 5 years on and the injustices that were brought to light by the storm haven't all been addressed (+ more bubble tea!).