STAND with Dignity
To Define, Create, and Speak for Ourselves
STAND was created after Katrina by a group of survivors, elders, fathers, skilled workers, and cultural artists who believe unity and self-determination are the most viable solutions for devastated low-income communities of New Orleans; especially at a time when government leaders have abandoned the needs of the people.
In the winter of 2007, over 1400 people transformed Duncan Plaza and “The Bridge” into temporary shelters. As the homeless population doubled to 12,000, the need for a comprehensive housing plan and right to return became apparent. Local New Orleans elected officials offered temporary solutions with shelter beds and hotel vouchers, which delayed the crisis but worsened the impact. New Orleans was recycling homeless people. During the crack-down on Duncan Plaza
seven men gathered and realized their common struggle was a permanent solution for both the housing and unemployment crisis. The partnership between displaced residents and community leaders struggling to rebuild their communities is where STAND’s struggle begins.
STAND with Dignity has been at the forefront of the struggle to have a dignified evacuation for Louisiana’s poorest residents. Directly during the evacuation of Hurricane Gustav STAND was in the shelters helping evacuees organize for basic rights. STAND released a damning report directly after Hurricane Gustav detailing the shelter conditions. After a year of constant pressure on the state and local government STAND won most of the demands and went on a walk through of several shelters which have seen marked improvements. Through My Eyes: Louisiana’s First Independent Evacuation Shelter Monitoring Report about current evacuation shelter conditions was released in August, 2009.
For news articles written about STAND, click here.
