Power Shift 2023 Actions happening Friday, April 7th:
Art Action: Bvlbancha Visual Land Acknowledgement
Led by 3 Sisters Collective and Solitary Gardens, this art action will center Indigenous peoples and pay homage to the ancestral territory known as Blvbancha, encompassing the territories of the Chahta Yakni (Choctaw), Chitimacha and Houma Nations.
TIME: 2:30 - 4:30PM
LOCATION: John Thompson Legacy Center, 1212 St Bernard Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
INSTRUCTIONS: We will be meeting at the front of the convention center on Julia Street and we will walk to the busses as a collective starting at 2:10pm. Due to unpredictable city bus capacities the walking group will not exceed 20 individuals. If you can't make it here in time to be one of the 20 individuals taking the bus collectively, you are welcome to self organize and carpool, use rideshare apps, find a different bus route, or walk.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Plan ahead! Riding the bus or streetcar? Download this app to purchase public transit passes ahead of time or bring exact cash. Please wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on and bring a water bottle or other items you need to feel comfortable and supported. Be prepared for weather! We will be outside.
ACCESS: The walk to the bus will be just short of one mile or 17 minutes of walking, followed by 10 minutes on the 91 bus. We will exit the bus and walk 4 minutes to the Art Mural location. You are welcome to carpool with others or take rideshare services if you feel this supports your needs better. More info about transit accessibility is here.
Free Store/Mutual Aid
Led by GNO Caring Collective, a Mutual Aid Organization in Bvlbancha that operates a free store and clothing boutique. They've just moved their community center from Uptown to the Lower 9th Ward, an area historically impacted by Hurricane Katrina and now a food desert. PS23 attendees are invited to come visit the center and help them be of service to their neighbors! Efforts will mainly consist of attending the free store as community members self-select goods that match their needs, sorting donations, stocking shelves, and learning more about the dynamics of mutual aid.
LOCATION: 5523 St. Claude. About a 10-15 minute drive from the convention center!
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 20
Louisiana Just Recovery
LJR was born out of mutual aid response to Hurricane Ida in Southeast LA. They were a large group of people supporting Environmental Justice leaders in Cancer Alley, 10 of whom were displaced. In addition to tarping and gutting, they also supported their own mutual aid efforts, by raising funds, doing supply runs, and supporting distributions. They see their community building before the storm as essential to their ability to care for one another after the storm. Their mutual aid efforts were directly tied into and supportive of their community organizing efforts. Members of LJR (who are multi-racial, diverse gender identities, and primarily from Cancer Alley), will provide hands on demonstration in the following areas:
How a roof is put together
Traditional tarp jobs after a storm
Low-waste, no-nail tarp alternatives
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 15