MAKE IT RIGHT in the Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans
(NEW ORLEANS - December 4, 2008) - Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The slow reaction to the initial emergency and to the ongoing crisis exposed troubling realities about the response capabilities of the government when the citizens of our most culturally diverse city were in desperate need of help.
When Brad Pitt visited the Lower 9th Ward for the first time after the storm, he was shocked by what he saw: the remnants of people’s lives strewn across the streets and an entire neighborhood torn apart and turned upside down. Pitt was even more disturbed by the lack of a clear plan to address the situation. Many were quietly saying there was no chance the Lower 9th Ward would ever be re-built.
In a series of community meetings, residents of the Lower 9th Ward told Pitt about the challenges their community faced, both before and after the storm. The rising cost of energy placed a strain on the low-income households of the neighborhood and residents expressed concern about worsening environmental conditions. Their concerns have been validated by scientists, who have concluded that climate change is increasing the frequency and strength of hurricanes. In addition, wetlands and barrier islands that once protected the coast have eroded, leaving New Orleans more exposed to storm surge. The residents of the Lower 9th Ward told Pitt that while the terrible crisis had exposed their vulnerability, Katrina had also created an opportunity: to build something better than what had existed before.
Inspired by the courage and hope of the residents he met, Pitt resolved to do whatever he could to help them rebuild. Just as importantly, he wanted to help recreate and nurture the unique culture and spirit of the 9th Ward, which symbolized the soul of New Orleans. He understood instinctively that a New Orleans rebuilt without the 9th Ward would never be whole.
He began by working with Global Green to sponsor an architecture competition to generate ideas about how to rebuild sustainably. Pitt worked with local community leaders and experts from around the world to develop viable ideas for the Lower 9th Ward. That successful project inspired Pitt’s new focus: Make It Right.
The Mission of Make It Right is clear: to be a catalyst for redevelopment in the Lower Ninth Ward by building a neighborhood of safe, healthy homes, inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking and high quality design, that celebrates the spirit of the community.
The Make it Right core team assembled by Pitt includes experts such as:
• William McDonough + Partners, a world leader in environmental architecture
• Cherokee Gives Back Foundation, the non-profit arm of Cherokee Investment Partners, a firm that specializes in remediation and sustainable redevelopment of environmentally impaired properties
• Graft, an innovative architecture firm that Pitt has collaborated with on projects around the world
• John C. Williams Architects, a New Orleans architecture firm hired as the project’s executive architect
• Trevor Neilson and Nina Killeen, advisors to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation
To date, the Make It Right core team has been working to lay the groundwork for building a sustainable community of 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward. This core team is working in tandem with leaders of a neighborhood-led coalition of nonprofits, and has expanded to include 13 award-winning architecture firms: 3 local, 4 national and 5 international. They reflect Pitt’s dedication to giving this critical neighborhood access to the best expertise available.
Currently, The Make It Right Foundation is seeking seed capital to transition into an execution phase. Our initial goal is to build 150 Make It Right homes. For every $150,000 that we raise, we can build another house. We hope that you will help us meet our goal, perhaps by sponsoring one or more of our houses. Your donation will be used to help us “Make It Right.”
PO Box 58009 New Orleans, Louisiana 70158-8009 Toll free 888.MIR.NOLA (647.6652) 504.208.9265 www.makeitrightnola.org.
Read more from BMORENEWS.COM
TGR: Guest Editorial: Heroes Will Emerge! By Armstrong Williams:
The continuing embarrassing situation became a desperate matter for Ms. Gallo in the Rhode Island public school system. The shameless teachers and administrators boasted an average salary of $72,000 - $78,000 a year in a town where the average salary was only $22,000.Thankfully, Ms. Gallo became fed up and demanded that student results become a priority for these hypocritical and selfish teachers and demanded six changes that she knew would turn around the unaccountability of that school. These changes included: Being subjected to new standards of professional evaluations, adding 25 minutes to the work day, meeting with other professionals weekly for planning sessions, eating lunch with students one day a week, a two-week training session in the summer, and tutoring, occasionally: All of which I am shocked were not a priority and demanded from these teachers in the first place. Read in Full >>
CMS or what?:
Recently, I've had several conversations with clients on the benefits of moving their web sites to a web content management system or CMS. I currently use Wordpress for my web site, but I have also used Joomla, Drupal, Expression Engine, and Simple Updates. For a list and description of some popular CMS software go to CMS Critic, this by no means lists every system, but it does a good overview of many systems. I am a big fan of open-source CMS, but as long as you use one, it will be a good step in the right direction. Read in Full >>
BMORENEWS.com presents The Wayne Curry Soiree on Thurs., March 18th:
To speak, please call 202.756.4865. Read in Full >>
TGR: Walk to Cure Diabetes by Lakrisha White:
My son, Jay, has been living with type 1 diabetes for a little over a year now. He's managing his diabetes with an insulin pump. Last fall he met with Senator Mikulski as part of JDRF's Promise to Remember Me Campaign. The campaign consists of coordinated meetings where children and teen diabetics are able to share their personal stories face-to-face with members of Congress so lawmakers can hear first hand about living with type 1 diabetes. The meetings ensure that research funding continues to be expanded and the needs of those with diabetes are included in legislation. Read in Full >>
TGR: Will Leronia Josey Make County History?:
Baltimore County Councilman Ken Oliver could have his hands full this election season - that is, if Ms. Josey decides to put her bid in for his seat. While Oliver is the first black to serve on the County Council, a loss to Josey would make her the first black woman to serve on the Baltimore County Council - a crew that consists mostly of white males. Move over, guys!
A black president; a possible black governor; seems only logical to me.
Read in Full >>