The Council has developed a new program and committee (Katrina Committee) for the 2005-2006 bar year that will affect thousands of Katrina victims and hundreds of lawyers. The program is titled "Racial & Ethnic Equity for Victims of Katrina." The goal of the program is to educate, outreach and coordinate resources and services across the country to assist those victims of color that have received disparate treatment in the midst and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The program will focus on assisting, educating and coordinating services and resources with bar associations, interested entities and lawyers that provide or will provide legal assistance to Katrina victims of color. The program seeks primarily to focus on those victims that have been doubly impacted by the systems and the hurricane. It is a vitally important program that will re-build lives, restore justice and provide equity and respect to those victims that have been treated unjustly.
The program will consist of three components:
- Educational Programs - The Council in conjunction with other ABA entities (ABA/YLD, President's Katrina Task Force, IR&R, Judicial Division, Diversity Center and other interested entities) will implement educational/CLE type programs. The first educational program will be a prototype for future programs that will be held throughout the bar year. It will be held during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Chicago, February 10, 2006. This program will feature a dynamic panel of experts, (including Katrina victims) who will strategize, analyze, and demonstrate how bar associations, interested entities and individual lawyers can help resolve the crucial problems confronting the victims of color with issues that are racially based i.e. discrimination in housing, employment, insurance, education, health benefits, bankruptcies and other vital services and needed resources.
Additional educational/CLE programs will be jointly sponsored with ABA entities, state and local bar associations and bar associations of color. The culminating program will be held during the Association's Annual Meeting in Hawaii and it will bring together representatives from similar programs and projects throughout the country.
- Resolution to the ABA House of Delegates - The Council's Katrina Committee will draft a resolution urging the ABA President's Katrina Task Force to assure that people of color are at the table as the rebuilding initiatives take place. The resolution will address issues of affordable housing, jobs and other rebuilding issues confronting those people of color who were ignored. Plans are underway to present the resolution at either the ABA's Midyear or Annual Meeting in 2006. In addition to the entities listed above, the Council will seek input and sponsorship of other interested ABA entities and bar association.
- Resource Guide - The Council in conjunction with other ABA entities (ABA/YLD, President's Katrina Task Force, IR&R, Judicial Division, Diversity Center and other interested entities) will publish a resource guide that will contain the names and contact information of all organizations, corporations, foundations and entities that are striving to combat racial and ethnic bias that affects the Katrina victims of color. The resource guide initially will be distributed at the Annual Meeting Program. Approximately 1,000 copies will be printed and it will be a life-saver for lawyers and organizations interested in assisting the Katrina victims.
|
