In the latest episode of Cuss & Discuss, host Auburn Wideman speaks with former SONG Co-Directors Wendy Moore-O’Neil and Aesha Rasheed, reflecting on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. 

Wendy, a lifelong New Orleanian, contextualizes the conservative recovery efforts and the throughlines that connect to today’s political climate. Aesha, highlights the spiritual and historical significance of the storm and the ways that the organizing was able to blossom in spite of. Together, they honor the lives lost and discuss the profound changes in New Orleans, urging listeners to remember and learn from the past in their organizing efforts.

Join us for this powerful retrospective that honors the past and provides crucial lessons for community organizing and resilience in the face of adversity. Listen now to understand how New Orleans’ spirit remains unbroken, despite the challenges of the past two decades.

About SONG Power: 

SONG Power is the  power-building and advocacy arm of Southerners on New Ground (SONG). SONG is a 30 year old South organization rooted in multi-issue justice movements that unite across ability, age, class, immigration status, gender, race and sexuality. 

We conjure the beautiful alchemy of queer magic – traversing the South looking for those who are looking for us, for our beloved community who is yearning for a new south, for liberation in their lifetime and a life that allows them to live free from fear. 

This vision of a new south fuels us, entices us into movement, and inspires future visions of liberation, tearing down old monuments and erecting new ones that sing the praises of our ancestors and beacons us toward a new day. We organize not from a place of fear and despair but from a place of joy, love, and hope. 

Learn more about SONG Power at unleashpower.org