"While coverage of the climate-induced apocalypse in California often zeros in on the plight of the famous, who lose their multi-million-dollar homes in the likes of the Palisades and Malibu, the effect of the Eaton Fire in Altadena demonstrates a different truth.
"The fire has disproportionately impacted working and middle-class families, including many Black residents who have lived in Altadena for generations. Caught in the destruction are historically significant landmarks, small businesses and family homes that have been woven into the fabric of this community for decades."
Eaton Fire Devastates Historic Altadena, Displacing Black Families and Destroying Legacies | BET
https://www.bet.com/article/7a2tc6/eaton-fire-devastates-altadena-leaving-black-families-among-the-forgotten-victims
[#]EatonFire
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Fundraiser for the family of Bennie Maupin, legendary multi-reed player whose recordings with Bitches Brew era Miles Davis and Mwandishi/Headhunters era Herbie Hancock, among many others, are simply fundamental to modern music.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-maupin-family-recover-from-eaton-canyon-wild-fire
I learned about their loss via the small record label cow:Music, whose sales this weekend are also being forwarded toward the fundraiser. Listen & buy:
https://theofficialcowmusic.bandcamp.com/
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A big list of fundraisers for Black folks affected in the fires:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pK5omSsD4KGhjEHCVgcVw-rd4FZP9haoijEx1mSAm5c/htmlview
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Bobby Bradford, whose recordings with John Carter from the 1970s are some of the most brilliant, inspired music I have ever heard, has also lost his home and his instruments. Bradford is 90 years old and still performing.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bobby-bradford-rebuild-after-wildfire
[#]EatonFire
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'There is a precedent for this kind of financially-driven demographic shift following a natural disaster, often referred to as climate gentrification.
'One of the most stark examples... is what happened to low-income neighborhoods in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. About 100,000 Black residents were permanently displaced after their homes were destroyed and poor public policy and slow movement led to openings for development projects that favored the wealthy.
'“That’s why it’s important for our community and others to band together to build this back up. We deserve it. We deserve a safe place to thrive. We deserve a safe place for our kids to be.”'
[#]EatonFire #Altadena
Black residents hope to rebuild homes, legacy after Eaton Fire | AfroLA News
https://afrolanews.org/2025/01/black-residents-hope-to-rebuild-homes-legacy-after-eaton-fire/
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The precedent of Hurricane Katrina is important to keep in mind with regard to Altadena, as this historically Black community struggles to care for each other and looks at its prospects for survival.
I'm reminded of an essay by John Clark, looking at the ten year anniversary of Katrina, the narrative of resilience that has been forced onto New Orleans, the politics of that narrative and what it obscures. Get ready for next year's Rose Parade and especially the 2028 LA Olympics to heavily showcase the 'resilience' narrative, no matter how devastating the losses over next few years—no matter how complicit the politicians and corporate marauders pushing this narrative have been in those losses.
'The ideology of resilience ignores the extraordinary creative achievements and visionary aspirations of New Orleanians in the post-Katrina period, and celebrates survival, bare life. It focuses instead on the community’s continued existence as a site for imposition of corporate-state hierarchically-formulated development plans. All the complements to the people of New Orleans for being resilient are a bit condescending and demeaning. After all, it’s not the greatest tribute to people to complement them on their ability to survive. “Thank you for not just giving up and dying en masse. If you had done that would have been somewhat of an embarrassment to the greatest country in the world.”'
This essay appears in a few places online, but this one seems to be the most accessible (despite getting the title wrong). You can also find it in the Black Seed print anthology.
Against Resilence: The Katrina Disaster & The Politics of Disavowal, by John Clark
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/various-authors-black-seed-issue-5#toc36
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Where else do we hear about 'resilience' in the face of avoidable—and more importantly, rectifiable—human tragedy?
Live from the resilience capitol of the world, where hospitals spontaneously explode, and humans regrettably find themselves shot by disembodied bullets, enter the resilience industry:
'Resilience, it seems, is the buzzword of the day. It’s particularly popular in the field of international development, where it’s used to evoke a capacity to “bounce back”, survive, or more optimistically “thrive” in the face of extreme adversity. International organisations have turned their attention to promoting “resilience” both individually and at community level, to better equip people to cope and overcome adversity.'
Stop telling Palestinians to be ‘resilient’ – the rest of the world has failed them | The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/stop-telling-palestinians-to-be-resilient-the-rest-of-the-world-has-failed-them-96587
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'Looking at the state of Palestinian society and standards of living today, it’s abundantly clear that the international development sector has failed in its mission. And yet a “resilience industry” has taken hold in Palestine, and the discourse of resilience is everywhere...
'By promoting Palestinian resilience instead of holding Israel accountable for its multiple breaches of international law, and its involvement in the destruction of Palestinian society, the international community is masking its own failures – and shamefully abdicating its responsibility to the people it claims to be helping.'
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