For more than 30 years, Sarah and her daugher Annette Rigaud owned one of the most popular eateries on Grand Isle, LA. Sarah’s Restaurant is a cozy place filled with mementoes of sun-splashed beach vacations and fishing trips. It was a prosperous business, part of a proud family lineage that dates back to the colonial days of the 1700s here. The Rigauds have endured hurricanes, droughts, disease outbreaks and pirates that once roamed these marsh-filled ocean bayous.
Then the BP oil disaster washed ashore last summer. [...Read more]
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities across the Gulf Coast began to meet, share experiences, and work together across previous geographic and racial divides. Now facing new and ongoing challenges like the BP oil disaster, hurricane "recovery" efforts, and coastal land loss, these communities continue to rely on and strengthen these relationships. 
“My name is Sharon Hanshaw… I’m a native of Biloxi, Mississippi. I was a cosmetologist for twenty-one years… and Hurricane Katrina hit. Hurricane Katrina just sped my life into this whirlwind of activism. I had no choice but to step up, and try to make sure that our voices were heard in the recovery process, now and in the future.” 
Although, Gulf Coast Claims Facility administrator Kenneth Feinberg had agreed to meet with a coalition of local citizens on two occasions during meetings held by the facility in South Louisiana, the presidential appointee has not responded to repeated attempts to facilitate the gathering.
By Matt Davis, crossposted from 
Crossposted from 
By 
By Kindra Arnesen. I want to tell you about the Gulf Claim 20 Billion $$$$$ BP paid fund. Now I am no writer so please forgive the incorrect spelling & or improper use of english Thank You. Ok, so 20 billion. I am going to address the fishries & a few other things keeping it as simple as possible. 
By Dahr Jamail and Erika Blumenfeld. 
On Monday, February 14th, the 
By P Anne Battiste, crossposted from 
This week the local organization 
By Pam Brundige Batson - As all of you know, I've been distressed about the 
