Malik Rahim
Encyclopedia
Malik Rahim is a former Black Panther
, and a long-time housing
and prison
activist in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. He gained publicity as a community organizer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
.
In 2008, Rahim ran for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
seat of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Green Party
candidate, but lost to Republican
candidate Joseph Cao
.
. He attended Landry High School, but left prior to graduation to join the Navy
and serve in the Vietnam War
.
In May 1970, after leaving the service, Rahim joined in attempting to organize a chapter of the Black Panther Party for Louisiana. Their first step was the creation of the "National Committee to Combat Fascism," an organization which became the Black Panther Louisiana chapter. The group set up in a house on Saint Thomas Street, from which it administered its political activities and breakfast, tutoring, and anti-crime programs, but was soon evicted
by the owner. The future Panthers moved in to a house on Piety Street, near the Desire housing project. They were again served with an eviction notice, but now refused to move out. The house was raided by police on September 14, leading to a shootout and the arrest of several Panthers. The Panthers moved into a house in the Desire project. Police attempted a raid on November 19, but after a shootout and brief standoff, thousands of residents of the project prevented the police from entering. On November 26, police succeeded in raiding the house and arresting the Panthers present by disguising some officers as priests who participated in the breakfast program. Rahim, by now the chapter's defense minister, was one of several Panthers charged with attempted murder for two shootouts, but the charges were dismissed.
. However, he became involved in crime, and served a five year prison sentence for an armed robbery in Los Angeles
, ending in the early 1980s. By his account, this led to his return to political activism, focusing initially on rights for prisoners and programs to assist and house them on their release, and eventually on more general housing issues.
In the next two decades, he helped to found and operate a number of political and advocacy organizations. In San Francisco, he led the Bernal Dwellings Tenants' Association from 1995-7, unsuccessfully opposing the demolition of the structure as part of the HOPE VI plan, and was a founding member of "Housing is a Human Right," a citywide non-profit affordable housing
advocacy organization, in 1996. On returning to Louisiana, Rahim helped found and run the "Algiers Development Center and Invest Transitional Housing," a program for ex-offenders which has housed more than one thousand former inmates. He was a founding member of the Louisiana anti-death penalty group "Pilgrimage for Life," with Sister Helen Prejean
, and in 1998 of the "National Coalition to Free the Angola 3
," an organization working for the release of three Black Panthers convicted of murdering a prison guard - the three maintain that they are innocent and that the charges were politically motivated.
on the Green Party ticket, receiving 3,654 votes (2%). Rahim ran on a platform of a "living wage
," improved conditions at public housing
, and reform of youth programs and the juvenile justice system.
Ignoring evacuation orders, Rahim remained in the city of New Orleans through Hurricane Katrina
in 2005. In the chaotic days after the hurricane, he wrote an article about conditions in the city, titled "This is criminal." Out of the ad hoc relief distribution center set up at his late mother's house in this period, he co-founded the Common Ground Collective
with two organizers from Texas (Scott Crow
and Brandon Darby
), which distributed aid and ran a community health clinic with the help of volunteers from across the United States. In the next few months, he traveled across the country speaking about his observations and encouraging volunteers to travel to New Orleans to work on the group's behalf. Immediately after Katrina, he was featured in the documentary "Welcome to New Orleans."
In 2006, Rahim announced plans to run for mayor of New Orleans, but did not appear on the ballot.
In July 2008, Rahim filed to run for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
seat of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Green Party
candidate. He ran against Democratic incumbent William J. Jefferson
, Republican candidate Joseph Cao
, and Libertarian Party
candidate Gregory Kahn. Cao won; Rahim finished third in the four candidate field receiving 2.8% of the vote.
In 2008, Rahim was honored for his commitment to humanity by being selected as the recipient of Thomas Merton Award
.
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
, and a long-time housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
activist in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. He gained publicity as a community organizer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
In 2008, Rahim ran for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district contains nearly all of the city of New Orleans , and some of its suburbs, including the West Bank portion of Jefferson Parish and South South Kenner.The district is currently represented...
seat of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
candidate, but lost to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Joseph Cao
Joseph Cao
Anh "Joseph" Quang Cao is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. In April 2011, he announced he will be a candidate for Attorney General of Louisiana in 2011, however in September 2011 he pulled out of the race.He was the first...
.
Early life and Black Panther involvement (1948-1970)
Rahim was born and raised in Algiers, LouisianaAlgiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
. He attended Landry High School, but left prior to graduation to join the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and serve in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
In May 1970, after leaving the service, Rahim joined in attempting to organize a chapter of the Black Panther Party for Louisiana. Their first step was the creation of the "National Committee to Combat Fascism," an organization which became the Black Panther Louisiana chapter. The group set up in a house on Saint Thomas Street, from which it administered its political activities and breakfast, tutoring, and anti-crime programs, but was soon evicted
Eviction
How you doing???? Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, eviction may also be known as unlawful detainer, summary possession, summary dispossess, forcible detainer, ejectment, and repossession, among other terms...
by the owner. The future Panthers moved in to a house on Piety Street, near the Desire housing project. They were again served with an eviction notice, but now refused to move out. The house was raided by police on September 14, leading to a shootout and the arrest of several Panthers. The Panthers moved into a house in the Desire project. Police attempted a raid on November 19, but after a shootout and brief standoff, thousands of residents of the project prevented the police from entering. On November 26, police succeeded in raiding the house and arresting the Panthers present by disguising some officers as priests who participated in the breakfast program. Rahim, by now the chapter's defense minister, was one of several Panthers charged with attempted murder for two shootouts, but the charges were dismissed.
Education, prison sentence and activism (1970-2002)
Rahim earned a G.E.D. and attended one semester of college in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. However, he became involved in crime, and served a five year prison sentence for an armed robbery in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, ending in the early 1980s. By his account, this led to his return to political activism, focusing initially on rights for prisoners and programs to assist and house them on their release, and eventually on more general housing issues.
In the next two decades, he helped to found and operate a number of political and advocacy organizations. In San Francisco, he led the Bernal Dwellings Tenants' Association from 1995-7, unsuccessfully opposing the demolition of the structure as part of the HOPE VI plan, and was a founding member of "Housing is a Human Right," a citywide non-profit affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
advocacy organization, in 1996. On returning to Louisiana, Rahim helped found and run the "Algiers Development Center and Invest Transitional Housing," a program for ex-offenders which has housed more than one thousand former inmates. He was a founding member of the Louisiana anti-death penalty group "Pilgrimage for Life," with Sister Helen Prejean
Helen Prejean
Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., is a Roman Catholic religious sister, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.-Death row ministry:...
, and in 1998 of the "National Coalition to Free the Angola 3
Angola 3
The Angola 3 are three men, Robert Hillary King , Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, who were put in solitary confinement for decades in Angola Prison, Louisiana after the death of a prison guard....
," an organization working for the release of three Black Panthers convicted of murdering a prison guard - the three maintain that they are innocent and that the charges were politically motivated.
Green Party, Hurricane Katrina, and Common Ground (2002-Present )
In 2002, Rahim became involved in electoral politics for the first time, running for the New Orleans City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
on the Green Party ticket, receiving 3,654 votes (2%). Rahim ran on a platform of a "living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
," improved conditions at public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, and reform of youth programs and the juvenile justice system.
Ignoring evacuation orders, Rahim remained in the city of New Orleans through Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005. In the chaotic days after the hurricane, he wrote an article about conditions in the city, titled "This is criminal." Out of the ad hoc relief distribution center set up at his late mother's house in this period, he co-founded the Common Ground Collective
Common Ground Collective
The Common Ground Collective is a decentralized network of non-profit organizations offering support to the residents of New Orleans. It was formed in the Algiers neighborhood of the city in the days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.-History:...
with two organizers from Texas (Scott Crow
Scott Crow
Scott Crow is an anarchist community organizer and writer based in Austin, Texas. He is one of the founders of Common Ground Collective or Common Ground Relief with Malik Rahim, Sharon Johnson, Lisa Fithian, Kerul Dyer, Suncere Shakur, and Emily Posner, an organization formed in the aftermath of...
and Brandon Darby
Brandon Darby
Brandon Darby was an informant for the FBI and previously a co-founder of Common Ground Relief, a non-profit relief organization that provided supplies and assistance to New Orleanians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina...
), which distributed aid and ran a community health clinic with the help of volunteers from across the United States. In the next few months, he traveled across the country speaking about his observations and encouraging volunteers to travel to New Orleans to work on the group's behalf. Immediately after Katrina, he was featured in the documentary "Welcome to New Orleans."
In 2006, Rahim announced plans to run for mayor of New Orleans, but did not appear on the ballot.
In July 2008, Rahim filed to run for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district
Louisiana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district contains nearly all of the city of New Orleans , and some of its suburbs, including the West Bank portion of Jefferson Parish and South South Kenner.The district is currently represented...
seat of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
candidate. He ran against Democratic incumbent William J. Jefferson
William J. Jefferson
William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...
, Republican candidate Joseph Cao
Joseph Cao
Anh "Joseph" Quang Cao is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. In April 2011, he announced he will be a candidate for Attorney General of Louisiana in 2011, however in September 2011 he pulled out of the race.He was the first...
, and Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate Gregory Kahn. Cao won; Rahim finished third in the four candidate field receiving 2.8% of the vote.
In 2008, Rahim was honored for his commitment to humanity by being selected as the recipient of Thomas Merton Award
Thomas Merton Award
The Thomas Merton Award has been awarded since 1972 by the Thomas Merton Center for Peace and Social Justice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is named after Thomas Merton and is given annually to "national and international individuals struggling for justice."-Award recipients:The Thomas Merton...
.
External links
- Malik Rahim for Congress official web page
- Finding Common Ground in New Orleans: An Interview with Malik Rahim
- Malik Rahim On Black Panthers And Black Resistance In NOLA
- Black Agenda Report Editorial: Community Organizer VS Corrupt Politician: The December 6 New Orleans Congressional Election
- "2 Candidates Offer Alternative Views" (2008 December 2 article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune)
- Oral History Interview with Malik Rahim from Oral Histories of the American South