Washington, DC - October 18, 2005 - Today Janet Murguia, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza (NCLR); Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League (NUL); Bruce Gordon, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Karen Narasaki, President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center (AAJC); and Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) released the following statement on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

As citizens and residents of this great nation, we share with our fellow Americans the hope and aspiration that New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region recover as quickly as possible from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As the heads of several key American institutions, we have collaborated and will continue to work together in any way we can on disaster relief. As civil rights leaders and advocates for our respective communities, we recognize that members of all communities were profoundly affected by this disaster.

It is also true that we share with many officials and organizations in the region and throughout the country a deep frustration with certain aspects of the recovery effort. However, we are united in the belief that legitimate concerns should not be the catalyst for pitting one group against another. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's unfortunate comment at a public forum on October 6, "How do I ensure that New Orleans is not overrun by Mexican workers?" is an example of remarks that can divide Americans at a time when we need to be united.

Let us be clear about what the real challenges are. We are deeply concerned that contractors who have already begun the rebuilding process are being encouraged to bypass laws designed to protect wages and working conditions of construction and other workers. This is a recipe for abuse. We must ensure that our nation's laws are respected and that workers are treated with dignity and fairness, and our communities will work together to ensure that justice and equality prevail in the Gulf Coast.

We will also hold government officials and contractors accountable as they spend the funds the nation has dedicated to this effort. We must not compound the damage already done in the Gulf Coast in the way we rebuild, and the only way to rebuild New Orleans and other devastated areas is to ensure that the people who call these areas home have a strong voice and presence in the rebuilding of their communities. We can and must go forward in a manner that embodies the values and ideals that our nation and our people hold dear.

# # #