In this harrowing and deeply important testimony, Malik Rahim, a veteran Black Panther, community organizer, and co-founder of Common Ground Relief, sheds light on one of the most disturbing yet largely unspoken aspects of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—the violent actions of white vigilantes in New Orleans. Speaking before the Katrina Tribunal, Rahim exposes the unchecked racial violence that unfolded in the wake of the disaster, where armed white residents in Algiers Point and other areas took it upon themselves to “defend” their neighborhoods, indiscriminately targeting and killing Black survivors under the guise of preventing looting and chaos.
As a longtime activist and native of New Orleans, Rahim witnessed firsthand how systemic racism shaped the response to the hurricane, not only in the government’s neglect of Black communities but also in the impunity granted to those who terrorized and murdered Black evacuees. He details how law enforcement, instead of intervening or holding these vigilantes accountable, often turned a blind eye—or worse, enabled their actions.
Rahim’s testimony provides a critical counter-narrative to the mainstream portrayal of post-Katrina New Orleans, which largely focused on “looting” and so-called urban lawlessness while ignoring the organized, racialized violence that cost many Black lives. His words challenge the nation to confront the realities of systemic neglect, white supremacy, and the criminalization of Black survival.
This testimony is not just a historical account—it is an urgent call for justice, accountability, and an honest reckoning with the ways in which disasters disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Malik Rahim’s courage in exposing these truths reminds us that Katrina was not just a natural disaster; it was a man-made catastrophe fueled by racial and economic injustice.
Malik Raheim Katrina Tribunal Testamony White Vigilantes pt2
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