Coastal Women for Change began in January 2006. This group began out of a concern that there were very few instances where the residents of Biloxi came together as a community to discuss and take part in the long range community planning and rebuilding. Knowing that in every community there are lots of concerned women who want a vibrant, healthy and safe community for their family to live in, and that there are a lot of threats to that, especially since Katrina, a group of women came together to talk about what was happening in the community, what issues and problems lay ahead, and how they could be addressed.
Right away, CWC members sought spots on the Mayor’s planning commission—and gained 5 seats on the subcommittees for finance, education, land use, and affordable housing. One of CWC’s first events was a Biloxi community forum to which they invited the mayor, city councilors, and members of the city planning department. Mediated by professional facilitators, the forum drew 200 participants with urgent questions about flood elevations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), housing, and schools. [1] In July 2006, the NAACP partnered with Coastal Women for Change on a Women of Color forum in Gulfport, “Assuming Leadership in the Aftermath of Katrina,” to identify issues for a legislative agenda. [2] Supporting the NAACP’s fair housing bill, Coastal Women for Change collected 951 signatures on a petition demanding that the Community Development Block Grant ensure distribution of money to low-income and uninsured homeowners and renters.
