NEW ORLEANS, LA (August 19, 2025) – The Katrina Commemoration, Inc. and Hip Hop Caucus today announced a month of events commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, culminating in a press conference on August 25 at 10:00 a.m. CT calling for a statewide Katrina remembrance holiday, and a national 60-second moment of silence at 11:20 a.m. CT on August 29, followed by the city’s annual Second Line Rally and March.

This year’s commemoration honors the lives lost, the survivors, and the ongoing struggle for environmental and economic justice in New Orleans and the greater Gulf South region. The months-long program builds on years of advocacy and cultural preservation, ensuring the legacy of Katrina continues to honor the ancestors, and remains a call to action for a just and equitable future.

Key Anniversary Highlights:

• August 25 – Press Conference: Community leaders and partners will gather to demand a statewide Katrina remembrance holiday and highlight urgent calls for action on environmental and economic justice.

 

• August 29 – 20th Anniversary Second Line Rally and March, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. CT: A powerful day of remembrance, art, and organizing in New Orleans, uniting survivors, activists, artists, and allies in the streets.

 

• August 29 – National Moment of Silence: At 11:20 a.m. CT, people across the nation will pause for 60 seconds to honor those lost and forever changed by Katrina. 

Lead-Up Events to the Anniversary:

• July 19 – Youth Climate Comedy Workshop: Young voices using humor to speak truth on climate and culture. 
• July 26 – 1st Annual Katrina Commemoration Gala: Celebrating leadership, resilience, and community legacy. 
• August 9 – 20 Years Post Katrina: Mental Health and Healing Summit: Addressing trauma and centering wellness. 
• August 10 – Youth Mural Unveiling: A 450-foot public art installation by local high school students in the Lower Ninth Ward. 
• August 27 – Cancer Alley United: Bringing together frontline leaders to demand environmental justice and corporate accountability in Louisiana’s most polluted corridor. 

As part of this year’s commemoration, the Weathering the Storm video series continues to trace the legacy of Katrina through survivor stories, frontline voices, and cultural memory. The six-part series includes:

• Chapter 1: A Returning Citizen’s Lens – Everest Robinson’s story, cold open with Emmitt Charles’s poem, and reflections from Rev. Yearwood. 
• Chapter 2: Climate Rules Everything Around Me – Anna Nguyen, Megan Braden-Perry, Fairetha Warren, and Rev. Yearwood. 
• Chapter 3: Endya’s Story – Endya Carter. 
• Chapter 4: Terri’s Story – Terri Coleman. 
• Chapter 5: The Heart and History of New Orleans and Severe Weather – Fairetha Warren, Tyesha Harris, Michael Bruce, and Robert Green, Sr. 
• Chapter 6: Radically Hopeful: Turning Trial to Testimony – Rev. Yearwood, Everest Robinson, Fairetha Warren, Tyesha Harris, and Anna Nguyen. 

The final chapter will be released this week, closing the series with a message of remembrance, resilience, and hope for the future.

A full lineup of performing artists and speakers for the anniversary events will be announced soon. Confirmed participants include:

• Sess 4-5
• Apostle Troy Lawrence 
• Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.
• Dawn RIchard
• Mia X
• Robert Greene
• Pastor Fred Luter Jr. 
• Councilman Oliver Thomas 
• Congressman Troy Carter
• Geneva Seals
• Antonique Smith
• Young Sino
• Sunni Patterson 

For more information about the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina events, including how to participate in the National Moment of Silence, visit www.katrina20.com.

About Katrina Commemoration, Inc.
The Katrina Commemoration, Inc. was established to honor the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina and to advocate for policies that protect and uplift Gulf South communities. Through annual commemorations, educational programs, and community organizing, the foundation ensures that the lessons of Katrina are never forgotten.

About Hip Hop Caucus
Founded in 2004, Hip Hop Caucus is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. Hip Hop Caucus focuses on climate justice, economic justice, and civil rights, using cultural expression to drive systemic change.