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    <title>Hurricane Harvey Relief is Being Provided by DIY Activists, Too | Teen Vogue</title>
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      <meta name="description" content="Assata Dela Cruz and the Yellowhammer Alternative are providing relief to victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.">
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        "headline": "Women of Color are Leading MAJOR Hurricane Relief Efforts in Houston",
        "alternativeHeadline": "Meet Assata Dela Cruz and the Yellowhammer Alternative.",
        "url": "https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too",
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        "description": "Meet Assata Dela Cruz and the Yellowhammer Alternative.",
        "articleBody": "Just days after Hurricane Harvey passed through Houston, Texas, 28-year-old Assata Dela Cruz and her friends left their home state of Alabama, ready to deliver supplies and serve individually packed lunches to residents. Each bag contained a sandwich, chips, something sweet, and a bottle of water. On the side were salads and chopped-up produce. But within 15 minutes of opening her impromptu food kitchen, Assata ran out of food to serve. The demand for her lunches was overwhelming. \n\nAssata showed up in Houston as a member of a new organization lead by women of color called [The Yellowhammer Alternative](https://www.theyellowhammeralternative.com), which aims to “provide marginalized groups with a far-left alternative to the systemically oppressive far-right ideology and practices.” Before Hurricane Harvey touched down on August 25, Assata and her group were organizing People’s Assemblies, town hall–style meetings for anybody interested in radical social change. They also served free dinners in public places and held community-defense trainings in Mobile, Alabama. In the past few weeks, Yellowhammer has taken its infrastructure and connections to service those affected by hurricanes. \n\n“We live in the Gulf Coast, so pretty much every hurricane that has come through affected us. My partner and I both lost nearly everything to Katrina. We have never been able to help with relief work before; in the past, we were the ones begging people to come help us,” Assata tells *Teen Vogue*. \n\nWhen she heard reports that people in Houston had not been rescued, she turned to her boyfriend with a worried look. He replied, “When do you want to leave?\" The two arrived in Houston four days after the storm. While Assata spoke with *Teen Vogue*, her boyfriend stood nearby holding her bag while she fielded texts, entertained the children of fellow organizers, and conducted the interview. \n\n“I haven’t slept yet,” she laughs. \n\nHouston [was promised a swift recovery](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/economy/texas-hurricane-harvey-economic-impact.html) by city officials, legislators, and economic advisers, who even predicted that hurricane recovery would stimulate the economy. Based on those promises, Assata expected there wouldn’t be much to do. \n\n\"Our original intention was to come here in a truck filled with donations, serve food several times a day, at several different locations, and then head back home.” But when she arrived in Houston’s Fourth and Fifth wards, Assata saw little evidence of recovery efforts. Trash piles line the roads and local stores have yet to open. “In a lot of the areas we were going to, we were it. If we had not showed up to serve these people, they would not have gotten anything,” Assata says.\n\nThe areas Assata visited have some of the largest concentrations of black residents in Houston. The Fourth and Fifth wards [were developed during the Jim Crow era](https://www.blubrry.com/thedig/26906544/houston-a-segregated-disaster-in-a-segregated-city/), when racial segregation was the law of the land. African-Americans came to Houston to work in booming industries around the port, but many were forced to live in certain neighborhoods and were denied crucial infrastructure like drainage ditches, sidewalks, and sewer systems. [Challenges still exist in these areas](http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Why-Houston-remains-segregated-10935311.php), which meant that they were badly prepared when Hurricane Harvey hit. \n\nIn the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, numerous reports claimed that recent hurricanes were [“equal opportunity”](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-homes-flooded.html) storms. Yet these hurricanes, as well as the responses they generated, have exposed some of America’s most enduring inequalities. People in poorer neighborhoods were at times left behind by relief efforts. Now they face a bleak future, not only of mold and mourning, but also of job loss, eviction, and poverty. \n\nThe lack of food and supplies being delivered to the outer-lying, poorer districts surprised the Yellowhammer volunteers. But what was even more surprising was the situation in downtown Houston, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which should have been well taken care of, Assata says. Organizations like [the American Red Cross have also fallen short on some promised aid](https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/american-red-cross-fails-to-pay-funds-promised-to-many-harvey-victims-1050250307569), but said in a comment to *Teen Vogue* that \"the Red Cross has already approved $45 million in financial assistance to hundreds of thousands of qualified households who need immediate help, and are in the process of approving and distributing additional financial support now. We’re very proud of this program, as it puts the financial decision of what is needed most into the hands of those impacted.\" (__*Editor's note:*__ This paragraph has been updated to reflect additional comment from The Red Cross.)\n\n\"People were stepping out of the shelter and begging us for food, and asking if they can take some for later. We ran out of food within the first 15 minutes and had to keep sending organizers back to cook more throughout the night,” she says. \n\nHouston [is a city built for cars](https://apnews.com/f7168a8059cb48ac99c494131f708022). Most people [have to drive](http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey) to work. But the receding floodwaters left behind [nearly a million wrecked automobiles](http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey). People can no longer get to work. Meanwhile, Texas law backs [unscrupulous demands by landlords](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harvey-landlords-rent-flooded-properties_us_59ae18a5e4b0354e440bfa95), that people must continue to pay rent on their homes, even when the homes have been partially destroyed by the hurricane. People without savings are at a loss for what to do, and city officials have few answers, Assata says. \n\nOne answer provided by groups like Assata’s is that the community — and others who come to join it — must work together. This was the sentiment echoing through all the unaffiliated groups along the coast: Together we can care for ourselves in a more direct and personal way than the city government or charities can. \n\nAssata has advice for young women of color, like her, who are trying to get involved in activism: \"Don't be afraid to take up space. Recognize that you are not going to fit at every table, so just go ahead and make your own table!\" Her own organization was created on the fly after she thought to herself, “I can't keep talking about what is going wrong. I have to do it myself and do it better.”\n\nIf you are interested in supporting Assata’s work and contributing to the Yellowhammer Alternative mission, [click here](https://www.youcaring.com/theyellowhammeralternative-940603).\n\n__Related:__ [How Hurricane Harvey Affected 7 Young People](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-7-young-people)\n\n__Check this out:__\n\n[#cneembed: script/playlist/59242af5b57ac340fb000000.js?muted=1]||||||",
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article-header" data-component="Col" data-reactid="43"><div class="col " data-component="Col" data-reactid="44"><span class="rubric" data-reactid="45">News and Politics</span><h1 class="hed" data-reactid="46">Hurricane Harvey Relief is Being Provided by DIY Activists, Too</h1><h2 class="dek" data-reactid="47">Meet Assata Dela Cruz and the Yellowhammer Alternative.</h2></div><div class="row byline-wrapper" data-component="Row" data-reactid="48"><div class="col col-lg-9" data-component="Col" data-reactid="49"><div class="component-byline byline single" data-reactid="50"><div class="component-contributor" data-reactid="51"><div class="byline-contributor-image" data-reactid="52"><div class="component-image" data-reactid="53"><div class="component-image pending" data-component="Image" data-reactid="54"><img alt="" src="/images/author_default.png" title="" data-reactid="55"/></div></div></div><div class="contributor-info" data-reactid="56"><a class="byline-contributor-link" rel="author" 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href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teenvogue.com%2Fstory%2Fhurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.teenvogue.com%2Fphotos%2Fundefined%2F2%3A3%2Fpass%2Fundefined&amp;description=" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-reactid="110"><span class="icon" data-reactid="111"></span><span class="label" data-reactid="112">Pinterest</span></a></div></div><span class="credit" data-reactid="113"></span></div><div class="content article-content" data-reactid="114"><div data-reactid="115"><p data-reactid="116">Just days after Hurricane Harvey passed through Houston, Texas, 28-year-old Assata Dela Cruz and her friends left their home state of Alabama, ready to deliver supplies and serve individually packed lunches to residents. Each bag contained a sandwich, chips, something sweet, and a bottle of water. On the side were salads and chopped-up produce. But within 15 minutes of opening her impromptu food kitchen, Assata ran out of food to serve. The demand for her lunches was overwhelming.</p><p data-reactid="117"><!-- react-text: 118 -->Assata showed up in Houston as a member of a new organization lead by women of color called <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.theyellowhammeralternative.com" data-reactid="119">The Yellowhammer Alternative</a><!-- react-text: 120 -->, which aims to “provide marginalized groups with a far-left alternative to the systemically oppressive far-right ideology and practices.” Before Hurricane Harvey touched down on August 25, Assata and her group were organizing People’s Assemblies, town hall–style meetings for anybody interested in radical social change. They also served free dinners in public places and held community-defense trainings in Mobile, Alabama. In the past few weeks, Yellowhammer has taken its infrastructure and connections to service those affected by hurricanes.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="121"><!-- react-text: 122 -->“We live in the Gulf Coast, so pretty much every hurricane that has come through affected us. My partner and I both lost nearly everything to Katrina. We have never been able to help with relief work before; in the past, we were the ones begging people to come help us,” Assata tells <!-- /react-text --><em data-reactid="123">Teen Vogue</em><!-- react-text: 124 -->.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="125"><!-- react-text: 126 -->When she heard reports that people in Houston had not been rescued, she turned to her boyfriend with a worried look. He replied, “When do you want to leave?&quot; The two arrived in Houston four days after the storm. While Assata spoke with <!-- /react-text --><em data-reactid="127">Teen Vogue</em><!-- react-text: 128 -->, her boyfriend stood nearby holding her bag while she fielded texts, entertained the children of fellow organizers, and conducted the interview.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="129">“I haven’t slept yet,” she laughs.</p><p data-reactid="130"><!-- react-text: 131 -->Houston <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/economy/texas-hurricane-harvey-economic-impact.html" data-reactid="132">was promised a swift recovery</a><!-- react-text: 133 --> by city officials, legislators, and economic advisers, who even predicted that hurricane recovery would stimulate the economy. Based on those promises, Assata expected there wouldn’t be much to do.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="134">&quot;Our original intention was to come here in a truck filled with donations, serve food several times a day, at several different locations, and then head back home.” But when she arrived in Houston’s Fourth and Fifth wards, Assata saw little evidence of recovery efforts. Trash piles line the roads and local stores have yet to open. “In a lot of the areas we were going to, we were it. If we had not showed up to serve these people, they would not have gotten anything,” Assata says.</p><p data-reactid="135"><!-- react-text: 136 -->The areas Assata visited have some of the largest concentrations of black residents in Houston. The Fourth and Fifth wards <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.blubrry.com/thedig/26906544/houston-a-segregated-disaster-in-a-segregated-city/" data-reactid="137">were developed during the Jim Crow era</a><!-- react-text: 138 -->, when racial segregation was the law of the land. African-Americans came to Houston to work in booming industries around the port, but many were forced to live in certain neighborhoods and were denied crucial infrastructure like drainage ditches, sidewalks, and sewer systems. <!-- /react-text --><a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Why-Houston-remains-segregated-10935311.php" data-reactid="139">Challenges still exist in these areas</a><!-- react-text: 140 -->, which meant that they were badly prepared when Hurricane Harvey hit.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="141"><!-- react-text: 142 -->In the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, numerous reports claimed that recent hurricanes were <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-homes-flooded.html" data-reactid="143">“equal opportunity”</a><!-- react-text: 144 --> storms. Yet these hurricanes, as well as the responses they generated, have exposed some of America’s most enduring inequalities. People in poorer neighborhoods were at times left behind by relief efforts. Now they face a bleak future, not only of mold and mourning, but also of job loss, eviction, and poverty.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="145"><!-- react-text: 146 -->The lack of food and supplies being delivered to the outer-lying, poorer districts surprised the Yellowhammer volunteers. But what was even more surprising was the situation in downtown Houston, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which should have been well taken care of, Assata says. Organizations like <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/american-red-cross-fails-to-pay-funds-promised-to-many-harvey-victims-1050250307569" data-reactid="147">the American Red Cross have also fallen short on some promised aid</a><!-- react-text: 148 -->, but said in a comment to <!-- /react-text --><em data-reactid="149">Teen Vogue</em><!-- react-text: 150 --> that &quot;the Red Cross has already approved $45 million in financial assistance to hundreds of thousands of qualified households who need immediate help, and are in the process of approving and distributing additional financial support now. We’re very proud of this program, as it puts the financial decision of what is needed most into the hands of those impacted.&quot; (<!-- /react-text --><strong data-reactid="151"><em data-reactid="152">Editor&#x27;s note:</em></strong><!-- react-text: 153 --> This paragraph has been updated to reflect additional comment from The Red Cross.)<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="154">&quot;People were stepping out of the shelter and begging us for food, and asking if they can take some for later. We ran out of food within the first 15 minutes and had to keep sending organizers back to cook more throughout the night,” she says.</p><p data-reactid="155"><!-- react-text: 156 -->Houston <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://apnews.com/f7168a8059cb48ac99c494131f708022" data-reactid="157">is a city built for cars</a><!-- react-text: 158 -->. Most people <!-- /react-text --><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey" data-reactid="159">have to drive</a><!-- react-text: 160 --> to work. But the receding floodwaters left behind <!-- /react-text --><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey" data-reactid="161">nearly a million wrecked automobiles</a><!-- react-text: 162 -->. People can no longer get to work. Meanwhile, Texas law backs <!-- /react-text --><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harvey-landlords-rent-flooded-properties_us_59ae18a5e4b0354e440bfa95" data-reactid="163">unscrupulous demands by landlords</a><!-- react-text: 164 -->, that people must continue to pay rent on their homes, even when the homes have been partially destroyed by the hurricane. People without savings are at a loss for what to do, and city officials have few answers, Assata says.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="165">One answer provided by groups like Assata’s is that the community — and others who come to join it — must work together. This was the sentiment echoing through all the unaffiliated groups along the coast: Together we can care for ourselves in a more direct and personal way than the city government or charities can.</p><p data-reactid="166">Assata has advice for young women of color, like her, who are trying to get involved in activism: &quot;Don&#x27;t be afraid to take up space. Recognize that you are not going to fit at every table, so just go ahead and make your own table!&quot; Her own organization was created on the fly after she thought to herself, “I can&#x27;t keep talking about what is going wrong. I have to do it myself and do it better.”</p><p data-reactid="167"><!-- react-text: 168 -->If you are interested in supporting Assata’s work and contributing to the Yellowhammer Alternative mission, <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.youcaring.com/theyellowhammeralternative-940603" data-reactid="169">click here</a><!-- react-text: 170 -->.<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="171"><strong data-reactid="172">Related:</strong><!-- react-text: 173 --> <!-- /react-text --><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-7-young-people" data-reactid="174">How Hurricane Harvey Affected 7 Young People</a></p><p data-reactid="175"><strong data-reactid="176">Check this out:</strong></p><div class="embed cneembed playlist" data-url="script/playlist/59242af5b57ac340fb000000.js?muted=1" data-type="cneembed" data-reactid="177"><div data-reactid="178"></div></div></div></div><div class="component-facebook-like follow" data-reactid="179"><div class="follow-title" 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  window.__INITIAL_STATE__.DATA = {"context":{"dispatcher":{"stores":{"AdStore":{"displayLeaderboard":true,"pageCreated":false,"pageSlots":{},"env":"production","pageConfig":{"channel":"news_and_politics","slug":"hurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too","sub_channel":"","targeting":{"tags":["hurricane harvey","harvey","houston","texas","Yellowhammer Alternative"]},"templateType":"article_portrait"}},"ApplicationStore":{"brand":"Teen Vogue","channel":"News and Politics","contentType":"article","device":"desktop","hed":"Hurricane Harvey Relief is Being Provided by DIY Activists, Too","isBranded":false,"isPreview":false,"meta":{"title":"Article","contentType":"article","uri":"/story/hurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too","canonical":"https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too","canonicalProduction":"https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hurricane-harvey-relief-is-being-provided-by-diy-activists-too","seoTitle":"","seoDescription":"","socialTitle":"","socialDescription":"","socialPhoto":"https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/undefined/master/pass/undefined"},"pageName":"article","publishTimestamp":"2017-09-23T12:00:00.000Z","query":{},"template":"portrait","tags":["hurricane harvey","harvey","houston","texas","Yellowhammer Alternative"],"version":"5.0.0"},"ArticleStore":{"id":"59c3011ef69bc35b9a3e0117","modelName":"article","collection":"articles","body":["div",["p","Just days after Hurricane Harvey passed through Houston, Texas, 28-year-old Assata Dela Cruz and her friends left their home state of Alabama, ready to deliver supplies and serve individually packed lunches to residents. Each bag contained a sandwich, chips, something sweet, and a bottle of water. On the side were salads and chopped-up produce. But within 15 minutes of opening her impromptu food kitchen, Assata ran out of food to serve. The demand for her lunches was overwhelming."],["p","Assata showed up in Houston as a member of a new organization lead by women of color called ",["a",{"href":"https://www.theyellowhammeralternative.com"},"The Yellowhammer Alternative"],", which aims to “provide marginalized groups with a far-left alternative to the systemically oppressive far-right ideology and practices.” Before Hurricane Harvey touched down on August 25, Assata and her group were organizing People’s Assemblies, town hall–style meetings for anybody interested in radical social change. They also served free dinners in public places and held community-defense trainings in Mobile, Alabama. In the past few weeks, Yellowhammer has taken its infrastructure and connections to service those affected by hurricanes."],["p","“We live in the Gulf Coast, so pretty much every hurricane that has come through affected us. My partner and I both lost nearly everything to Katrina. We have never been able to help with relief work before; in the past, we were the ones begging people to come help us,” Assata tells ",["em","Teen Vogue"],"."],["p","When she heard reports that people in Houston had not been rescued, she turned to her boyfriend with a worried look. He replied, “When do you want to leave?\" The two arrived in Houston four days after the storm. While Assata spoke with ",["em","Teen Vogue"],", her boyfriend stood nearby holding her bag while she fielded texts, entertained the children of fellow organizers, and conducted the interview."],["p","“I haven’t slept yet,” she laughs."],["p","Houston ",["a",{"href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/economy/texas-hurricane-harvey-economic-impact.html"},"was promised a swift recovery"]," by city officials, legislators, and economic advisers, who even predicted that hurricane recovery would stimulate the economy. Based on those promises, Assata expected there wouldn’t be much to do."],["p","\"Our original intention was to come here in a truck filled with donations, serve food several times a day, at several different locations, and then head back home.” But when she arrived in Houston’s Fourth and Fifth wards, Assata saw little evidence of recovery efforts. Trash piles line the roads and local stores have yet to open. “In a lot of the areas we were going to, we were it. If we had not showed up to serve these people, they would not have gotten anything,” Assata says."],["p","The areas Assata visited have some of the largest concentrations of black residents in Houston. The Fourth and Fifth wards ",["a",{"href":"https://www.blubrry.com/thedig/26906544/houston-a-segregated-disaster-in-a-segregated-city/"},"were developed during the Jim Crow era"],", when racial segregation was the law of the land. African-Americans came to Houston to work in booming industries around the port, but many were forced to live in certain neighborhoods and were denied crucial infrastructure like drainage ditches, sidewalks, and sewer systems. ",["a",{"href":"http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Why-Houston-remains-segregated-10935311.php"},"Challenges still exist in these areas"],", which meant that they were badly prepared when Hurricane Harvey hit."],["p","In the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, numerous reports claimed that recent hurricanes were ",["a",{"href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-homes-flooded.html"},"“equal opportunity”"]," storms. Yet these hurricanes, as well as the responses they generated, have exposed some of America’s most enduring inequalities. People in poorer neighborhoods were at times left behind by relief efforts. Now they face a bleak future, not only of mold and mourning, but also of job loss, eviction, and poverty."],["p","The lack of food and supplies being delivered to the outer-lying, poorer districts surprised the Yellowhammer volunteers. But what was even more surprising was the situation in downtown Houston, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which should have been well taken care of, Assata says. Organizations like ",["a",{"href":"https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/american-red-cross-fails-to-pay-funds-promised-to-many-harvey-victims-1050250307569"},"the American Red Cross have also fallen short on some promised aid"],", but said in a comment to ",["em","Teen Vogue"]," that \"the Red Cross has already approved $45 million in financial assistance to hundreds of thousands of qualified households who need immediate help, and are in the process of approving and distributing additional financial support now. We’re very proud of this program, as it puts the financial decision of what is needed most into the hands of those impacted.\" (",["strong",["em","Editor's note:"]]," This paragraph has been updated to reflect additional comment from The Red Cross.)"],["p","\"People were stepping out of the shelter and begging us for food, and asking if they can take some for later. We ran out of food within the first 15 minutes and had to keep sending organizers back to cook more throughout the night,” she says."],["p","Houston ",["a",{"href":"https://apnews.com/f7168a8059cb48ac99c494131f708022"},"is a city built for cars"],". Most people ",["a",{"href":"http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey"},"have to drive"]," to work. But the receding floodwaters left behind ",["a",{"href":"http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey"},"nearly a million wrecked automobiles"],". People can no longer get to work. Meanwhile, Texas law backs ",["a",{"href":"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harvey-landlords-rent-flooded-properties_us_59ae18a5e4b0354e440bfa95"},"unscrupulous demands by landlords"],", that people must continue to pay rent on their homes, even when the homes have been partially destroyed by the hurricane. People without savings are at a loss for what to do, and city officials have few answers, Assata says."],["p","One answer provided by groups like Assata’s is that the community — and others who come to join it — must work together. This was the sentiment echoing through all the unaffiliated groups along the coast: Together we can care for ourselves in a more direct and personal way than the city government or charities can."],["p","Assata has advice for young women of color, like her, who are trying to get involved in activism: \"Don't be afraid to take up space. Recognize that you are not going to fit at every table, so just go ahead and make your own table!\" Her own organization was created on the fly after she thought to herself, “I can't keep talking about what is going wrong. I have to do it myself and do it better.”"],["p","If you are interested in supporting Assata’s work and contributing to the Yellowhammer Alternative mission, ",["a",{"href":"https://www.youcaring.com/theyellowhammeralternative-940603"},"click here"],"."],["p",["strong","Related:"]," ",["a",{"href":"https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-7-young-people"},"How Hurricane Harvey Affected 7 Young People"]],["p",["strong","Check this out:"]],["inline-embed",{"type":"cneembed","meta":"%7B%22type%22%3A%22cneembed%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22script%2Fplaylist%2F59242af5b57ac340fb000000.js%3Fmuted%3D1%22%2C%22width%22%3A%22%22%2C%22height%22%3A%22%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22%22%7D","ref":""}]],"canonicalUrl":"","categories":{},"channel":"News and Politics","contentSource":"web","contributors":{"author":[{"id":"59c68c15e70a5d48ce748dde","modelName":"contributor","collection":"contributors","bio":"","email":"","name":"Mary Lacis 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2017 4:56PM EDT","revision":0,"modifiedAt":"Sep 22, 2017 4:56PM EDT","restrictCropping":false,"modelName":"photo","collection":"photos"}}]},"rawBody":"Just days after Hurricane Harvey passed through Houston, Texas, 28-year-old Assata Dela Cruz and her friends left their home state of Alabama, ready to deliver supplies and serve individually packed lunches to residents. Each bag contained a sandwich, chips, something sweet, and a bottle of water. On the side were salads and chopped-up produce. But within 15 minutes of opening her impromptu food kitchen, Assata ran out of food to serve. The demand for her lunches was overwhelming. \n\nAssata showed up in Houston as a member of a new organization lead by women of color called [The Yellowhammer Alternative](https://www.theyellowhammeralternative.com), which aims to “provide marginalized groups with a far-left alternative to the systemically oppressive far-right ideology and practices.” Before Hurricane Harvey touched down on August 25, Assata and her group were organizing People’s Assemblies, town hall–style meetings for anybody interested in radical social change. They also served free dinners in public places and held community-defense trainings in Mobile, Alabama. In the past few weeks, Yellowhammer has taken its infrastructure and connections to service those affected by hurricanes. \n\n“We live in the Gulf Coast, so pretty much every hurricane that has come through affected us. My partner and I both lost nearly everything to Katrina. We have never been able to help with relief work before; in the past, we were the ones begging people to come help us,” Assata tells *Teen Vogue*. \n\nWhen she heard reports that people in Houston had not been rescued, she turned to her boyfriend with a worried look. He replied, “When do you want to leave?\" The two arrived in Houston four days after the storm. While Assata spoke with *Teen Vogue*, her boyfriend stood nearby holding her bag while she fielded texts, entertained the children of fellow organizers, and conducted the interview. \n\n“I haven’t slept yet,” she laughs. \n\nHouston [was promised a swift recovery](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/business/economy/texas-hurricane-harvey-economic-impact.html) by city officials, legislators, and economic advisers, who even predicted that hurricane recovery would stimulate the economy. Based on those promises, Assata expected there wouldn’t be much to do. \n\n\"Our original intention was to come here in a truck filled with donations, serve food several times a day, at several different locations, and then head back home.” But when she arrived in Houston’s Fourth and Fifth wards, Assata saw little evidence of recovery efforts. Trash piles line the roads and local stores have yet to open. “In a lot of the areas we were going to, we were it. If we had not showed up to serve these people, they would not have gotten anything,” Assata says.\n\nThe areas Assata visited have some of the largest concentrations of black residents in Houston. The Fourth and Fifth wards [were developed during the Jim Crow era](https://www.blubrry.com/thedig/26906544/houston-a-segregated-disaster-in-a-segregated-city/), when racial segregation was the law of the land. African-Americans came to Houston to work in booming industries around the port, but many were forced to live in certain neighborhoods and were denied crucial infrastructure like drainage ditches, sidewalks, and sewer systems. [Challenges still exist in these areas](http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Why-Houston-remains-segregated-10935311.php), which meant that they were badly prepared when Hurricane Harvey hit. \n\nIn the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, numerous reports claimed that recent hurricanes were [“equal opportunity”](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-homes-flooded.html) storms. Yet these hurricanes, as well as the responses they generated, have exposed some of America’s most enduring inequalities. People in poorer neighborhoods were at times left behind by relief efforts. Now they face a bleak future, not only of mold and mourning, but also of job loss, eviction, and poverty. \n\nThe lack of food and supplies being delivered to the outer-lying, poorer districts surprised the Yellowhammer volunteers. But what was even more surprising was the situation in downtown Houston, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which should have been well taken care of, Assata says. Organizations like [the American Red Cross have also fallen short on some promised aid](https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/american-red-cross-fails-to-pay-funds-promised-to-many-harvey-victims-1050250307569), but said in a comment to *Teen Vogue* that \"the Red Cross has already approved $45 million in financial assistance to hundreds of thousands of qualified households who need immediate help, and are in the process of approving and distributing additional financial support now. We’re very proud of this program, as it puts the financial decision of what is needed most into the hands of those impacted.\" (__*Editor's note:*__ This paragraph has been updated to reflect additional comment from The Red Cross.)\n\n\"People were stepping out of the shelter and begging us for food, and asking if they can take some for later. We ran out of food within the first 15 minutes and had to keep sending organizers back to cook more throughout the night,” she says. \n\nHouston [is a city built for cars](https://apnews.com/f7168a8059cb48ac99c494131f708022). Most people [have to drive](http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey) to work. But the receding floodwaters left behind [nearly a million wrecked automobiles](http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491087/poor-houston-residents-face-more-challenges-from-harvey). People can no longer get to work. Meanwhile, Texas law backs [unscrupulous demands by landlords](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harvey-landlords-rent-flooded-properties_us_59ae18a5e4b0354e440bfa95), that people must continue to pay rent on their homes, even when the homes have been partially destroyed by the hurricane. People without savings are at a loss for what to do, and city officials have few answers, Assata says. \n\nOne answer provided by groups like Assata’s is that the community — and others who come to join it — must work together. This was the sentiment echoing through all the unaffiliated groups along the coast: Together we can care for ourselves in a more direct and personal way than the city government or charities can. \n\nAssata has advice for young women of color, like her, who are trying to get involved in activism: \"Don't be afraid to take up space. Recognize that you are not going to fit at every table, so just go ahead and make your own table!\" Her own organization was created on the fly after she thought to herself, “I can't keep talking about what is going wrong. I have to do it myself and do it better.”\n\nIf you are interested in supporting Assata’s work and contributing to the Yellowhammer Alternative mission, [click here](https://www.youcaring.com/theyellowhammeralternative-940603).\n\n__Related:__ [How Hurricane Harvey Affected 7 Young People](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-hurricane-harvey-affected-7-young-people)\n\n__Check this out:__\n\n[#cneembed: 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