![Malik Rahim, Former Black Panther, Prison Activist, Green Party Candidate, Humanitarian, Speaker and Community Organizer Malik Rahim, Former Black Panther, Prison Activist, Green Party Candidate, Humanitarian, Speaker and Community Organizer](/sites/default/files/past_show_headliners/guest_pics/malik_rahim.jpg)
Malik Rahim (born Donald Guyton) is a former Black Panther, and a long-time housing and prison activist in the U.S. state of Louisiana. He gained publicity as a community organizer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In July 2008, Rahim filed to run for Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district seat of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Green Party candidate.
Malik Rahim, born and raised in New Orleans’ Algiers neighborhood, has worked as an organizer for decades around housing and prison issues. During Hurricane Katrina, Malik stayed to assist the community and has been speaking out about racism and the failures of government exposed by the Katrina disaster.
Malik founded a number of organizations including:
-Co-founded Common Ground Health Clinic in September 2005 with Sharon Johnson. After hurricane Katrina, it was the first health clinic in the city of New Orleans. The clinic enlisted emergency medics to run a first aid station and help develop a permanent health clinic. The clinic continues to offer free health care for people without health insurance or means to see their health provider.
-Co-founded Common Ground Relief in September 2005, with Scott Crow and Brandon Darby. Since Hurricane Katrina, nearly 13,000 volunteers have gutted over 3000 homes in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans through their efforts.
-In 1984 helped found and operate the Algiers Development Center and Invest Transitional Housing, a program for ex-offenders which has housed more than one thousand former inmates.
-Founding member of the Louisiana anti-death penalty group Pilgrimage for Life, with Sister Helen Prejean.
-Founding member of Housing is a Human Right a San Francisco, California citywide non-profit affordable housing advocacy organization, in 1996
-National Coalition to Free the Angola Three
-New Orleans Chapter of the Black Panther Party
Malik continues to travel across the country speaking about his observations and encouraging volunteers to travel to New Orleans and provide assistance.