This blog seeks to look at events thru the perspective of Black people. We seek the Nguzo Saba 365/7 on on our blog. Please be active as a villager by using the COMMENT OPTION on blog posts, Subscribe to our blog, introduce yourself or view our most popular posts!
I understand that Michael Steele will be a keynoter at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference ... affectionately known in my circles as the 'Confederate History Month' Conference. Tiger Woods got a very good welcome-back from the crowds in Augusta. For some reason I don't think that the GOP audience in New Orleans is going to give that same warm welcome to Steele.
Other Republican Party leaders planning to attend the conference include former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), former senator Rick Santorum, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN).
Bizzaro World! That is what I thought when a white woman came so close to being elected mayor of Atlanta. It is still my thought as I learn that a white man is likely to be elected as the successor to Mayor Ray Nagin in New Orleans. [SOURCE]
It appears that Black politicians in New Orleans aren't able to raise campaign funds as much as they did before Hurricane Katrina. As a result, New Orleans may elect a white mayor for the first time in 30 years.
Blacks make up 62 percent of the voter rolls in New Orleans. However, white candidates have gained traction since Katrina hit in 2005. Whites gained a 4-3 majority on the City Council in 2007, and a white district attorney was elected in 2008.
In the mayoral election, political analysts say race may be less of a factor as voters consider who can accelerate the city’s recovery and fight its high crime rate.
“I think African Americans would prefer voting for an African-American, but one that they feel comfortable would do what has to be done” said City Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr., a former city councilman who was among Black leaders who rose to power in the 1970s.
Many of the residents that supported Black political power in New Orleans have scattered around the nation. The disrupted neighborhood political networks haven’t come back. The city’s overall population, about 450,000 before the storm, remains down by more than 100,000.
Racial tensions were evident after Katrina. Nagin, who won with heavy white support in 2002, noted those fears as he courted Black voters in the 2006 campaign. Nagin notoriously pledged that New Orleans would be a “chocolate city” again, offending many whites.
The field for the Feb. 6 Democratic primary includes Black businessman Troy Henry, who blasted reporters at a news conference this week for focusing on race. Other candidates include former state Judge Nadine Ramsey and fair housing advocate James Perry, both Black, and white businessman Rob Couhig, the only major Republican candidate in the race.
But the candidate widely considered the front-runner is the 49-year-old Mitch Landrieu, the son of the city’s last white mayor, Moon Landrieu, and brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La).
“Landrieu has universal name recognition and the political pedigree,” said Edward Chervenak, a University of New Orleans political science professor.
What do you think ... will New Orleans move into its future under the leadership of a white mayor for the first time in 30 years?
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Florida and the Gulf Coast, breached New Orleans’ levees in multiple locations and flooded 80 percent of the city. For days thousands of mostly Black residents languished on rooftops, in leaky boat flotillas, and in flooded government buildings and civic centers. The storm killed more than 1,800 people and left the city of New Orleans a shell of its former self. Damage estimates hover around $80 billion. Four years later rebuilding continues.
One of the positive outgrowths of the devastation is that the New Orleans public school system is substantially improved from its horrible situation in advance of Katrina.
There is evidence of the growing success of the schools in many areas. First, the city attracted a nationally known reformer, superintendent Paul Vallas, and so many teachers that it has 10 applicants for every opening. Second, New Orleans now spends twice as much as it did before Katrina -- $15,500 per pupil –- far above the national average.
The proof is in the pudding: Scores have risen on both state and national exams.
The Obama administration recently provided New Orleans’ HBCU, Southern University, with $32 million to replace four hurricane-damaged buildings.
"The nation’s deepening economic recession has produced dissolution and despair across the country as many communities grapple with the social and economic ramifications of massive layoffs, prolonged unemployment, shuttered businesses, and home foreclosures. By contrast, rebuilding from the woes caused by Hurricane Katrina has helped cushion greater New Orleans from the ravages of the downturn. As New Orleans ends its fourth year since the hurricane and levee failures, the region has been buoyed by post-disaster recovery efforts and its fortunate industry mix."
The release entitled ‘The New Orleans Anniversary Edition: Four Years after Katrina’, says Congress and the Obama leadership must commit and sustain its partnership with Louisiana state and local leaders by “delivering on key milestones in innovation, infrastructure, human capital and sustainable communities to help greater New Orleans move past 'disaster recovery' and boldly build a more prosperous future”.
The New Orleans economy is weathering the recession relatively well due in part to its industry composition. The New Orleans metro area lost 0.9 percent of its jobs since last June, compared to the 4.1 percent lost nationally. The industries hardest hit — manufacturing and construction — comprise relatively small shares of the New Orleans economy and since last June have shed few jobs. The four largest sectors of the region’s economy — trade and transportation, government, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services — either stagnated or added jobs. The New Orleans metro area’s unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent while it climbed to 9.5 percent for the nation.
Ongoing rebuilding activities are attracting people, jobs, and investments, further shoring up the greater New Orleans economy. New Orleans added more than 8,500 households (actively receiving mail) in the past year, the biggest one-year expansion since 2007, reflecting a mix of new and returning residents. While home rebuilding has slowed dramatically since 2007, post-disaster infrastructure investments in the levee system, schools, police stations and other public facilities have continued apace. Since July 2008, FEMA has paid over $800 million for infrastructure repair projects across the five-parish area. In the city of New Orleans, 94 facilities and public works projects were completed as of April 2009, and 113 more were under construction.
Yet New Orleans is not immune from the economic crisis. Like many metropolitan areas, the housing market has stalled, with home sales down 39 percent and new construction down 48 percent. The slowdown in consumer spending has contributed to a plunge in city sales tax revenues with 21 percent fewer receipts from general sales, motel/hotel stays, and motor vehicle purchases in April and 6 percent fewer receipts in May compared to the previous year.
Further, massive blight, affordable housing for low-income workers, and significant flood risk remain the area’s major challenges. While there are fewer unoccupied residences in Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes this year, the scale of blight remains high— 65,888, 14,372, and 11,516 residences, respectively — posing significant challenges for local governments. Steep rent increases have abated, but at 40 percent higher than pre-Katrina, rents remain out of reach for many critical workers. Typical rent for an efficiency apartment is $733 per month, unaffordable for food preparation, health care support, and retail sales workers.
According to a 'Katrina Pain Index, the Louisiana landscape is dotted by nearly 2,000 temporary FEMA trailers (many of them contaminated and uninhabitable) 65,888 unoccupied residences and countless weed-filled lots and molding houses. The murder rate in New Orleans topped all cities nationwide last year, although the overall rate of violent crime dropped in the city in 2007 and 2008.
Engineering and construction work rebuilding Louisiana after Katrina has cushioned unemployment at 6.8%. The nation’s rate is 9.4%. Still the state ranks No. 2 in the nation for the highest jobless rate (13.2%) among African Americans and people living in poverty trailing Mississippi, despite billions in post-Katrina recovery dollars.
Nearly a third of the city’s children live in poverty. The vast majority of these children live in single-parent homes; many are being raised by siblings, foster parents or are on their own.
“Four years after Hurricane Katrina we still have individuals living in trailers, seeking additional benefits, dispersed throughout the country in unfamiliar cities, and disconnected from their families, friends and their hometown.”
Some online activists feel that we need to take actions that will prevent a future where disasters like Katrina become the norm. They want to see President Obama push for a strong clean energy bill that seeks to correct long-term structural energy issues.
The images from Hurricane Katrina are painful. They remind us that America is willing to abandon an entire city when it was inconvenient to save them. We saw images of desperation, racism and hopelessness.
Nothing happens as quickly as we want. Four years later we see rays of light -- new levees, new buildings, returning residents, grassroots organizers and achieving school children. Methinks that we have a chance to see New Orleans regaining its worldwide gleam if we stay the course.
I would be interested to see what villagers have to say about New Orleans: Four Years After Hurricane Katrina...
Senator-in-Waiting Roland Burris went to Washington DC today to take a seat in the all-white United States Senate earlier today. He hoped to become the only African American to serve as one of the 100 senators in America when he walked into the Capitol building. However, he was turned away by the all-white club.
As I watched Burris and his lawyers in press conference it dawned on me that some things never change.
Do any villagers remember when six-year-old Ruby Bridges was one of the first African American students to integrate the school system in the deep South, which remained segregated ten years after Brown vs. Board of Education?
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) immortalized Ruby's first day at the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Surrounded by anonymous federal marshals for protection from the mob that assembled in protect and anger. Ruby marches courageously and resolutely.
It seems that the problem we all lived with in 1964 is still with us in 2009.
I just learned from ColorOfChange.org that in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, racist vigilantes in Algiers Point attacked, and according to their own accounts, killed Black men seeking refuge from the floodwaters. I'm outraged to hear that New Orleans law enforcement officials have consistently refused to investigate these crimes, and acted to cover up their own complicity in the violence.
Based on evidence recently presented by A.C. Thompson in The Nation, it appears that while at least 11 Black men were shot or shot at, none of the white vigilantes have been brought to justice. And there's damning evidence that police officers allowed a man to die, and then burned his body to cover it up.
Louisiana-style justice has once again failed to protect and serve the state's Black citizens. State officials such as Gov. Jindal must act immediately to change this. I urge all villagersto push for the identification of victims of these crimes, prosecution of the perpetrators, full cooperation with any federal inquiries, and aggressive investigations into the role of local law enforcement officials in committing and suppressing the exploration of these crimes.
UPDATE: The corruption trial of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., will likely be delayed until 2009.
Do you believe that things come in threes? If so, perhaps there is still hope that New Orleans congressman William Jefferson will fade from sight soon. First, Kwame Kilpatrick was forced from his position as mayor of Detroit. Second, OJ Simpson was forced from his position as a sports icon.
Perhaps U.S. Rep. William Jefferson will be #3 on this list. Jefferson, seeking his 10th term in Congress, faces a December trial on charges that he took bribes, laundered money and misused his congressional office for business dealings in Africa.
Of course, the people of New Orleans can end his career on November 4 when his congressional district holds a runoff. Jefferson was the first Black elected to Congress from Louisiana since Reconstruction. But, it is time for him to go away. Since he won't retire, it is up to the people to put him away.
OJ Simpson had false hope before he was found guilty by Las Vegas jury. Perhaps Jefferson is a wee bit too confident. He addressed a few dozen family members and supporters at a restaurant in a section of eastern New Orleans still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina. “We look forward to a rigorous campaign but a successful outcome,” Jefferson said.
A victory in the Nov. 4 runoff would send Jefferson to a Dec. 6 general election in the heavily Democratic district against a little-known Republican.
Jefferson’s campaign stressed his influence in Washington and prominently featured pictures of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders joining him in touring New Orleans, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
But his clout was already dropping even before his last election two years ago. By then, news had broken that he was under investigation for alleged bribery and that federal agents said they found $90,000 hidden in his freezer. He survived, winning re-election in 2006 easily, but he subsequently was stripped of a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Last year, he was indicted on corruption charges by a federal grand jury in Virginia. Other family members also have been caught up in an unrelated scandal. Two siblings face federal corruption charges in New Orleans and a third has pleaded guilty.
Jefferson has denied wrongdoing, while refusing to discuss details of the accusations against him. Sounds like Kwame and OJ, huh?!
What do you think villagers? Ain't it time for this guy to just go away?
UPDATE: My Private Cabashblog shared information about other serious public housing issues impacting on New Orleans. Click here to see the full story on destruction of public housing in that city. Villagers, There were a number of public housing residents impacted by Hurricane Katrina. They have been blocked from returning home for over two years. New Orleans leaders are concerned that The Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 (HR 1227 / S. 1668) is being stalled in the US Senate.
This bill would help Katrina-impacted public housing residents come home by repairing and opening thousands of minimally damaged public housing units. The bill passed in the House of Representatives, but some senators are standing in the way of the bill, supporting the interests of those who would like to see a richer, Whiter New Orleans and Gulf Coast.
Villagers, is Katrina still on our minds and hearts entering into this thanksgiving season? If so, sign the online petition to help these brothers and sisters out.
"When communities are rebuilt, they must be even better and stronger than before the storm. Within the Gulf region are some of the most beautiful and historic places in America. As all of us saw on television, there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses, along those streets. When the houses are rebuilt, more families should own, not rent, those houses. When the regional economy revives, local people should be prepared for the jobs being created. Americans want the Gulf Coast not just to survive, but to thrive; not just to cope, but to overcome. We want evacuees to come home, for the best of reasons -- because they have a real chance at a better life in a place they love." - President George W. Bush, September 15, 2005
When words and actions do not agree, believe the actions. - African proverb.
Bizzaro World! That is what I thought when a white woman came so close to being elected mayor of Atlanta. It is still my thought as I learn that a white man is likely to be elected as the successor to Mayor Ray Nagin in New Orleans. [SOURCE]
of the city’s last white mayor, Moon Landrieu, and brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La).
ment rate rose to 7.3 percent while it climbed to 9.5 percent for the nation.
me to get serious and get beyond just talking about doing something to help the people of New Orleans.
e rays of light -- new levees, new buildings, returning residents, grassroots organizers and achieving school children. Methinks that we have a chance to see New Orleans regaining its worldwide gleam if we stay the course.
Senator-in-Waiting Roland Burris went to Washington DC today to take a seat in the all-white United States Senate earlier today. He hoped to become the only African American to serve as one of the 100 senators in America when he walked into the Capitol building. However, he was turned away by the all-white club.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) immortalized Ruby's first day at the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Surrounded by anonymous federal marshals for protection from the mob that assembled in protect and anger. Ruby marches courageously and resolutely.
burned his body to cover it up.
"When communities are rebuilt, they must be even better and stronger than before the storm. Within the Gulf region are some of the most beautiful and historic places in America. As all of us saw on television, there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as w
ell. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses, along those streets. When the houses are rebuilt, more families should own, not rent, those houses. When the regional economy revives, local people should be prepared for the jobs being created. Americans want the Gulf Coast not just to survive, but to thrive; not just to cope, but to overcome. We want evacuees to come home, for the best of reasons -- because they have a real chance at a better life in a place they love." - President George W. Bush, September 15, 2005
