The NPN Trumpet - January/February 2015

Celebrating Our 8th Anniversar y ~ 2007 - 2015

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Januar y/Februar y 2015 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Volume 9 Issue 1

Education, Advocacy and the Infinite Possibilities for the City of New Orleans

N e i g h b o r h o o d s Pa r t n e r s h i p N e t wo r k ’ s ( N P N ) m i s s i o n i s t o i m p r ove q u a l i t y o f l i f e by e n g a g i n g N ew O r l e a n i a n s , i n d i v i d u a l l y a n d c o l l e c t i ve l y, i n n e i g h b o r h o o d v i t a l i t y a n d c i v i c p r o c e s s e s .

Letter From The Executive Director Photo: Kevin Griffin/2Kphoto

NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans.

Infinite Possibilities

Find Out More at NPNnola.com

NPN Board Members

Timolynn Sams Sumter

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hile working on the city’s 30 year Master Plan, I sat in a room of dreamers who saw this city as a place where the American dream of equality and justice could be test and triumphed. That was in the summer of 2009. The energy and fever that came from the thoughts and imaginations of residents emerged as energetic partnerships and great ideas that would propel New Orleans forward in being the world class city it was destined to be.

We have witnessed numerous incentive partnerships, main street festivals, urban gardening and neighbors helping neighbors; a city of dreamers and doers that formed and reflected the values of this “new” New Orleans.

Residents and neighborhoods have taken on issues of food security, public safety and the health of our community as our top priorities. We continue to exalt value in education and a culture that encourages local business and industry.

We are a people who believe in helping one another achieve greatness and the power of partnerships to make things happen, exploring our natural beauty, history and rich heritage in the arts.

For eight years, these activities have been a part of the infinite possibilities that the Neighborhoods Partnership Network has supported to ensure that New Orleans neighborhoods are great places to live. We have worked to build a civic ecosystem where residents can effectively and efficiently become civically involved and make a real difference in their communities. We have worked to empowering individuals and neighborhoods to improve their quality of life by engaging in neighborhood vitality and civic processes knowing they can, in fact, change the destiny of not only their neighborhoods, but the entire city. They have also come to realize their jobs have only just begun. Much of the city has been brought back, or I should say forward.

We have also all become more aware of what kind of city we can and should be, and what it will take to shape that city.

I want you to know that the Neighborhoods Partnership Network has worked - and will continue to work - with you, your neighborhood leaders and civic organizations to achieve your goals for your neighborhoods and city. We welcome your continued involvement with us, and urge you to become a member of the network as we need you to help you put your ideas to work.

Victor Gordon, Board Chair, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Wendy Laker, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Tilman Hardy, Leonidas/Pensiontown Neighborhood Association Ryan Albright Karen Chabert, Irish Channel Neighborhood Association Sylvia Scineaux-Richard, ENONAC Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend

Neighborhood Association

Third Party Submission Issues Physical submissions on paper, CD, etc. cannot be returned unless an arrangement is made. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. By submitting any notes, information or material, or otherwise providing any material for publication in the newspaper, you are representing that you are the owner of the material, or are making your submission with the consent of the owner of the material, all information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete.

Non-Liability Disclaimers The Trumpet may contain facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party individuals and organizations.

The Trumpet does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information in the publication and use of or reliance on such advice, opinion, statement or other information is at your own risk.

Copyright © 2015 Neighborhoods Partnership Network. All Rights Reserved.

Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Neighborhoods Partnership Network is expressly prohibited.

Timolynn Sams Sumter

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THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

N E I G H B O R H O O D S

P A R T N E R S H I P

N E T W O R K

Contents

The Trumpet 5 The School Millage and Act 543

8 WaterWater NOLA Community Workshops 15 Up2Us Coaches Come to KIPP Central City 18 Citywide Neighborhood Meetings A Brilliant History of Advocacy 11 ExhibitBE: Amongst the Ruins of Displacement

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Community Health Equity Report reflects impact of society on Black Children

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Schools should excuse absences due to participation in civil disobedience

The Trumpet Editorial Board

The Trumpet Editorial Staff

Jewel Bush, SEIU Local 21 LA

Rachel D. Graham, Editor-in-Chief

Christy Chapman, Author

Charmel Gaulden, Associate Editor

Kelsey Foster, Committee for A Better New Orleans

Scott Bicking, Art Director

Heidi Hickman, Resident Elton Jones, New Orleans Rising Naomi King Englar, Tulane Prevention Research Center Linedda McIver, AARP Louisiana Ray Nichols, Maple Area Residents, Inc. Brian Opert, Talk Show Host, WGSO 990 AM Valerie Robinson, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

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Project Butterfly New Orleans: Helping Young Ladies Find the Wings

Cover Art:: ExhibitBE photographed by Rachel D. Graham

3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com

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Your wish has already been granted.

(And it’s OUR birthday ... lucky you!)

To celebrate the Trumpet’s 8th birthday, NPN wants to give you the gift of 50% off the cost of our NEW 2015 membership rates, included added benefits and levels, if you join by January 15th.

Benefits include: • Opportunities to serve on NPN committees

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• Access to the Civic Community Hub and Resource Library

• Invitations to exclusive Membership events.

• 20 percent discount on print and digital advertising

• Monthly members-only email

• Recognition as a new member in monthly members-only email

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• Recognition in 2014 Annual Report

Visit www.npnnola.com/npnnola_members to PLUG INTO THE POWER TODAY.

SCAN TO PLUG INTO THE POWER TODAY!

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HAVE QUESTIONS? GIVE US A CALL! 504-940-2207 THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

The School Millage and Act 543 Support for Facility Maintenance, a Consolidated Authority and Effective Act Implementation

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by Julia Ramsey, Orleans Public Education Network

t the September 16, 2014 School Board meeting, the September 16, 2014 School Board meeting, the Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN), by way of its Executive Director Deirdre Johnson Burel, expressed its support for the facility millage, concurrently expressed concerns about equity, and extended its partnership in working with the Orleans Parish School Board to address serious policy concerns that impact how the management of the resources generated by the millage will be conducted as outlined in Act 543.

OPEN is clear in its support of the facility millage. It is an important step in ensuring that New Orleans effectively stewards the resources provided by the FEMA in building and updating buildings with a 1.8 billion investment.

OPEN is equally clear that there are critical policy issues that must be addressed as outlined in Act 543. The remedies to those policy concerns may be addressed in amendments to Act 543 or in policy.

From OPEN’s vantage point, there are two distinct issues: 1) The passage of the facility millage, and 2) Addressing the policy and leadership infrastructure that will govern the use of this millage and any future resources generated for addressing facility needs in Orleans Parish.

While the millage has been successfully passed, the policy issues that are outlined in the current form of Act 543 must be addressed. Those concerns can be addressed between 2015 and 2016 on the short-term concerns and purposing of the annual $6 million provided per year and up until 2021 to address the long-term school preservation fund.

We believe that with attention to this issue, there is sufficient time for leadership brokering and agreements to be reached to address the stewardship and effective use of public resources. This allows time to amend Act 543 in either the 2015 or 2016 sessions and to begin the immediate policy work required with BESE and OPSB. If we wait to amend Act 543, the revenue available for facilities will be significantly limited. We would fundamentally have to come back to the voters and ask for a true tax increase.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

What are the Policy Concerns?

There are several issues in the current form of the act that are either policy or legal concerns. OPEN believes it is imperative to be on the record about the need to address these policy issues, and that New Orleans residents and voters must understand the full implications of the policy.

One consolidated facility authority – Act 543 outlines the continuance of two separate offices managing facilities and assumes this design into perpetuity. While the law does not create a new entity, it does perpetuate an efficient use of public resources by maintaining two independent offices. OPEN supports and recommends that the policy issue of creating one citywide consolidated facility authority.

Facility issues are system-level issues – Long-term capital plans should be made by a skilled and experienced facility office with system level considerations. School based decision-making is likely to contribute to inefficient use of public resources and redundancy. The management of the program should be directly reported to Orleans Parish School board.

Prioritizing repairs — Decisions about prioritizing repairs should be addressed at a system level by individuals with expertise in facility management. This will ensure the best and most effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars. (For example, that an individual school won’t prioritize a HVAC repair over a roof repair and leave a future school operator of the school board stuck with the bill.) Nor should each school have to develop facility expertise.

The accountable authority must have ownership for setting policy and approving incurring debt, as they will ultimately be responsible for resolving/retiring said debt. Schools should not make decisions incurring debt for which they are not accountable.

The implementation of Act 543 will have long-term ramifications for our school facilities and the stewardship of our resources. Ensuring transparency, accountability, and equity in use of the millage funds is paramount. OPEN is committed to working with the school board and other policymakers to meet this goal and promote the interests of students and stakeholders at every level of the process.

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THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Community Health Equity Report demonstrates the strength of societal factors acting upon Black children

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he deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and twelve-year old Tamir Rice have highlighted societal perceptions of males of color. Even more, they show that we must fix policies that result from these negative perceptions and implicit bias.

Studies show that black males are subconsciously readily linked with violence and crime. Even exposure to photographs of Black men can activate the part of the brain that responds to threat and danger.

Although the negative consequences of these perceptions are most obvious in the cases of police shootings, this same cycle of fear and reaction is occurring in our schools in the form of zero tolerance discipline.

Nationwide, education data shows that even for children in preschool, discrimination in discipline exists. While Black children make up only 18 percent of preschoolers, they make up nearly half of all out-of-school suspensions. The bias continues in K-12, where 1 out of every 6 Black students was suspended at least once in 2012 in comparison to only 1 in 20 white students. The Recovery School District, the largest public school system in Orleans Parish, has a 97% African American student population and a 26.6% out-of-school suspension rate, nearly three times the state rate of 9.2%.

Orleans Parish Place Matters (OPPM) has recently published an education policy report that demonstrates the strength of societal factors acting upon Black children in certain areas of Orleans Parish, leaving them vulnerable to violence and victimization. One key finding is that schools are actually aggravating the problem through their discipline policies.

Students who are suspended or expelled are more likely to drop out. Lack of education is one of the leading determinants of violence and crime, poverty, and disease. Thus, although it is less obvious than police shootings, schools can also contribute to the destruction of lives and stifling of potential. To protect our children, we must ensure that school policies and local laws favor restorative justice approaches.

OPPM, which consists of a team of partners who advocate for policies that promote safe, healthy learning environments for youth and families, released their Community Health Equity Report on Educational Policies. The team is part of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. You may read the report at OPPM’s website: www.orleansplacematters.org.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Congratulations to NPN sponsored project, Brothers Empowered 2 Teach (BE2T) for being selected as a finalist in PitchNOLA: Community Solutions.

Presented by Propeller: A Force for Soical Innovation and Tulane University, this pitch competition has one simple mission: to provide a platform for community members to voice their solutions to our city’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Partners then facilitate start-up funding, project support, and media coverage to ensure the community benefits!

The final competition will be held on Wednesday, January 28th, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Woldenberg Art Center’s Freeman Auditorium at Tulane University. Audience members play a key role in this competition as part of PitchNOLA’s goal to better connect social entrepreneurs with networks and resources.

Visit BE2T’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BrothersTeachInitiative for the linkk to purchase tickets to the PitchNOLA finals today.

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UPCOMING NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOPS: _______ 7th Ward St. Claude Bywater _______ “What’s that big purple thing on the side of your house? Oh, you catch the rainwater?”

Central City* _______

“Yeah, I water my flowers and save some money.”

“Well, that’s a good thing!”

So what is that plastic purple thing on Alton and Cherell Blunt’s house in Gentilly Woods? Why, it’s a 55-gallon rain barrel painted Cherell’s favorite color!

During those heavy rainstorms that we are all too familiar with, Alton Blunt would sometimes consider the

value of all that rain as it rushed off his property toward the street and down the drain. And at some point he considered capturing some of that rain and putting it to good use.

Alton and his wife, Cherell, thought of purchasing a rain barrel from an area big box store. But without knowing if it would meet their expectations, $100 seemed like an awfully expensive experiment. Building their own rain barrels for less than $30 each made it a practical investment.

Since installing three rain barrels, the Blunts have experienced a number of benefits. That rush of water during rainstorms has slowed down and doesn’t erode the edge of their lawn anymore. And using all that free rain feels like they are paying themselves rather than paying another bill. They don’t know exactly how much money they save each month, but Mr. Blunt no longer sweats that feeling of waste if he forgets the hose running for 15 minutes.

Their original interest in rain barrels was to use the water they collected for their landscape and container plants. They both knew their plants would prefer natural rainwater over chlorinated water from the tap. Cherell says it’s the continuous application of rainwater that keeps her plants healthy. Even her extended family notices the difference. When their plants’ heath starts to decline, they bring them to Cherell for some doctoring.

After a few years of using rain barrels, Alton Blunt has several tips to share.

One suggestion is to build a base that suits your watering needs. Remember the flow of water is fed by gravity, so the higher the barrel is raised, the higher the water pressure. If you don’t want to have to bend when using the hose that’s connected to the barrel, elevate the barrel so that the spigot is at waist level or higher.

To keep the water clean and flowing, Mr. Blunt recommends giving the top debris catch and mosquito screen a good rinse once a year. Over time particles from his roof collect in the gutters, flow down the downspouts and end up blocking the barrel top. This can easily be taken care of with a yearly rinse.

You don’t want a neglected barrel to become a haven for mosquitoes and a hazard to your neighbors. In order to avoid this, Mr. Blunt notes, “You have to use the water!” Keeping the barrels in use helps keep mosquitoes from breeding. It is also a must to cover the opening at the top of the barrel with a mosquito screen.

When asked if there were any warm fuzzy feelings about capturing and using rainwater, Alton responded by saying, “It is a savings. It’s using what is naturally given to you.” Cherell added, “It’s helping ourselves and giving back to the environment.”

Find out more about rain barrels and other strategies for managing rainwater at one of the upcoming neighborhood Water Wise workshops.

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Broadmoor Zion City Gert Town Hollygrove _______ Lower 9th Ward* _______ Gentilly _______ Algiers ______ Mid-City To register contact Jeff Supak at (504) 525-2121 or jsupak@ globalgreen.org www.waterwise nola.org Facebook.com/ NOLAwaterwise waterwisenola on Instagram #waterwise Workshops made possible by funding from The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans *Note: Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Degree of Interest:

Schools should excuse absences due to participation in civil disobedience

By Andre Perry, The Hechinger Report High school students and supporters participate in a protest against the Ferguson, Mo., grand jury decision, in front of City Hall, in Aurora, Colo., Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Students from several Aurora high schools left school Friday in protest. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) Reprinted with permission from The Hechinger Report from the original blog posted on December 9, 2014.

What can a formal education really provide when black life isn’t valued?

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t’s finals week at my daughter’s university, but in spite of her school’s calendar, I expect her to join the acts of civil disobedience blooming across the country. All students, especially those in high school and college, currently face the appearing choice of testing the curriculum of injustice (AKA institutional oppression) or being tested by itHis thoughts helped.

Many will advise that the best thing black and brown youth can do to exact justice is to literally stay the course – that mastering coursework is paramount in effecting change. Unfortunately, Trayvon Martin wasn’t allowed to play out that theory.

Audre Lorde said, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Sometimes we must step outside our institutions to change them. The systems that assisted in the deaths of Tamir Rice, John Crawford, Mike Brown and hundreds who remain unrecognized are connected to our systems of schooling.

By staying the course, we wrongly disassociate our classrooms from the world.

Teachers and professors are not immune from the same biases that police act upon. Teachers are just as scared of black people as police, and the same community tensions that stem from a lack of diversity in police forces are also created by a lack of diversity in the teaching faculty. Moreover, aren’t notolerance policies in the criminal justice system the first cousins of no-tolerance policies in schools? African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. African American public school students are suspended three times more often than their white counterparts.

Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education President Mr. Rob Chabot said, “Every day counts when it comes to time in the classroom for our students.” This is true, especially for the early and primary grades. In response to the absences surrounding the death of Mike Brown, many organizations offered academic support for students in north St. Louis as well as teaching materials for students throughout the country. But what if our classrooms are part of the problem?

The Ferguson supports didn’t provide enough guidance on how to participate in non-violent resistance. This is understandable give the violent reaction from police as well as the chaos that usually ensues in protest the magnitude of what we’ve seen in the last few months. We want to keep our children safe.

I’m resolved in believing that there are no safe spaces. This should be clear as the video of Daniel Pantaleo applying a chokehold on Eric Garner who died on camera.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

In addition, formal education teaches a hidden curriculum – “[lessons] which are learned but not openly intended” – that is not necessarily conducive for radical change. Formal schooling tacitly transmits the values of compliance, reverence and temperance. In other words, don’t ask colleges, universities and K-12 leaders to promote radical social change. Consequently, we must assume that formal schooling is part of the problem.

I’d be proud if my daughter helped accelerate social change through civil disobedience. But just like student-fueled movements of the past, this budding civil rights movement will need its students to matriculate through a rigorous curriculum of its own that strategically disrupts inequities in education, policing and other critical area.

Related: Willing to die for justice? Comparing post-Katrina student activism to Freedom Summer However, my daughter won’t build a life for herself or others by disrupting our daily routines. But if she told me she would use a semester to train like those students who participated in Freedom Summer a little more than fifty years ago I would have no reservations. For my daughter owes her education to previous students’ participation in non-violent action for the civil rights movement.

In the summer of 1964, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP and a swarm of college students from sites across the country joined forces to erect schools and register voters in the South. Civil rights history will always remember images of the 1960 four African American college students who did a sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. Within a year, “an estimated 70,000 people had participated in sit-ins across the country (more than 3,000 of them were arrested).”

In 1963, with the help of the Southern Christian Leadership conference, thousands of high school students formed the Children’s Crusade and descended upon Birmingham to march. The infamous Bull Connor unleashed police dogs and opened fire hoses upon those young students. And it was those images of the police brutality that shocked the conscious of the country and sparked federal intervention. Sound familiar?

It’s hard not to compare the Civil Rights era to events following the announcements of the non-indictments from the Mike Brown and (Continued on Page 10)

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Degree of Interest (Cont’d from page 9) Eric Garner. Students like John Lewis, Diane Nash, and [James] Bevel certainly received a quality formal education, but so much of their training occurred outside the school and university walls.

Specifically, I advised my daughter that in the event that a scheduled exam fell on a date of an organized protest to ask the professor for an alternate date. If I could, I would also advise her professors and teachers to embrace the moment.

Teach-ins, campus wide discussions and assignments should respond to what students are struggling with in the here and now. Many colleges and schools are doing just that. And I hope universities won’t judge arrests from protesting as a bad thing. I think MLK had a pretty successful career as a former convict.

In the end, I want my daughter to receive an education that will give her the kind of control discrimination and status quo prevent her from having. I also want her education to give her the wherewithal to respond to social

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injustice appropriately. She should be able to discern when missing school is a revolutionary act.

Let’s face it. We can’t wait for schools and universities to drive social change. Sometimes students must leave schools to teach the rest of society.

Dr. Andre Perry, founding dean of urban education at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich., is the author of The Garden Path: The Miseducation of a City (2011). He is the former Associate Director for Educational Initiatives for the Loyola Institute for Quality and Equity in Education. His column, Degree of Interest, appears weekly in The Hechinger Report (www.hechingerreport.org).

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

2021 Murl Street, Algiers Heralded by the NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune as the top New Orleans art experience of 2014, this reprisal of guerilla art masterpieces first seen in 2013 Trumpet Awards winner, ProjectBE, captures all of the beauty and pain of activism through the 20th and 21st centuries. As a satellite project of the Prospect.3 biennial exhibition, ExhibitBE pays homage to key figures in the struggle for socioeconomic equity and fairness in an abandoned highrise in Algiers. The installation will hold its closing ceremonies January 17 through the 19th. In an ironic reference to one of the works key pieces, Displaced: New Orleans, the massive exhibit will be torn down to make way for a sporting complex. For more information, visit www.exhibitbe.com.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

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THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Thursday

01.15.15

6 to 8 pm

1027 Touro Street ~ Faubourg Marigny secondvinewine.com

RSVP at npnnola.com/infinite_possibilities

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Call 504.940.2207 for details

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Project Butterfly New Orleans

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n the face of harrowing odds, African American children require the support of positive adults to be successful. For African American girls, the challenges are unique. Black girls have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections than their white counterparts, have higher suspension rates than girls of any other race, have obesity rates nearly five percentage points higher than white girls, have teen pregnancy rates two times higher than their white counterparts and suffer from PTSD and depression at a higher rate than their peers. African American girls face an uphill battle in their road to adulthood and Project Butterfly New Orleans is meeting their needs head-on.

Inspired by the work of Niambi Jaha Echols, founder of Camp Butterfly and author of the nationally recognized Project Butterfly curriculum, Project Butterfly New Orleans is an African-centered rites of passage program dedicated to preparing girls of African descent for their transition from adolescence to adulthood. Project Butterfly New Orleans has been in existence since January of 2009 and has served more than 125 girls in grades 9-12 across the metro area in partnership with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans and College Track. The program takes a unique approach to its work with girls by focusing heavily on African and African American cultural heritage and cultural values, an important area of emphasis to help girls develop a healthy self-concept. In addition, various creative formats are used to engage girls on these issues including media, creative and performing arts, entrepreneurship, yoga, and meditation.

The program utilizes the butterfly as a symbol of transformation and institutes weekly “Chrysalis Circles,” group meetings that provide a safe and supportive space to examine issues pertinent to African American girls’ development. Among these topics are healthy selfesteem and decision-making, reproductive health, etiquette, goalsetting and action planning, healthy relationships and physical health and wellness as well as other related topics. Project Butterfly New Orleans also hosts monthly and annual programs open to a broader audience of girls including special workshops at schools and other school-based and after school programs, retreats, and social and cultural events such as its annual tea and Kwanzaa Karamu. The Butterflies-in-training (girls in the program) have created videos, small 14

businesses and programs of their own to share with others all they have learned in the program. According to one program alumnae, “Project Butterfly New Orleans was a way for me to express myself and be around people who understand me and support me.”

In order to successfully meet the needs of its Butterflies-in-training, Project Butterfly New Orleans requires a great team of committed and well-trained mentors and leaders. The programs founder and executive director, Rashida H. Govan, has worked in education and youth development for almost 20 years and holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership. Her research examines African American girls’ common experiences during adolescent development and is used heavily to inform the curriculum used for the program. Alongside Govan, more than 15 mentors support the butterflies-in-training, and Michele Seymour, Native New Orleanian and coordinator with the NOPLAY program at the Youth Empowerment Project. Govan provides support to mentors through quarterly gatherings, annual trainings and ongoing outreach to make sure they have the tools necessary to support the development of the butterflies-in-training.

When asked why this work is important, Govan said, “African American girls are often viewed as ‘beating the odds.’ Very little is understood about the needs of our girls and the challenges they face.

It is important that we invest in the healing and wellness of our girls so they can grow to be healthy women who will lead our families and transform our communities.” As communities of color struggle with how to protect and support their children, programs like Project Butterfly New Orleans are meeting this challenge.

To learn more about Project Butterfly New Orleans or to support the program, visit www.projectbutterflynola.org

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Up2Us Coaches to provide physical education instruction at KIPP Central City Primary School

Up2Us (up2us.org), the leading national non-profit organization dedicated to harnessing the power of sports to reduce youth violence, promote health, and inspire academic success for kids in every community, recently activated 20 coach-mentors from its Coach Across America program (CAA), whom will serve as physical education coaches at KIPP Central City Primary School. The coaches were activated during an event held at Champions Square and attended by former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAlister.

The coaches will serve during recess and afterschool time while assisting with the physical education program and programming for out-of-school time.

“We are so excited to have the CAA coaches starting at KIPP. These coaches are going to provide our students with physical education and structured recess that will balance out their school day and enable their continued academic success. Our kids deserve the opportunity to play and learn the valuable life lessons and leadership skills that will be taught by these coach-mentors through sports,” said Korbin Johnson, school leader of KIPP Central City Primary School.

According to a 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine, students should participate in at least 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate physical activity at school each day, with more than half of the activity occurring during regular educational hours in order to maximize learning ability. In 2011, only 61 percent of all students in the New Orleans area got the recommended amount of physical activity, and less than half had the opportunity to play any kind of team sport (Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011 and Fit NOLA Partnership).

“We are so pleased to be able to provide the children of KIPP Central City Primary with the opportunity to learn and grow through play and physical activity. Studies have shown the importance of children being active during their school day as integral to their growth, and we are happy to contribute to their success. Moreover, these coaches will help provide a safe space for students to play during the school day, afterschool and eventually in the summer,” said Luella Williams, Regional Director for Up2Us. Funding for the coaches include generous donations from the Chris Paul Foundation, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, Nike Inc., and a state AmeriCorps grant in cooperation with Volunteer Louisiana. The initiative is taking place as a part of a partnership with Up2Us, DiscoveryFest and Kipp Central City Primary.

By signing up for a farm share, you’ll receive a box of fresh, local produce each wek for 20 weeks. Boxes include season vegetables, flowers and herbs (such as our signature Grow Dat salad mix), a variety of greens (like collards and kale), root vegetables (such as beets and carrots) and summer crops (including tomatoes and squash). A box feeds a family of four for a week.

Farm shares run from January 21 through June 20 and are available for purchase at growdatyouthfarm.org/ farm-shares. Members are responsible for picking up their weekly produce box at Grow Dat’s farm site in City Park on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings. A limited number of shares are available. All proceeds go to support the organizations youth leadership program.

To learn more about Grow Dat’s programming visit growdatyouthfarm.org.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

15

CeCe Gives 5 1 0 2 r o f s t though

oughts b o o k , 2 0 Th e th f is issue o r o th who, as of th , the au e n iv a at m n p a s h an C e ” Orl eCe She is a New birthday CeCe!

By Christy “C hould Have.

S py an ap H m o s. u W Every hing” stat et m so ty ir h “t graduates to itter at @CeCetheAuthor.

Tw n o er h w Follo

I wish nothing but success and peace to all of my loyal readers.I interviewed some very interesting people in 2014 wouldn’t you agree ? Not only am so optimistic about 2015, I am ever so grateful to continue to have your support and enthusiasm about my articles...so enthused that I wanted to give you 20 of my own thoughts to jump start 2015 in a great -winning way. Grab the cocktail of your choice and cheers to 2015....

1.

Write down your goals.

Don’t just write down your goals, but accomplish them. I find that if I write down things and then check them off as I get them done, it motivates me to write down another set of goals . It is always better to see your accomplishments.

2.

Make peace within your personal relationships.

We all may have family member or close friend that we aren’t communicating with due to a misunderstanding or disagreement. Most of the time we miss these people, but feel that we don’t want to initiate the first form of contact. Life is so short. Make that phone call or send that email. You will feel good knowing you made effort to clear the air.

3.

Spend more time with family.

Everyone is so busy these days that sometimes we don’t slow down for family time. Set aside a date now even if it is for a simple Sunday dinner or a family outing for your family . Send an invite even to extended family, nothing like adding cousins. We sometimes get so involved in this thing called life that we forget about those who matter most to us. Take time out and see how you can encourage and even help a family member towards a productive year.

4. Volunteer within your community.

Giving back is one of the greatest forms of joy that anyone can experience.

It is a great thing to help those in need and also feeling good about something that you are doing to make a difference. We are all in this together, do your part. Donate to a non-profit organization, become a mentor , join your neighborhood associations, teach some children a special skill ; these are just a few to mention.

5. Do a professional private photo shoot with a talented photographer.

You have to love you. Photo shoots force you release yourself. You become familiar and look back at smiles and facial expressions you never knew you had or could make. It feels good to dress up . Let it be all about you for (1) hour . Give yourself that.

6. Plan for a vacation.

Due to work, family /pet responsibilities or financial obligations, it may be hard to fly to the Bahamas or Fiji without planning. Think of that place you always wanted to visit. Anything is possible with the right planning. So research where you want to go and the best times of the year to go. The world is full of beautiful and exotic places waiting on you to see.

7.

16

If it is weight loss, let’s stick to it.

If weight loss is one of your goals, STICK to it. It may be hard to not eat the ice cream at night or to eat the shrimp pasta for lunch , but discipline is key.

Weight loss may be very vital to a health issue for you. If so that is more of a

reason to stay focused. You may have to work out . You may have to not eat sushi, but trust me it is nothing like being able to fit in your favorite pair of jeans or pants again.

8.

Find a new hobby.

Come out of your element. Sometimes we look at hobbies of others and wonder what is so fun about that. Hey try it and see. You may just grow to like it .

9. Plant a flower and watch it grow.

As humans we are visual. Things we see can make us happy or sad. Growth motivates us. A small way to see growth is to see something you planted grow into something it was suppose to be. It is small things that can keep us motivated. I think I am going to plant pink roses, what flower will you be choosing ?

10. Face a fear.

We all have something we may be afraid of, weather we share it with others or not. It may be fear of animals, air planes, heights or objects. Whatever it is you can do it. Find someone you trust and make an effort to conquer it this year. Small steps are okay.

11. Make it a point to support your employees.

Employees most of the time are very cautious of the way they approach or conversations that they can have with their boss. Take some time to let your employees know you understand their job. Let them know that you appreciate the job they in fact do. Treat them to lunch. Show them a gracious gesture of gratitude.

12. Change your look.

That hair cut or hair color you have been looking at and wanting to try, go on ahead and do it. It takes courage to change your look but it also gives you a refreshed feeling. Refresh your look .

13. Read a novel.

Reading is so relaxing and soothing to your soul. Find a book of your choice and commit to reading the entire book.

14. Save a little more money than you normally would.

Bills come around seems like more then they should. Financial emergencies arise. Learn to save a more than normal to have for a rainy day. Having funds saved gives can give you some comfort if you are faced with a financial challenge.

15. Learn a dance.

Physically challenge yourself. Dancing makes you happy and moves your soul. Line dances are the new fade now a days. They are definitely a southern culture. Find a class .Learn it and teach others.

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

16. Be honest.

Being honest is harder for some than others. Regardless of how you may think, when you tell one lie you have to tell another one.

Sometimes we feel we may not want to hurt someone so we lie, but let 2015 be about you. Give your self a fresh start and a clear conscience. If we think, watch what we do and how we do it , it may minimize having to conceal something or even do an act that may hurt others.

17. Invest in someone’s business.

If you know someone that is trying to start a business or have one, but it is something you know or possess to better it, help them out.

Sometimes people just need a helping hand , knowledge or push.

Give that to them. Have a part in someone’s else’s dreams or visions.

You may be a success solely off yourself but think about that person that may have helped you or gave you a chance . Think about how that same chance advanced your career or life.

18. Treat yourself .

Set aside a date with yourself . Take yourself to a fancy restaurant that you have been wanting to try. Order what you normally wouldn’t. Savor the experience.

19. Use energy wisely and effectively.

Don’t consume yourself with negative thoughts. When you realize you are thinking negative, quickly switch gears and remember your positive goals. Do not hold meaningless conversations with others.

Time is one thing that you can not get back. Use it wisely. Use it on yourself and your goals.

20. Be determined .

Be so determine that 2015 will be a magnificent year that nothing deters you from that path. Stay focus. Stay positive. Keep a clear mind and genuine heart. Give off affirmative vibes. Your energy welcomes others energy. So invite smashing synchronicites

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THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

17

CITYWIDE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING CALENDAR Algiers Point Association 1st Thursday of the month 7 p.m.

Visit www.algierspoint.org for location.

Chapel of the Holy Comforter 4th Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m.

2200 Lakeshore Drive

Algiers Presidents’ Council 4th Tuesday of the month 7 p.m.

Woldenberg Village - 3701 Behrman Place www.anpcnola.org

Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association Quarterly meetings (Date and time TBA) Jewish Community Center 5342 St. Charles Avenue

Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other month 7 p.m.

Andrew H. Wilson Charter School Cafeteria 3617 General Pershing Street www.broadmoorimprovement.com

Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association (DNIA) Last Tuesday of each month 7 p.m.

Joan Mitchell Center 2275 Bayou Road

Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association 3rd Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N. Claiborne Avenue bunnyfriendassoc@gmail.com

DeSaix Neighborhood Association 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m.

Langston Hughes Academy 3519 Trafalgar Street danadesaix.org

Bywater Neighborhood Association 2nd Tuesday of the month 7 p.m.

Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Avenue www.bywaterneighbors.com

East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee 2nd Tuesday of the month 6 p.m.

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church 7300 Crowder Boulevard www.enonac.org

Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month Central St. Matthew United Church of Christ 1333 S. Carrollton Avenue

Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association 1st Saturday of the month 10 a.m.

New Hope Community Church 3708 Gentilly Blvd.

Carrollton United 2nd Monday of the month - 5 p.m.

St. John Missionary Baptist Church Leonidas Avenue and Hickory Street www.healthyneworleans.org

Faubourg Delachaise Neighborhood Association Quarterly meetings Visit http://fdna-nola.org for details.

Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA) 3rd Tuesday of each month 6:00pm Mahalia Jackson Early Childhood & Family Learning Center 2405 Jackson Avenue www.myccra.org

Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association Board Meeting – 2nd Monday of the month 7 p.m.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cafeteria 1368 Moss Street http://www.fsjna.org

Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association 2nd Thursday of the month 6 p.m.

True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny Street Filmore Gardens Neighborhood Association 4th Thursday of the month (no meetings in November and December) 6:30 p.m.

Project Home Again 5506 Wickfield Street Garden District Association Visit www.gardendistrictassociation. com for annual meeting information.

Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA) 3rd Saturday of the month 6:30 p.m.

Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Avenue www.facebook.com/gentillycivic Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association 3rd Monday of the month 6 p.m.

Dillard University, Dent Hall – Room 104 Gentilly Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association 3rd Monday of the month 6:30 p.m.

Volunteers of America 2929 St. Anthony Avenue Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association 2nd Wednesday of the month 7 p.m.

Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters Street www.gentillyterrace.org

3327 Toledano Street hoffmantriangle.org Hollygrove Neighbors Association Quarterly on Saturdays 12 p.m.

St. Peter AME Church 3424 Eagle Street Email hollygroveneighbors@yahoo. com for dates Holy Cross Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month 5:30 p.m.

Center for Sustainability Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres Street Irish Channel Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month 7 p.m.

Irish Channel Christian Fellowship 819 First Street www.irishchannel.org Lake Bullard Home Owners Association Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Avenue Visit lakebullard.org for meeting schedule Lake Catherine Civic Association 2nd Tuesday of the month 7 p.m.

Email lakecatherineassociation@ yahoo.com for location information Lake Willow Neighborhood 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m.

St. Maria Goretti Church Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association 2nd Saturday of the month 12 p.m.

1120 Lamanche Street www.9thwardnena.org

Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association 2nd Tuesday of the month 5:30 p.m.

Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Lower Ward Ninth Ward Stakeholders Coalition 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 5:30 p.m.

1800 Deslonde Street

Join the Neighborhoods Partnership Network to post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com 18

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

Ask City Hall

Melia Subdivision 2nd Saturday of the month 5 p.m.

Anchored in Christ Church 4334 Stemway Mid-City Neighborhood Organization 2nd Monday of the month 6 p.m. – meet & greet 6:30 p.m. – neighborhood meeting Warren Easton High School 3019 Canal Street www.mcno.org Milneburg Neighborhood Association 4th Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m.

Chapel of the Holy Comforter 2200 Lakeshore Drive The New St. Claude Association of Neighbors 1st Thursday of the month 7 p.m.

Pierre’s Hall 4138 St. Claude Avenue www.newstclaude.assocn.nscan.com New Zion City Preservation Association 1st Monday of the month 7 p.m.

APEX Youth Center 4360 Washington Ave. Oak Park Civic Association 3rd Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m.

Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Avenue www.facebook.com/ OakParkNewOrleans

Paris Oaks/Bayou Vista Neighborhood Association Last Saturday of the month 4 p.m.

Third District Police Station 4650 Paris Avenue Pensiontown of Carrollton Neighborhood Association 1st Saturday of the month 2 p.m.

Leonidas House Community Center 1407 Leonidas Street Pilotland Neighborhood Association 3rd Saturday of the month 3 p.m.

Pentecost Baptist Church Fellowship Hall 1510 Harrison Avenue Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative - 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting – 2nd Saturday of the month 3869 Gentilly Blvd., Suite C Rosedale Subdivision Last Friday of the month 5:30 p.m.

Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church 4253 Dale Street

seventhwardassoc@aol.com Seabrook Neighborhood Association 2nd Monday on the month Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painter Street Email seabrookassociation@yahoo. com for times Tall Timbers Owners Association 2nd Wednesday in April & October 7 p.m.

Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. 2nd Monday of the month 6:30 p.m.

Visit tunisburg.org for location information Village de L’Est Improvement Association 1st Tuesday of every other month 7 p.m.

Einstein Charter School 5100 Cannes Street West Barrington Association 1st Tuesday of the month 6 p.m.

Holiday Inn Express 7049 Bullard Avenue

Seventh Ward Neighborhood Association 3rd Saturday of the month 1 p.m.

St. Augustine High School 2600 A.P. Tureaud Avenue

Send your neighborhood meeting details to: info@npnnola.com

Neighborhoods Partnership Network 3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015

District A Susan G. Guidry City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 Email: sgguidry@nola.gov District B LaToya Cantrell City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 lcantrell@nola.gov District C Nadine M. Ramsey City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: nramsey@nola.gov District D Jared C. Brossett City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: jcbrossett@nola.gov District E James Austin Gray II City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 Email: jagray@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: shead@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Jason Rogers Williams City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077 Email:jarwilliams@nola.gov

19

EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BREATHE

SMOKE-FREE AIR. Help protect that right by contacting the New Orleans City Council at

The essence of New Orleans is brought to life in the warm smile of a casino dealer

1-888-NOW-ICAN (1-888-669-4226)

and asking your City Councilmember to support a smoke-free ordinance that protects everyone from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Exposure to secondhand smoke is a major public health problem in New Orleans that places many of our our friends, family members and neighbors who are casino employees, bartenders and musicians at risk every day.

or in the beautifully crafted notes of a bluesman on a melodic Wednesday night,

so shouldn't we protect the bartenders, casino workers, and musicians who make our city the most mesmerizing place on the planet?

WWW.SMOKEFREENOLA.ORG • FACEBOOK.COM/SMOKEFREENOLA • @SMOKEFREENOLA 20

THE TRUMPET | JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2015