The Ninth Ward

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EE FR Neighborhood Voices, Citywide Power May-June 2007

Issue #5 Volume 1

Photo by Mike Dingler

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NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans. Find out more at www.npnnola.com

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NPN’S THE TRUMPET

MAY-JUNE 2007

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Travis Leger Editor-in-Chief, The Trumpet I am a New Orleans ambassador and so are you. It's a good job. Doesn't pay well, but the perks are nice. My wife and I are doing our ambassadorial duties in Hawaii for ten days. It's tough. Don't be fooled. For example, I wore my Saints t-shirt to the beach the other day. The sun was fierce on its black color. And I had to squint all the time. Tough, hard work this is. "It's good to get away every once in a while," I've heard New Orleanians say over and over. But it's always good to come back. I hear a lot of that, too. Some stay away longer than others, but the pull is always there.

Travis Leger Editor-in-Chief AmeriCorps Volunteer

Max Goldstein Assistant to the Editor

New Orleanians are never scared to speak up, as our "Neighborhood Voices" section proves. We at The Trumpet want you to send us your opinions. We're here to give you a place to have your voice heard.

Patricia Jones

Gill Benedek

NPN Board Treasurer Executive Director, NENA Lower 9th Ward

Distribution & Publishing AmeriCorps Volunteer

Deborah Langhoff

Mario Perkins

Steering Committee District 5 Lakeview, Lake Vista Neighborhood Association

Advertising, Writer AmeriCorps Volunteer

Editor, Writer AmeriCorps Volunteer

Father Luke Nguyen Village de L’est & Mary Queen of Vietnam

Lynn Aline Baronne Street Neighborhood Association

Neighborhood Voices 3

Green Orleans 7

The People In Your Neighborhood 8 In the Spotlight 11

Julius Lee Pine Timbers Neighborhood Improvement Association

Victor Gordon Pontilly Neighborhood Association

Kim Henry Oak Park Neighborhood Association

Youth Center 19

Your Story!

Submission Guidelines: An article in doc, txt, html or any other format. Any photos and credits of photographer. Contact information such as name, telephone #, email address, neighborhood/district affiliation, organization.

Dorian Hastings Project Manager, Central City Renaissance

New Orleans’ Transient Blues 8

Contact us with submissions or comments Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com or call 504-940-2207 Write to us at The NPN Trumpet, 2401 Esplanade Ave. New Orleans, LA 70119

Latoya Cantrell President, Broadmoor Improvement Association

Editor UNO intern

Travis Leger Editor-in-Chief, The Trumpet

Event, Poem, Neighborhood Update Opinion, or Advertisement

Amy Lafont Mid-City Neighborhood Association

Adrienne Crumpton

Community Events 6

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Phil Costa NPN Board Chair City Park Neighborhood Association

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Emily Zeanah And here in the city the people have lots to say. And we're proud to present in this fifth issue some great stories and photos documenting New Orleans here and now. We have stories from the Ninth Ward, New Orleans East and even all the way from Jena, Louisiana. Regarding New Orleans culture, there are recaps of a neighborhood block party and of the Musicians Union Open House. There's an interview with a Chalmette artist. The monthly "Transient Blues" column reflects on the festival season. Environmentally speaking, our "Green Orleans" section covers an energy-conserving light bulb project and the Rethinkers have a great interview with Global Green where they unveil their "Green Bathroom" project in their ongoing efforts to improve New Orleans' public schools.

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Third Party Submission Issues Physical submissions on paper, CD, etc. will not 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 Copyright 2007 Neighborhood 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.

NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES

NPN’S THE TRUMPET

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Neighborhood Voices

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The Trumpet has no responsibility for the views, opinions and information communicated here. The contributor(s) are fully responsible for this content. In addition, the views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the The Trumpet.

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By Robert Sullivan French-Louisianan Writer It used to be fine with me that New Orleans was terribly misunderstood by the rest of the United States. I was content to be considered eccentric and perhaps kinky for living in a place that caused a peculiar glint in the eye of the person asking me where I came from. I enjoyed thinking that my city had not been completely homogenized into the pattern of televised culture and that we formed a special group of Americans, like the Amish or the Navajo. Now the rest of the United States is looking at us and demanding an explanation for our very existence. No other city is

being asked to justify its existence the way we are. San Francisco and Los Angeles may teem over an earthquake fault, but no one insults them by implying they are stupid to live there. Miami and Key West are hit every year by hurricanes, and everyone thinks it normal that the inhabitants return. Seattle and Vancouver are acceptable locations, despite proximity to volcanoes. Yet America demands that New Orleans justify its existence under penalty of having to pay back federal loans or never receiving them at all. The pundits on radio and in Congress speak of corruption in New Orleans and Louisiana, but they ignore the well-known corruption in the other states and, worst of

all, the corruption in the federal government that extends into the halls of Congress and the White House. In Louisiana, we are pikers when it comes to corruption. We really do not know how to do it, or we would have a great deal more money than we do. Our poverty is actually proof of our inability to be as corrupt as many of our fellow Americans. Can we survive and even thrive after Katrina and Rita? Yes, we can and will. I will return to Louisiana and work in education. Many of us will return, and many of us will not. That is each Louisianans' choice. The critics and the pundits and the hostile deserve an explanation of why I choose to a city that forgot to retain control

over its own destiny and will now remember to do so. My explanation is simple. I have known a life of joy there, rich and colorful and musical, like I could not have known anywhere else. It is my home. New Orleans has been part of America since before there even was a United States. It is New Orleans that has assured the importation of the oil, gas, coffee, sugar, and countless other products that flow through her to the heartland. It is New Orleans that gave the world a new music that has grown to international influence. New Orleans is part of America's culture and part of America. Do not give up on her simply because you do not understand her.

' ( )* # + # ' % $ % # By Natasha Manuel Tulane English/Sociology Student Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Veterans Affairs Hospital in New Orleans. She took LSU Medical School’s Charity Hospital, as well. Where does this leave New Orleans' veterans in terms of heath care? Currently, Louisiana is pending a decision to build a joint hospital in New Orleans to revive the healthcare system. There has been great deliberation over whether a collaboration of the federal and state hospitals is a good idea. The joining of the VA and LSU Hospitals would be beneficial to this city, its veterans and the retention of its professionals. A new hospital must be built in New Orleans. The current plan for its joint location is adjacent to the old Charity Hospital. Jim Nicholson, Secretary of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, says this arrangement is subject to change. Other prospects include Jefferson Parish, a location Nicholson says veterans would probably favor because most of them live in or near that area. The new VA Hospital could serve as a regional hospital for veterans from the surrounding areas of New Orleans. Many citizens of Louisiana have enlisted in the army since the start of the War in Iraq; forty percent are enrolled in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They will need first-rate care as they return home after serving their

time, but critics believe that establishing the new hospitals in downtown New Orleans would benefit only LSU Medical School in terms of location. Why then, a joint hospital with LSU? The VA hospital no longer exists. The situation in New Orleans has forced unwell veterans to be rerouted to Texas, Mississippi, and other Louisiana cities. Without the VA hospital, the veterans truly lack health services in the area. Prior to the hurricane, the VA Hospital provided care to approximately 40,000 veterans in the state. It lost 206 beds, many doctors, and most of their medical records to Katrina. City officials declared the original hospital, located on Perdido Street in downtown New Orleans, unusable after water damage completely destroyed the electrical system. LSU Medical School’s Charity Hospital experienced even more damage. Charity Hospital has to be rebuilt because there is no place for the students of the medical school to perform their needed research and training. With the prior existence of both the VA Hospital and the LSU Hospital in downtown New Orleans, joining of the two in one location would be beneficial to both hospitals. The cost for building the new hospitals amounts to approximately 1.2 billion dollars for the state, and 636 million dollars for Veterans Affairs. By building a joint hospital, the federal and state governments would pay their halves for the VA and

LSU Hospitals respectively. VA has already agreed to pay for the infrastructure costs of all the facilities for the joint hospitals, which would share a parking lot and laundry facilities. The structure of the joint hospital would appear as a U-shaped building, consisting of the VA Hospital and the LSU Hospital being two separate towers, joined by a corridor. The hospitals would staff and operate themselves separately to ensure that services provided by the hospitals will meet their patient’s expectations. Although the two hospitals will be staffed independently, there may be difficultly in hiring the amount of doctors needed to sufficiently staff the VA Hospital without the residents and fellows from LSU Medical School. The money needed to employ a full staff of only independent practicing physicians is expensive. The VA Hospital would benefit by hiring some residents, fellows, and medical students, resulting in lower employment costs. The same goes for nurses. Nurse trainees could be used to staff part of the amount needed for the Veteran's Hospital. With the joint hospital, the two divisions could help each other. While the Veteran’s Hospital saved money on staff, the staff of the LSU Medical School Hospital could gain experience at another hospital without having to travel far from their primary hospital to do so. Therefore, combining the two facilities in the same location will be more financially

feasible and serve the needs of both the veterans and the people of New Orleans. Due to the staffing conveniences, the joining of the two hospitals would increase retention of professionals to New Orleans. The hospitals will provide an increase in job opportunities for doctors as they hire them separately, create fellowship opportunities for interns, and allow residents to attain a job in bustling downtown New Orleans. The building of the hospitals will also increase the retention of engineers to come and build the joint VA and LSU Hospitals. The professionals of New Orleans have to be brought back to this unique city. By creating an opportunity such as this one, Louisiana produces a chance for them to experience and enjoy the heart of New Orleans as they work. Building this joint hospital will aid in the revival of the city’s veterans, professionals, and health care system.

SUBMIT Your Ideas and Opinions. To The Neighborhood Voices Section

We want to hear from everybody! Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com Call: 504-940-2207 Write: The NPN Trumpet 2401 Esplanade Ave. N.O. 70119

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NPN’S THE TRUMPET

MAY-JUNE 2007

, % - " #. By Lolita Burrell Freelance Writer and Community Activist

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ace,â€? “Racism,â€? “Race Cardâ€? – terms flying faster and more furiously in postKatrina New Orleans as the stakes and tensions mount higher than ever. New Orleanians are perturbed by Ed Blakely’s now infamous comparison of our racial conflicts to that of Shiites and Sunnis, yet most of us agree it’s not too far from truth and until the ‘race thing’ gets fixed nothing else in the recovery process will work. So, we’re going to fix race-relations, huh? Sure, and the reigning Miss America will be the one to finally achieve that “world peaceâ€? so many of her predecessors idealized. All joking aside, I’ve recently observed two glimmers of hope for race relations in New Orleans – increased communication and shared introspection. I’ve been participating in a lot of both lately and encourage every concerned New Orleans’ citizen to do the same. There is an increase in public forums and private conversations about race relations. Just within the last three months, Tulane, Loyola, Eracism, and AshĂŠ Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Contemporary Arts Center hosted conferences on this most topical yet age old issue. Private conversations are taking off from these community meetings. Complimenting this is growing national dialogue prompted first by the Katrina aftermath and more recently by racial slur hurling celebrities. These incidents are fueling much-needed debates about systemic racial problems in America; demonstrating what we already know - problematic race relations are not unique to our region. Introspection is most obvious in the rare and compelling moment when a community leader makes a race-related proclamation that sounds like it belongs to a member of the opposite race. These statements reveal an otherwise elusive element of objectivity in the race debate, making the “race thingâ€? less of an “usâ€? vs. “themâ€? war scenario and more a matter of perspective. If only for an instant, a less defensive, more self-reflective atmosphere emerges.

I believe this is the only place where sincere change and a true “fix� can begin. At Loyola University’s President’s Forum on Resurrecting Martin Luther King’s Dream: The Challenge of Integrity in Post-Katrina New Orleans, Xavier University’s President, Dr. Norman Francis advised: “Don’t play the race card every time you don’t have the answer to the problem.� This statement was met with resounding applause from white and black audience members alike, perhaps because of its timing - just one week after the Ray Nagin conspiracy-theory backlash as cov-

ered by the Washington Post. Coming from a highly respected African American leader, it felt like an appropriate call to the African American community for careful reflection and personal responsibility in approach to issues of race and racism. I felt a tinge of dĂŠjĂ vu because less than one week before this event, I witnessed a similar call for introspection to the Caucasian community by a Caucasian activist. It was a statement made by Orissa Arend, a community organizer and writer as well as professional mediator and psychotherapist. Her article “Washing Away

Racism,� in the March 15th issue of The Trumpet, challenged white readers with these statements: “Racism is OUR problem even though we minimize it out of wishful thinking or because the ‘benefits’ that accrue from it have come to seem natural. We constructed it and we will reconstruct it in the blink of an eye, sometimes without even realizing we are doing it. It is primarily our responsibility to dismantle racism both because we built it in the first place and because we are mostly in charge.� She goes on to recount how that statement was received when she delivered it to a random person standing next to her at a conference. “I’ve never heard anyone say that� was the response. As I read it, I thought “neither have I� and was moved to learn more about what was behind it. So, I met with Orissa and asked her to elaborate. What followed was the most enlightening conversation I have ever had about race. It was enhanced by personal reflection on messages about race coming to us through television, books, news reports, and other aspects of our American culture. Pulling all of this together altered my perspective and might alter yours as well. Orissa’s context for defining racism comes from her experience with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (People’s Institute), an international antiracist training organization. She explains that racism is “race prejudice plus power,� and that the ‘plus power’ element is the key. She says “as white people, we’re often blind to the power dynamics of it.� Having access is an important element of power. She acknowledges that African Americans have significantly more access now than forty years ago but there is a long way to go for equity. “I think racism has a way of morphing into something more subtle,� she says. It’s no longer mainly about overtly oppressive actions and imposing racial supremacy. “It may even be happening less consciously. In any case, now it’s taking a distinctly economic form,� she explains. Orissa explained just how much power and inherent privileges of those possessing it are taken for granted. “I think that is one

of the widest gaps in black and white perception. The privileges that we have as white people just seem like the air that we breathe. We really don’t realize that they’re privileges. To black people – most of them – it’s a ‘no-brainer’ that they’re privileges. They don’t have them or they don’t have them in the same way that we have them. So they’re constantly conscious of it,� she says. “That’s why sometimes I think for white people, it’s not just that they’re denying racism— it’s that they’re really not aware of it.� I was intrigued with her analysis and it came to mind when I heard about the recent investigation by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center. Unconscious privilege and access over African American candidates are exactly what many white rental applicants experienced during this process. Until testers compared results, these candidates and many others in the white populace they represent might not be mindful of just how much more likely they are to be shown available rental units, to be called back by prospective landlords, or to receive more favorable terms and conditions of tenancy. But, what about the landlords who perpetrated the inequities? Surely, they were conscious of their racist actions— right? Not necessarily. I recalled an interview with Richard Parsons, Time Warner’s Chairman and CEO. It was on CNN’s series “In the Money,� when the topic du jour for February 18, 2007 was diversity in America. Parsons spoke of study results proving the significance of people’s subconscious perceptions in their decisionmaking about diversity inclusion. “They’re not even aware of these different ways they think about people depending upon their ethnicity; depending upon their gender; depending upon their race. The first thing you have to do is surface that for them to look at and to understand that it exists – it’s in their heads – and then you can engage them in how are we are going to change.� Surfacing these perceptions is not easy even though they are shaped from so many avenues of our existence. Linguistic and iconic influences on race perception are

NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES

embedded in our culture. During our conversation, Orissa highlighted how typically negative connotations are assigned to the word “black” – positive ones to “white.” I then thought about a 53-year old social experiment that came to my attention through a video-email. This doll test had a sample of black children evaluate a black doll vs. a white one. The test was recently resurrected by an African American high school filmmaker, Kiri Davis, to assess if perceptions had changed. In both tests – half a century apart – the vast majority of the black children chose the white doll when asked: “Which is the nice doll?” or which doll did they prefer? Conversely, they chose the black doll when asked “Which doll looks bad?” Kiri Davis said the study was personal to her, echoing messages she received as a child. “I can’t be princess because I’m black and princesses aren’t black. It’s those little things that kind of get to you after a while,” she expressed. Perhaps for little black boys, it’s the absence of a black superhero and the myriad negative ways black men are portrayed in the media and perceived by the public that makes clear, early on: it’s the ‘white man’s world,’ and there is no place for them. All of the social messages, all of the reports on disparity in opportunity, pay, and other benefits between races, yet many of us are practically comatose in acknowledgement of our society’s ever present institutionalized racism. Orissa seems wide awake. She speaks as someone who was awakened from a dream by the realization that her dream was someone else’s nightmare and she, the monster. Her speech reflects an urgency to help the masses who still linger in dangerous slumber. “I think racism is killing all of us, either slowly or quickly,” she says. The epiphany for many whites during the People’s Institute’s Undoing Racism workshop is that “we realize what we have exchanged for our privilege. We’ve given away our humanity. We’ve given away our souls. We’ve given away our ability to connect with every other human being that God made. That’s a lot to give away in exchange for privilege,” she says. Orissa wants her message to serve as a wake up call to consciousness. She understands the reluctance many whites have to confront these issues. “In order to be conscious of it, it does something to my identity as a white person. I’ve just thought that I have all of these things because I’ve earned them. As white people, we’re very socialized into an individualistic kind of mindset. It’s not collective. So, for me to realize that I’m part of a white collective that has these privileges or is seen in a certain way because of my skin color – it creates kind of an identity crisis for us,” she explains.

There are support groups available to help Caucasians through this process. European Dissent is one of several white anti-racist organizations offering a place for conversation, reflection and support in sorting through internalized racial superiority. Some members of Trinity Episcopal Church, which is predominantly white, have also created an anti-racist group. The Undoing Racism workshop of the People’s Institute addresses both internalized racial superiority and internalized racial oppression. Orissa believes both racial groups need to deal with the “poison they have internalized sometimes within the privacy of a ‘white’ caucus or ‘black’ caucus.” “We really have to deal with our own stuff. It’s not our place as whites to comment on anything but our own dysfunction, but I hope black people will do that as well,” she says. Dealing with our own “stuff” is vital to addressing the racial conflict. As I soaked in Orissa’s commentary, the white identity crisis of which she spoke washed over me. I will never know exactly how many benefits my physical features have allowed me to the detriment of others. My hair alone garners so much positive attention that I sometimes not only feel like a fairy tale princess, I’m compared to one — Rapunzel. What makes a white identity crisis odd for me is the fact that I am black – well at least by the “one-drop” rule and historical context of racial identity. Actually, I am multi-racial; descending from mixed-race people who originated during Louisiana’s colonization. The mix is African, Caucasian, and Native American Indian (Indian), but as usual the Indians are largely ignored by society – leaving me and many like me to struggle more with the ‘tragic mulatto’ scenario of black vs. white. This has been the character of my typical racial identity crisis, which has also been experienced by ancestors, relatives, and friends who share in this history. I take some comfort in being born into this three-hundred year old support group; an ethnicity originally called the “free people of color,” later referred to as “Creole,” and more contemporarily identified as part of the African American whole. But often that comfort is thwarted in the midst of an actual racial identity crisis. These crises occur when attempts to “blend in” and “just be” slam against society’s larger racial perceptions. When I view myself as a completely black woman, some of my black friends remind me just how “high yellow,” and “mutt,” I am or how my white-like appearance has to disconnect me from the full reality of the African American experience. When living and working in predominantly white environments, I have been occasionally privy to off-color jokes and comments targeted

at blacks. Sometimes I spoke up about it. Sometimes I was afraid to. Always, I felt horrible and powerless in those environments. Further complicating my perspective is that my ethnic group has largely been a middle- to upper-middle class group of people throughout our history. Among other privileges, my ancestors were allowed to purchase real estate and acquire advanced education abroad while other blacks were still enslaved. Now I am considering the lasting effects of the many privileges, cultural infusions, and avenues of access provided by our white progenitors. My epiphany says this is largely why it has been relatively easier for us than for many other African Americans to maneuver in a white world. Not considering the cumulative effect of these cultural benefits from one generation to the next had given me the misperception that achieving or reclaiming a middle-class or higher lifestyle even for “us African Americans” is simply about hard-work and putting your mind to it. However, as I open my eyes against the blindness of inherited privilege, I see how the cards have been and continue to be

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stacked against large groups of African Americans - people who have suffered the cumulative effects of systematically being shut-off from opportunities, resources, and education on how to thrive in our capitalist society. This is a tragedy that negatively affects all of us and, in the words of Jonathan Kozol, is “The Shame of the Nation.” I was recently introduced to his book by this name, subtitled: “The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America,” and see it as a fitting read for New Orleanians in particular at this time in our history. Attend a race forum. Participate in and initiate conversations with an open mind to removing your own blinders. Read everything you can get you’re your hands on that will reveal the complete picture of our world and the circumstances faced by different races and cultures. Let’s take time to reflect on our lives, on how we relate to others, and on what pieces to the puzzle we may be missing in the quest to unite as one in the human race. Sharing our introspection through continuous, honest dialogue and listening to each other in a spirit of empathy should make racial tensions and other human conflicts part of our past.

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MAY-JUNE 2007

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Musicians Union Hall 2401 Esplanade Ave. New Orleans, LA 70119

NPN Forums are held from 6-8pm on Wednesdays

Forums Wed., June 6 Development Forum ll

Zion City Neighborhood Improvement Association

Meetings

Holy Cross Community Meetings

Gentilly

Thursdays, 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, June 13, 7-8:30pm Holy Cross High School, St. Matthias Catholic Church 4950 Dauphine St. 4230 Broad St. Use Chartres Street entrance to the large white trailer on the left. Citizens Road Home Action

Tuesdays, 6 p.m., at Sav-ACenter, second floor, 6600 Franklin Ave. The group holds a meeting to discuss community issues in Gentilly. Call Crystal at (504) 943-0044, ext. 112.

Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Wednesday, 7 p.m., in Kirschman Hall, Room 137, University of New Orleans. Call Norm Whitley at (504) 280-7120 or e-mail president@gentillyterrace.org

Bywater Neighborhood Association Meetings Tuesdays, 7 pm Holy Angels Concert Hall, 3500 St. Claude Ave.

Mid-City Recovery Planning Committees First Monday of every month, 6:30 pm, in the chapel of Grace Episcopal Church 3700 Canal St. Call (504) 905-9713.

Team (CHAT)

District 6 Community Council Meets every other Tuesday 6:30 pm UNO old Business Admin Bldg Room 211

Hollygrove Saturdays, noon, at St. Peter AME Church, 3424 Eagle St.

Central City Partnership Meets last Friday of the month Friday May 25, 1-2:30pm Identifying, developing and implementing strategies to rebuild. 2020 Jackson Ave., Second Floor

Carrollton United

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., in the old Business Administration Building, Room 212, University of New Orleans. The advocacy group meets weekly. Visit chat.thinknola.com.

Hispanic Forum A broad discussion of all the issues relevant to the Hispanic community of the New Orleans region. Fridays: 5/25, 3315 Maine Ave., Kenner 6/8, 1000 Howard Ave., NO, 1st floor 6/22, 3315 Maine Ave., Kenner

Events Eracism Discussion Group

Saturdays, 8:30am-noon Saturdays, 10-11:30 am Greater St. John Missionary Bap- 3606 Magazine St., Topic: tist Church, 8616 Hickory St. race relations in New Orleans. Call 866-1163.

Wed., June 20 Development Forum lll

Sistas Making a Change

May 26th Bayou Boogaloo

Monday & Thursday 6:00 to 8:00 pm Ashe Cultural Center 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. An Inner-city Wellness & Health Project Using Culture to Promote Wellness & Healthier Lifestyle. All age groups are welcome! (504) 569-9070

10am — 9:15pm FREE Orleans Ave and Jeff Davis Pkwy Two stages featuring: Bob French, Soul Rebels, Billy Iuso, The Revealers, Gradoux, Walter “Wolfman� Washington, Lynn Drurry, The Mid City Rulers, Shades of Praise, Margie Perez, Andy Hoffman & The B-Goes, Juice with Joe Krown, and more.

Upper Ninth Ward Farmers Market

www.bayou-boogaloo.com Or call 504-488-3865

Saturdays, 1-4pm,Holy Angels Convent (St. Claude at Gallier)

Post-Katrina Economic Development Summit

Lower Ninth Ward Farmers Market Sundays, 1-4pm, St. David Church (St. Claude at Lamanche)

Post Katrina Story Circles Open to everyone to come share your Katrina stories. Tuesdays at 6pm May 22, 29 June 5,12,19 Musicians Union Hall 2401 Esplanade Ave. For more info: 504-940-2207

Tues. June 5 — Fri. June 8 Link Up and Get Contracts - Contractors, Vendors and Suppliers Needed! The National Community Development Organization, Inc. (NCDOI) will host a Post-Katrina Economic Development Summit at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA. For more information: www.postkatrinasummit.org or call 866-277-7055

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ho’s Behind The Revolution 1000 Youth March? The Revolution 1000 Youth March is an outreach event of the street ministry of City Cathedral Church under the direction of Pastor Owen McManus, Jr. What Are They Doing? Marching through the streets of New Orleans; followed by a Christian concert featuring the music ministry team of Bethany World Prayer Center, Baton Rouge, LA. When Is It Happening? June 16, 2007 beginning at 10am

Where Will They March? The march begins at Washington Square and will proceed down Decatur Street to Canal Street then up Rampart and end at City Hall. The concert will begin one hour after the conclusion of the march at the City Cathedral expansion site on the I-10 service road between Bullard and Lake Forest Blvd. Why Are They Doing It? To proclaim righteousness, peace and joy for the City of New Orleans! Since Katrina we have witnessed a disturbing number of murders in the streets of our city. Furthermore, the slow pace of recovery has left many despondent and without hope. The results of these conditions are evident in every statistical analysis of the post-Katrina state of our citizenry. Katrina

survivors are battling depression, stressrelated illness, unemployment, anger, hopelessness and drug addictions at an alarming rate. In the days and weeks after Katrina many found that the only place they could find peace, comfort and a hope for the future was in the Lord. Since that time, however, many have drifted from that place. We need a revolution to revive this city – and the Revolution has begun! Since the City Cathedral Street Ministry team hit the streets “to proclaim liberty to the captives�, over 300 people have dedicated or rededicated their life to the Lord! Many individuals have experienced radical transformations through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Drug dealers have given up their trade. Crack and Heroin addicts have been delivered and remained clean

and sober. Tears of grown men have healed wounds of pain and bitterness. Many are experiencing joy and hope for the first time in years! The 1000 Youth March will remind the masses that God is still with us and in Him we can overcome every challenge facing us! How Can I Get Involved? Churches and youth ministries interested in participating should contact:

City Cathedral Church 8801 Chef Highway New Orleans, LA 70127 (504) 241-8191 www.citycathedral.org Email: consolidation@bellsouth.net

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Green Orleans

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Green Light New Orleans is still just a small startup non-profit but it has had great success installing already 2,367 CFL bulbs in several dozen low to medium income homes and churches. These money saving energy efficient bulbs are given and installed at no cost to the homeowner. Bulbs have been donated by hardware stores, energy providers, CFL bulb manufacturers, as well as individual donors. Andi needs more bulbs, volunteers, and funding so that he can take his vision of a New Orleans leading the way in energy efficiency from dreams to reality. On this Saturday morning he was joined by his son, a few volunteers from the Art Egg Permaculture Garden, several Americorps volunteers, and a few others all there to help out and lighten the load on fifteen area households. On this day of lighting upgrades, just like many other Josh Harrison a volunteer from Nashville installs compact fluorescent light bulbs on Piety Street. days, most of the households are related, do. In Australia they can see how backreferred by one family member who found Max Goldstein wards these old light bulbs are and have out about Andi’s program. Neighborhoods Partnership Network instituted a ban that will make them illegal The program is hard to refuse, free there in three years. light bulbs that will last ten times longer A similar ban may eventually come to eighbors peeped through front doors than the conventional bulb, and save cusAmerica but for the time being we have to on Piety Street this Saturday morning tomers around 45$ per bulb over its liferely on individual citizens to stop buying curiously trying to figure out what a group time, around five to ten years. of environmentalist volunteers was up to these cheap wasteful old light bulbs. As Many New Orleans residents are unincongregating on their block. Andi Hoffmann, creator of Green Light formed about compact fluorescent bulbs The volunteers came to the Bywater/ New Orleans sees it, the time is now and and their many advantages. Green Light 9th Ward (depending on your preference) the place is New Orleans. Due to New New Orleans hopes to change that for each to help people reduce their monthly energy Orleans’ low elevation and proximity to house they serve and eventually the whole bills and cut carbon emissions by replacing water it is one of the cities most at risk city. At the end of the installation of the of flooding due to rise in sea level and the every one of the old outdated incandescent light bulbs in their homes with newer com- occurrence of stronger storms caused by global warming. Hoffmann would like to pact fluorescent bulbs. see all of New Orleans running on comThese new CFL bulbs generate the pact fluorescents. This would dramatically same amount of light with 75% less elecreduce our carbon emissions as a city as tricity and don’t waste 90% of the electricwell as help shrink our electricity bills. ity producing heat as conventional bulbs

new light bulbs recipients are given a statement that tells them how much their new light bulbs will cut their carbon emissions, electricity bills, and electric use. The real power of the program is that the bulbs are installed throughout the entire home so the homeowner can see the drop in their electricity usage on the monthly bill and see the value of these CFL bulbs. Of course you can go out and buy CFL bulbs at drugstores and hardware stores but the initial cost is more than that of conventional bulbs. Green Light New Orleans has created a way for residents of New Orleans lacking those financial resources, to benefit from the huge increase in efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs offer. For more information on signing up your house, volunteering, or donating visit: www.greenlightneworleans.org or call 504-324-2429.

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Andi Hoffmann, second left, explains his program to Americorps volunteers.

Photos by Max Goldstein

These receipts show how much money, carbon, and energy will be saved in an individual home.

20w CFL bulbs replace 75w incandescent bulbs

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MAY-JUNE 2007

The People in your Neighborhood " % / , ," "#

7 + ,8 % / ) , # By NPN Staff

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#0 ) By Shana Dukes Broadmoor Poet/Writer

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Share Your Transient Blues with us! Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com Or write to NPN’s The Trumpet 2401 Esplanade Ave. NOLA, 70119

The parking lot was adorned in cast off crawfish shells, chalk drawings, strings of lights, piles of bicycles, and smoke clouds from the BBQ. Brass music billowed out into the street. Rev and I were posted at the entrance, greeting folks and tearing tickets for the food. It felt busy at the entrance, and that feeling was confirmed when they informed us that we ran out of burgers, then ribs, then hot dogs, finally, crawfish. But it wasn't until the sun began to set, and I had a chance to look behind me: saw some older folks dancing, little kids running around, handshakes, laughing, business suits and tshirts, flip flops and high heals, painted faces, stuffed faces, that I started to feel like we came close to accomplishing what we set out to do. -Emily Zeanah

Photos by Michelle Shipley

ately, I feel as if I am living in the shadow of a constant party. I guess such is the reality when spring and summer come to New Orleans. As Mardi Gras ends, the city goes down for a quick catnap and wakes to find a host of other festivals on its doorstep. Among them are the Tennessee Williams Literary, French Quarter, Jazz and Heritage, and Voodoo Festivals. Still the list goes on. Long time residents seem to accept the revelry as an essential part of life in the “Big Easy�. Though at times, every day life during festival season can be anything but easy. On the opening weekend of Jazz Fest, as I took care of my list of Friday “todo’s�, I must have been asked at least ten times if I was planning a trip to the fair grounds. So many asked (and so enthusiastically), that I started to wonder whether individual people around town could possibly be festival promoters. Each time the festival question was posed I answered the same way, “I’m not sure. Maybe next weekend.� I chose to say that because an honest “No, I can’t afford it this year,� answer might have shattered some well-meaning spirits. At one point, I mused with a neighbor over the lack of locals whom we knew would actually be able to attend the event this year. I could honestly say that I didn’t know anyone who had actually bought a ticket (the cost, the crowds, and the time away from work were deterrents). I did know plenty of busy locals on budgets

who found it more ideal to attend concerts at other local venues while the fair grounds bustled with activity. The transient annual festivals held in New Orleans give back to the city much that is positive. Our cultural arts are promoted as tourism thrives. But on the flipside, big ticket events aren’t necessarily a break for those living here on a daily basis. We negotiate the heavy traffic, sometimes work longer hours, lose our seats at local hangouts, and read about the merriment in the papers. Sometimes we’d rather be tourists, but we also get to stay afterwards and breathe in the quiet of a city that belongs to us once again. In the wake of it all, we may sit comfortably in our housecoats, sipping coffee as exhausted tourists make it out onto the interstates and head back to their home bases. Such is the festival balance here in NOLA. And, I still have to love a city that can always find the time and a reason for a party, whether there is time to sleep off the collective hangover or just a moment’s pause for a quick catnap.

t was a pleasant surprise. We didn't want it to flop. I had hoped that it would turn out well, I was optimistic about it, but I was finally able to relax when people started trickling into the parking lot. The first band started playing and even more people came. They bought the food, they bought the snoballs from the vendor, they visited the informational booths, they ate, they mingled, they danced. The kids parked their little bikes by the gate and got their faces painted. One family drew hopscotch on the pavement with chalk. A little girl zipped by on her scooter. There were people we knew and lots we didn't. Some of them heard the music from their houses nearby and came over. One woman said she was riding the bus along Esplanade Ave., saw the block party signs and got off to see what it was. "The neighborhood's been too quiet," one of the neighborhood residents told me. He had ridden his bike over, two six packs

of beer in the baskets straddling the rear tire. He and a friend even helped us clean up at the end of the night. They brought tables inside. "This is our neighborhood. We help each other out," he said. -Travis Leger

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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he Musicians Union Hall, Local 174496 at 2401 Esplanade is a Labor Union dating back to 1902. They advocate musician’s rights and help musicians get access to healthcare benefits. Last month, on Sunday April, 22, the Musicians Union held an open house at the Union Hall in an effort to embrace the entire musical community and reach out to youth musicians. Kim Foreman, the Secretary/Treasurer of the Union, says that after the storm union membership was substantially reduced. The Union realized that they had to open their doors to the community and become more visible. In an attempt to bring in more members they decided to have open houses so that they could showcase some of the union talent to the public. The Crescent City Stage Band, a youth band made up of college-aged musicians

from across the city, performed a two song set. They were directed by Dr. Tim Turner from Xavier University. The other set was an Union All-Star Jam session featuring Lawrence Cotton on piano, Albert “June� Gardener on drums, Jamil Sharif on trumpet and Charles Moore on guitar. The turnout was great. The music was outstanding and there was plenty bbq chicken, drinks and fixin’s. The following people were heavily involved with the success of the open house: Germaine Bazzle, vocal instructor; Peter Cho of Delgado University; Frank Mays, Xavier/Delgado Universities music instructor; Deacon John Moore, President Local 174-496; and Kim Foreman, Secretary/Treasurer Local 174496. Terry McGillis from Sweet Lorraine was there providing blood pressure testing and blood screening. Also present was Sweet Home New Orleans, Jordan Hirsch who provides social work advice for musicians and culture bearers, Reed Wick from MusiCares and Catherine Lasperches from the Musicians Clinic.

#- , ! % Animal Rescue New Orleans is looking for volunteers to help w/ feeding, trapping, phone work, computer work, working at the rescue warehouse, etc.

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There are still MANY animals remaining on the streets of New Orleans since the storm. Many of these animals are pets of people who have moved away and we are still uniting some of them with their original families. There is SO MUCH WORK and not enough people to help get it done. If anyone can give ANY AMOUNT OF TIME to help these animals it would be very much appreciated. We are not getting the work done now because of the lack of help and it will continue this way until we get more volunteers. It will not take much of your time and there is no official commitment. Many of the animals are going hungry on the streets because of the lack of help. You do not see these animals during the day much, mostly in the evening. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. Thank you, Traci Kestler Animal Rights for Life tbkestler@cox.net 504-975-5971

Photo by Norman Smith

By Mario Perkins 7th Ward Resident

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MAY-JUNE 2007

9: !# " " - % # 4 By Shana Dukes Broadmoor Poet/Writer

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oe Augello is originally from Chalmette, LA. He, his wife, Jennifer, and their pit-bull, Chyna, are temporarily residing in Pearl River County after losing their St. Bernard parish apartment during Hurricane Katrina. The couple both work in the greater New Orleans area, and hope to buy their first home here very soon. In a recent interview with Joe, he shared the following with me. Q. Who or what inspires you to create visual works of art? A. My love for my wife inspires me. She was the inspiration behind the work, “The Light to My Darkness”. The work has also helped me to deal with my past. “My Darkest Night” was inspired by the loss of my mother. I have learned to use my art as an escape, and in dealing with different situations. Q. Why do you feel that visual arts and artists are important to consider as we focus on rebuilding New Orleans? A. Art has been a part of Louisiana for as long as I can remember. Visual arts along with music are a big part of the lifestyle in New Orleans. It would be good to get more artists into the city to help us rebuild. Q. What drew you to the visual arts? Did you have a mentor whose work inspired or encouraged your own?

A. From the time I was nine or ten years old, there was a wall for taggers at Chalmette High School. People would just go there to spray-paint their works. That is kind of what started me being interested in that sort of art. I wonder if they still have that wall? Q. Do you think that your choice of mediums, mostly colored ink on paper, was influenced by wall artists and taggers? A. Yeah, when I try other things, paint, etc., I seem to mess it up. Q. So the art inspires the medium? A. Yes. Q. What, ideally, are your professional goals for your artworks? A. I would love to be a tattoo artist. If I could afford an apprenticeship, that’d be great! Q. What is your message to children who may be blessed with similar talent? A. Keep practicing. Keep working. Practice with shades. Always expand your horizons. Q. Do you have a website for our readers to find your work? A. I don’t have all of the tools or enough computer knowledge at this time, but I would be open to doing something like that in the future. Q. Where can you be contacted by those interested in seeing more of or purchasing your work? A. I can be contacted by email. Joe Augello can be reached by email at JenJoe5506@yahoo.com The Light to My Dark

My Darkest Night

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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Photos by Mike Dingler

" # " %. ; # , " " By Mike Dingler Freelance Writer/Photographer

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fter Katrina, it is easy to say that so many of us went a little crazy‌even those of us who lost little more than a few shingles off the top of our roofs. Our city looked the way we felt and our best form of expression was self-identification with the very chaos and destruction that surrounded us. Our uniting factor was as simple as knowing the immensity of our displacement. We were a city of homeless people spread across the country. For some of us, our displacement was immediate from floodwaters or worse. For others, it was a slow process that involved the loss of friends and family by succumbing to the demons of anxiety, depression

and disillusionment. No one, however secure, was secure from the emotional turmoil that will define people for years to come through the tragedy of posttraumatic stress disorder. In the Ninth Ward there was no relief and there is yet still little relief. In the Lower Ninth where some of the breaches of the levee occurred, complete blocks of the neighborhood have been destroyed‌ eliminated as though they were tracks of land that have been cleared and never developed. Today, the demolition crews are finally finishing what Katrina started. The Ninth Ward has been notorious in New Orleans long before Hurricane Katrina gave the neighborhood national notoriety. To those who did not know the area, it was thought of as an area rampant with crime. To those who did know the area, it was home.

To George Wilson, who’s home was on Rampart in the Ninth Ward before the storm, life isn’t the same as it had been. George had left New Orleans for Macintosh, Alabama and was gone a year before he and his immediate family returned. He didn’t have to return to a FEMA trailer like so many and was able to find a place in the same neighborhood he had left, but to him, “everything seemed so dead.� In George’s view of his neighborhood, life is worse. “You don’t see anybody out anymore. Used to be that more people were out hanging until eleven or so.� The porches where the neighbors would sit are empty and many of the people haven’t returned. They lost everything they had worth returning to. George Wilson’s view of the city is representative of many people in New Orleans and that is that the government let

the situation get more out of hand than it had been. Recovery in the Ninth Ward is ongoing, even if it is slow. There are a number of proposals for what to do and while politicians debate those proposals, a handful of people try to piece back together their lives and homes. With businesses slow to return, there are few services and restaurants, but there are community service centers that have opened to help the people of the neighborhood. One such place is Emergency Communities at 6030 St. Claude. Emergency Communities opened shortly after Thanksgiving of 2006, according to Brian Quinn, a volunteer at the center from New Hampshire. Brian, a retired electrician who spent six months in Biloxi immediately following Katrina, is considered a long term

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volunteer because of the amount of time he has spent on this project. Many of the people who work at Emergency Communities are volunteers from across the country and some from around the world, though there are a small handful of locals who show up to help out on given days. Mark Weiner, Executive Director of Emergency Communities had opened facilities similar to this in Bay St. Louis, St. Bernard and Plaquemines. The center offers telephone, internet, computers, some kids activities, tools for use, and laundry facilities, to name a few. Centers such as these will be based in the hardest impacted areas until a larger relief agency is able to move into the area. Brian points out some of the issues that Emergency Communities has had. “It’s a struggle – not enough money around.” Though not from New Orleans, his opinions seem to echo the frustrations of the people affected. He feels that there has been very limited interaction on the part of the federal and state governments and comments, “These people have been abandoned.” “A lot of peoples’ houses here were pretty marginal to begin with and it seems like they are waiting for someone to come help them, but it’s not how it works. If the government were going to come here to help build houses, they would have been here by now,” Brian concludes. Scores of people have come to New

MAY-JUNE 2007

Orleans to give their time and effort to the rebuilding and recovery of the city. Two such people are Carol and Dave Lehrman from Tucson, Arizona. They first heard of the Ninth Ward by watching Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke and didn’t actually see the neighborhood until sixteen months after Katrina. David and Carol have come to New Orleans twice in the last year to work on our houses and in our neighborhoods. The first time they came to New Orleans, it was to work with Habitat for Humanity in the Ninth Ward building houses for Musician’s Village. The second time they visited New Orleans was to help gut houses in Chalmette. “We had a semblance of an idea about what the devastated areas were going to look like due to the Spike Lee documentary, but even so, we were not mentally prepared for the devastation. We had no idea of the vastness of the destruction. Even the documentary could not portray that - one has to see it for one's self,” David says. Carol comments, “I was shocked at the devastation. It looked like a war zone…It was the most sobering thing I've ever experienced.” David admits that he had never even heard of the Ninth Ward, though he had been to New Orleans before, staying in the either the French Quarter or the Garden District. David and Carol see the majority

of the effort being done by grassroots organizations and by individual homeowners without much government intervention or assistance. “We were shocked at what we saw. I think that people should come and see it, and see how much our government has not done for these American citizens,” David says. “I am appalled at the lack of response by government at all levels - local, state and federal.” Despite the overwhelming opinion that the government has ignored the needs of New Orleanians and Louisianans, New Orleans has not lost its charm or faith. Carol helps to put those things in perspective when she says, “Not having ever lived in NOLA, not having been there before Katrina and not knowing an in-depth history of the neighborhoods of the city, I believe every neighborhood within a city

is what gives that city it's unique flavor and character. So the Ninth Ward is important in that it is a piece of the whole of New Orleans…I fell in love with it all the same.” Carol’s sentiment is what brings people to New Orleans and the Ninth Ward to help rebuild and it is also that sentiment that encourages people to open community centers such as Emergency Communities. The Ninth Ward will become a neighborhood again instead of the spattering of FEMA trailers marking where people would like to live again, even if it isn’t the same. A tragic opportunity has been given to the city to rebuild a section of town and make it an incredible place yet again. Let’s hope the people elected to be our leaders finally do the right thing.

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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Photos of The Ninth Ward by Mike Dingler

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erty deemed "an imminent health threat." The ordinance calls for notification of the registered owner of the property and begins counting the 30hether made of straw, sticks or bricks business days before the city homes standing in the Lower 9th in the will destroy the structure. aftermath of Katrina's huffing and puffing Registered owners are notinow fear city of New Orleans' bulldozers. fied via standard mail sent Iris Gladney is fighting to keep her to their last known address home standing. Her house is brick and (sometimes the empty home), shaded by a large cypress tree. She has publication in the Timesa contractor's report verifying its structural Picayune or by a pink-colored stability. She met this week with Road notice tacked onto the building Home officials to finalize her restoration in question. funds. More than three weeks ago volunteers from Common Ground Relief began canvassing the Lower 9th ward crossreferencing homes with pink notices against those published in the Times-Picayune, and those appearing on a difficultto-find city of New Orleans website. Not surprisingly sevPatricia and Romallis Brightman's home on Tupelo Street was gutted and structurally sound, but torn down by the eral homes appearing in the city of New Orleans. The Brightman's are displaced in Texas, and they never received a notice. paper or the database did not apart – and receipt of the mailed notice tion that relief will or will not be granted." have notices, and vice-versa, several When residents have provided written is unlikely – homeowners have no way to homes with notices had never appeared in objections the city has not only refused know the beginning of the 30-day period. the paper or on the city's searchable data"They found me when they wanted to answer the objection, representatives base. me to vote for (Ray) Nagin," Gladney said. even refused to document receipt of the Surprising is the number of these material provided. "But they couldn't find me to tell me about homes which are slightly-damaged brick my house?" The lack of response and vague phrasstructures, which appear to be sound. ing "imminent threat" is randomly and She never received a letter, and is Yet her house is listed for demolition Many of them are gutted and mold remediinequitably applied. actively pursuing all means to keep her and the dozers are chewing through houses ated, but still they stand with pink slips home. She even allowed her home to be A gutted, boarded home in the 1900 dangling in door frames or stuffed in only blocks away. block of Tricou St. is a threat, and slated mailboxes. photographed for a story in the TimesIn February city council members apto be razed. But because the different forms of Picayune about the city's destruction of proved an ordinance (26-264a) allowing structurally sound homes. But at the corner of Delery and the city to demolish or remediate any prop- notice happen as much as three weeks Dorgenois streets a two-story house, Unfortunately misinformation is as washed up from across the street sits atop rampant as the destruction. The city lists two phone numbers. One is printed on the an old Camaro. This house does not appear on any demolition list. tacked notices. And another listed in the Explanations offered city workers Times-Picayune claiming to be "dedicated to providing information regarding demoli- destroying homes on nearby Charbonnet Street are an eerie look inside city official's tions," which rings to the city's general interest in tourism. information line. Operators of the second line say they do not deal with demolition "That's a landmark, everyone takes pictures of it," said an unnamed city questions. employee. "We're leaving it and the one The number on the pink notice is no less a gamble. Ms.Gladney was told if where we found the last body until last." During the time Common Ground volshe just kept the house gutted, mold remeunteers have been searching for homeowndiated, secured and neat, then her house would not be demolished. Almost a month ers and offering legal advocacy to anyone interested in fighting to save a home from later, although she was in full compliance, destruction, the city has torn down more her home was listed for demolition in the Times. than 20 homes. Whole blocks of the Lower There are many problems with the 9th are sectioned off during the day. city's process. After offering legal owners No voices shout in protest, the sound of the option to present their objections in the bulldozers competes only with the writing, the policy reads: "The City of sound of an ice-cream truck serving Iris Gladney’s home on Lamanche Street. Gladney has a contractor’s report attesting to the New Orleans makes no legal representacontractors and city employees. structure’s soundness and the house is boarded and gutted, but it remains on the list. By Bobbi Walker Community Mediation Services

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

4 #, # 4 By Jordan Flaherty Left Turn Magazine

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peaking to demonstrators in front of a rural Louisiana courthouse last week, Alan Bean, a Baptist minister from the Texas panhandle, inveighed against injustice. "The highest crime in the Old Testament," he declared, "is to withhold due process from poor people. To manipulate the criminal justice system to the advantage of the powerful, against the poor and the powerless." As he delivered his message to the crowd, officers from the state police intelligence division watched from the side, videotaping speakers and audience. Bean was speaking at a rally organized by residents of Jena, Louisiana. In the space of a few weeks, more than 150 of this small town's residents have organized an inspiring grassroots struggle against injustice. The demonstrations began when six Black students at Jena High School were arrested after a fight at school and charged with conspiracy to attempt second-degree murder. The students now face up to 100 years in prison without parole, in a case that King Downing, National Coordinator of the ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling, has said "carries the scent of injustice." Local activists say that this wave of problems started last September, when Black high school students asked for permission to sit under a tree at an area of the high school that had, traditionally, been used only by white students. The next day, three nooses were hanging from the tree. The following week, Black students staged a protest under the tree. At a school assembly soon after, Jena district attorney Reed Walters, appearing with local police officers, warned Black students against further unrest. "I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of my pen," he threatened. According to many in Jena, tensions simmered in the town over the fall, occasionally exploding into fights and other incidents. No white students were charged or punished, including the students found to have been responsible for hanging the nooses. Bryant Purvis, one of the Black students now facing charges, states that, after the incident, "there were a lot of people aggravated about it, a lot of fights at the school after that, a lot of arguments, and a lot of people getting treated differently." In the first weekend of December, a Black student was assaulted by a group of white students, and a white graduate

of Jena High School threatened several Black students with a shotgun. The following Monday, white students taunted the Black student who was assaulted over the weekend, and one of the white students was beaten up. Within hours, six Black students were arrested. "I think the district attorney is pinning it on us to make an example of us," said Purvis. "In Jena, people get accused of things they didn't do a lot."

Soon after, their parents discovered that these students were facing attempted murder charges. "The courtroom, the whole back side, was filled with police officers," Tina Jones, Bryant's mother, recalls. "I guess they thought maybe when they announced what the charges were, we were gonna go berserk or something." At last week's demonstration, family members and allies spoke about the issues at the center of the case. "I don't know how the DA or the court system gets involved in a school fight," said Jones. "But I'm not surprised – there's a lot of racism in Jena. A white person will get probation, and a black person is liable to get 15 to 20 years for the same crime." Alan Bean began his activism in 1999 in response to a string of false arrests in his town of Tulia, Texas. In response, he founded an organization called Friends of Justice and dedicated himself to supporting community organizing around cases of

criminal justice abuse in rural Texas and Louisiana. His work is often a vital intervention, bringing experience and ideas to local struggles. Small towns like Jena — which has a population of 2,500, and is 85 percent white — are often left out of the organizing support, attention, and funding that organizations in metropolitan areas receive. This disparity was not always the case. Rural southern towns were the frontlines of the 60s civil rights movement. Groups like CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) were active throughout the rural south. These rural towns have also been important sites of homegrown resistance. In 1964, in Jonesboro, Louisiana, just north of Jena, a group of Black veterans of the US military formed the Deacons for Defense, an armed self-defense organization, in support of civil rights struggles. The Deacons went on to form 21 chapters in rural Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, continuing a legacy of defiance that inspired future generations of organizers. Violent confrontations with racial undertones still occur in many of these towns. Shortly after the incident in Jena, Gerald Washington of Westlake, Louisiana was shot three days before he was to become the town's first Black mayor (after two investigations it is still being considered a suicide, though Washington’s family is not convinced). Less than two weeks after that, shots were fired into the house of a Black mayor, in Greenwood Louisiana. Jena itself is a mostly segregated community that was also the site of the Jena Juvenile Correctional Center for Youth, a legendarily brutal prison that was shut down in 2000. Jena residents formed their own defense committee, without the support of national organizations. They have been holding weekly protests and organizing meetings that have attracted allies from near and far. A gathering last week was attended by allies from other northern and central Louisiana towns, and representatives from the ACLU, NAACP, and National Action Network. Parents questioned why the noose and other threatening actions were not taken seriously by the school administration. "What's the difference," asks Marcus Jones, the father of Mychal Bell, one of the students, about the disparity in the charges. "There's a color difference. There was white kids that hung up a noose, but it was black kids in the fight." Sentencing disparity is a big issue in many of these small town struggles, where many see it as the modern continuation of the brutal southern heritage of lynching. Marcus Jones explains a litany of

NPN’S THE TRUMPET

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reasons why the students should not be charged with attempted murder. "The kid did not have life threatening injuries, he was not cut, he was not stabbed, he was not shot, nothing was broken. You talk about conspiracy to attempt second-degree murder, you think about the mafia, you think somebody paid a sniper or something. We're talking about a high school fistfight. The DA is showing his racist upbringing, and bringing it into the law." For three of the youth, Robert Bailey, Theo Shaw and Mychal Bell, trial starts May 21. The other dates have not been set yet. I asked Bryant Purvis how this has affected him. "One of my goals in life is to go to college, and not to go to jail, and that changed me right there," he tells me. "That crushed me, to be in a jail cell." When asked how her life has changed, Purvis' mother described the sadness of having her son taken away from her without warning. "You wake up in the morning and your son is there. You lay down at night and he's there. Then all of a sudden he's gone. That's a lot to deal with." Jordan Flaherty is an editor of Left Turn Magazine and a community organizer based in New Orleans.

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MAY-JUNE 2007

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eatrice Haynes anxiously walked up to the single story home she and her husband Milton, both 48, have owned in New Orleans East for fifteen years. This was her first glimpse of the home with walls, which were erected over the past week in early April by a Mennonite Disaster Relief team. With a key in hand, she opened the front door and saw the glaring white beauty of dry wall lining the house. “Ahhhh!�, “Oh, Jesus,� then she suddenly became silent, overcome with shock. When Beatrice, pronounced bee-AHtris, returned to New Orleans for the first

# / % - - %# . > # ! % , #. 1 . ? "# 8 , . " 0 "% " # $2 + %#, #. 1 / " .? % / " % " . " . "# - > # # $ 8 ! # ? " % 2 time this past December there was only a bare frame. “Just to see walls up, just to see it's coming back. You know?â€? Beatrice confided and held her hands to her face, trying to stifle tears. “They did a beautiful job,â€? Beatrice said, continuing to walk around, imagining where furnishings will go. My sink, my kitchen, dining tableâ€Śâ€œIt’ll come alive right here,â€? she says softly, mostly to herself. She was articulating a daydream, making it manifest. The garage is being converted into a temporary room—making it the largest in the house—for friends to stay while visiting or fixing up their homes. The garage will then serve as Beatrice's business, to replace the beauty shop she owned on Felicity Street uptown. Though she misses her regular customers, Beatrice eased into

a stylist position at SmartStyle, a hair salon inside a Wal-Mart in Marrero. The sight was not new for Milton, who dressed simply in blue jeans and a t-shirt after church on this Easter Sunday. He continues to visit the young and eager Mennonite volunteers from across the country during his lunch breaks, bringing snacks or lunch as a gesture of appreciation. Milton, whose tall and solid frame might be imposing if he weren’t so relaxed and welcoming, takes me on a tour between the bleach-white walls, specifying the dining room and bedroom. Then, in the living room he stopped. “The water level's up here, where it settled.� Milton held his hand six feet in the air. Along neighbors’ houses, the thickest dingy tan water line is four feet high, showing where the water eventually stagnated for three weeks in this part of New Orleans East. The line remains the simplest indication of which families have not returned. From the small front lawn, Milton shows how neighbors in the Kingsfield Sub-development off of Bullard Avenue are in various states of rebuilding: a cop’s house on one side, with a trailer in front, should be ready in a month while another family is living out of their renovated house and still others haven’t been seen since the evacuation. Looking over the houses, it’s as if he’s imagining, against his will, the floodwaters rising a second time. “The water totaled everything here.� After a moment with birds chirping nearby, Milton adds frankly in his characteristic low tone: “Just trying to keep the lawn cut.� Beatrice, now seated in a chair dusty from construction, tells me people she knew who died in the storm, including her eighty-one-year-old uncle who couldn’t survive the stress of an evacuation to Texas. Even then, with her voice trembling, she is grateful because other families met more devastating fates. “I will say that we have not suffered, because God has not allowed us to suffer,� she said, the intimacy of her gaze revealing the strength of her faith. As if on cue to lighten the mood, Brian, a long-time friend, wanders up to the front door, yelling in “Bibi!� –Beatrice’s nickname. As soon as Brian enters the dining room, she wants an update. “Where you working for now?� she asks. “On these trailers� Brian states. “Workin' on the trailers?� Beatrice checks. “Hmmhmm.�

Photos by Matt Olsen

By Matt Olsen Freelance Writer

The Haynes amidst painting supplies in their New Orleans East home

“Get outta here,� she sasses him, then after a pause, “come check this gas thing out on my stove.� Everyone laughs at how quick she turns this new fact to her benefit. “It didn't light right. You gotta come check it out.� “Oooh lord!� Brian responds, tilting his head in disbelief toward the ceiling. “I got food over there though.� Beatrice, an avid cook, promises a feast of seafood and soul food. Brian laughs, his round belly likely a past recipient of such offers. His tone gone from resistant to jolly, he blurts out, “What time you gonna be home!� “Brian, you haven't changed,� Beatrice said, smiling, as Milton and Brian go off to talk. Beatrice turns to me, eyes lit up. “This would make you wanna come home. When you were in Georgia, you didn't get that. When you saw someone from New Orleans, you'd be hootin’ and hollerin' and people be looking like 'You act like this all the time?!'� Beatrice exclaimed, imitating the squinty-eyed and confused looks that met so many displaced New Orleanians. New Orleans East is, arguably, the most susceptible area to flooding in the city, with its low geography averaging six feet below sea level, surrounded by canals and bayous lying precariously between

Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain. Contrary to speculation, however, one quarter of New Orleans East residents had under one foot or no standing water, largely due to a natural ridge along Chef Menteur Highway and a man-made levee on Lake Pontchartrain. Since the wealthier, mostly white population historically built and bought property in higher-level neighborhoods along the Mississippi River, New Orleans East is predominantly a community of color, from African American to a considerable Vietnamese and South Asian population, living in modest-sized houses and apartment complexes. We drove through the Haynes’ enclosed neighborhood full of single-story houses but fewer trailers, the yard fences mangled and the settled water line apparent on unkempt houses. Beatrice pointed out a brick and redwood house where an elderly woman drowned. “It says zero but they found her body later,� Beatrice uttered, correcting the spray painted marks of first responders. As Milton turned onto a parallel street to the Haynes’ rather deserted block, many cars and FEMA trailers came into view. Four kids threw a football in the street as families, dressed nicely for Easter Dinner, congregated in their front yards. Beatrice yelled out “Hi, Happy Easter!� from the

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

The Haynes’ neighborhood in New Orleans East.

car window and smiling people waved back. A shopping center off of Interstate 10, which runs through the middle of New Orleans East, lies in shambles. Concrete and steel piles dot an otherwise empty parking lot. “They tore it all down. they're gonna re-do the whole thing,” explained Beatrice, adding that there is no major grocery anymore, only convenience stores. Pressing on, we pass St. Stephens Housing Development. It is boarded up, fenced off. Beatrice asked Milton, “What are they doing with it, baby?” “Nothin’,” he muttered. After a disaster as widespread as this, even the smallest signs of recapturing the old neighborhood bring joy. “When I first saw this gas station though, and red lights out here,” Beatrice recalls energetically, her voice rising in pitch and volume, “I must have screamed and hollered like I was at a football game...And my sister [on the phone], she's like 'Oh my god, calm down,' and I was like 'We've got a gas station open on Bullard! YES! YES! YES! And a red light! AHH!'” Driving toward the ninth ward on Hayne Boulevard, Milton singled out the Mennonite Disaster Relief headquarters, a large two-story tan building on ten-foot pillars allowing vans and trucks to park underneath. This, he said, is where the volunteers putting up the drywall coordinate their efforts and sleep at night. Past the floodgate, a solid structure of rusted metal and concrete not closed as Hurricane Katrina approached, is the Industrial Canal, marking the boundary of New Orleans East and the beginning of the ninth ward. Here on Jourdan Road, among the shipping interests of the city and the nation, is where Milton works. He is a pile driver for the Port of New Orleans, using a blue metal crane to lodge 80- and 115-foot wood pilings in the Mississippi River or the Navy Yard for docks. Near the tinroofed Morrison Yard headquarters on

Jourdan, eighteen wheelers, a trailer full of repair equipment and all the piling were lifted and moved by the floodwater. The trailer still remains flipped and the fence showed the signs of destruction, frayed and curled down away from the canal. Milton returned to New Orleans on October 3, called back to work. He lived with his mother on the West Bank where no flooding occurred. She was the couple’s only relative that did not receive house damage. Beatrice’s family, located in the Carrolton neighborhood, suffered devastating losses. “Everybody lost everything,” she told me. From the West Bank, Milton drove forty-five minutes each day to New Orleans East, gutting out and placing the couple’s moldy belongings on the street. Ironically, the Haynes’ were preparing to renovate the house and had purchased supplies the week before Katrina hit. Fifteen years of memories and possessions were cast aside. “I don't think I could have gone through it,” Beatrice said. “My husband's really the strong hand. He holds his emotions in, but I know it's there.” Beatrice let on as Milton blushed slightly, murmuring “ah, alright” and let out a brief chuckle to ease the embarrassment. The Haynes’ experience with federal and state programs designed to assist flood survivors remains mixed. They received a FEMA trailer and continue to live in a park on the West Bank as they fix their house. “If we didn't have the trailer, we didn't have anything,” Beatrice said, grateful. They favored the trailer park over setting up next to the house mostly for safety, she says, but also because it would depress her to see, on a daily basis, the destruction of the neighborhood. Besides the FEMA trailer, the Haynes’ received four months of housing assistance money from FEMA to help assuage the costs of renting an apartment (an additional nine hundred dollars per month) while paying a mortgage in New Orleans.

Beatrice signed a one-year lease on an apartment in Georgia, leaning on her nearby sister for support until she could return to New Orleans and her husband on December 26, 2006. However, it was and has been a financial struggle for the Haynes’ despite the state and federal agency efforts to assist. Fortunately, Milton quickly returned to work and provided an income to support the couple when FEMA’s rental assistance ended. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco’s Road Home Program has been so deliberate in providing monetary support for homeowners that after a year and a half a mere twenty thousand (and that’s a generous estimate) of 120,000 applicants have received awards. Standing in his garage put together by the generosity of volunteers, Milton could only shrug, saying of the couple’s pending Road Home application, “you just wait.” Binky, the cocker spaniel-dachshund mix whose fifteen years marks the length of the Haynes' marriage, was shooed out to the backyard on Saturday August 28, 2005 before the winds had picked up. “She looked in the sky and sniffed and she turned her back and came in the house. And it was not even raining,” Beatrice recalled. “I said ‘No, you've got to go out.' And she wouldn't go out. That was a sign.”

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Beatrice then started listening to the warnings on the radio and finally persuaded Milton to leave. “I had to give him some words,” she asserted, acknowledging it was a heated argument. “It got some sense in his head.” As Milton reasoned, perhaps stubbornly, “They say a storm’s coming. Then if they don’t come, you come back home. Tired of that coming and going, coming and going.” But he thanks God that his wife persisted and forced him to leave and now emphatically adds that next time “I’m going.” He paused. “There’ll be no hesitation. I’m not hanging around.” The Haynes’ left for downtown New Orleans that Saturday and stayed on the fifth floor of the LaPavillon Hotel where Beatrice’s girlfriend worked. They waited there and could see on Sunday, as category three winds swept through, that the Hyatt’s windows were blown out and bricks were flying around them. As the LaPavillon closed down on Monday morning and put people out on the street, a person from the hotel told the couple not to go to the Superdome and that there was only one way out of the city, by interstate. Heeding the advice, the Haynes’ loaded up the car, now full with the dog, Beatrice’s girlfriend and her son, and the couple themselves. Bea(Continued on page 18)

Milton looking in on what will be the master bathroom

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trice can still see the people they left behind at the hotel as the car pulled out, wishing she could bring them along as well. The car made it out just as water was flowing down Canal Street. An hour or two later and they would not have been able to ascend the I-10 ramp. Beatrice couldn't get in touch with her brother who she thought was at City Hall. Her stomach in knots, now in Westwego on the West Bank, her girlfriend told her to pray, and as she wept and prayed, and dried her eyes, “My husband said 'Babe, turned around. Look who's here.' And there was my brother. He said something just led him to come this way. He didn't know [what].” Praying, the stressed, but grateful group with forty dollars in cash headed to Vicksburg where a gas station attendant pumped continuously, at a much discounted price, to the throngs of evacuees in cars. “They were putting gas in cold drink bottles, anything. The guy didn't turn the pump off, he just continued to go from container to container,” Beatrice recalls.

MAY-JUNE 2007

After the six cars in front of them were serviced, it was the Haynes’ turn. As the total neared forty dollars, filling the car up completely, the pump clicked. There was no more gas, the Haynes’ were fortunate enough to get the last. Safely out of harm’s way, they continued on to Atlanta to stay with Beatrice’s sister and then sat down to see, stunned, what was happening to New Orleans. “When we got to Georgia and saw on the TV what was happening,” Beatrice said, “we couldn't believe it.” With rhythm and blues radio playing in the background—Marvin Gaye singin’ Brother, Brother, Brother, there are too many of you dying...—we continue driving into the lower 9th ward alongside the levee. The levee breach, helped or started by a loose barge in the Industrial Canal, that killed families. From working in and around the canal, Milton explained that the barge got loose “from the current of the water. Popped the rope. Sometimes the rope is easy to pop

This month the Government Affairs Office testified before the Senate that a very small fraction of the federal resources ($110 billion) committed to the Gulf Coast is directed to rebuilding needs. Most of these dollars are obligated to emergency needs such as emergency housing and debris removal. Only approximately $21.5 billion will support rebuilding. With damage estimates from $75 billion to $200 billion, the GAO suggested that congress begin considering how much the full recovery of the Gulf Coast will cost, and how much the federal government should bear of that cost. Meanwhile the population of New Orleans continues to grow as evidenced by active residential postal deliveries which reached 61.9% of pre-Katrina levels in March 2007.

To view maps of postal counts across Orleans Parish, download The Katrina Index at www.gnocdc.org . The Katrina Index is a joint publication of the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center and The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. It is updated monthly at www.gnocdc.org

because of the pressure.” However, all the barges are supposed to be taken into the Mississippi River during an evacuation. It is the responsibility of the company that owns the barge to account for the damage done, Milton asserted, his words now weighted and angry. “You know why? Because everyone was holding their hands at the last minute, and then they realized the storm was gonna tear up,” Beatrice adds, justifiably furious, “nobody wants to take blame, but they’re just pointing fingers.” This is all very personal and intimate for Beatrice who tutored students for nine years at Louis Armstrong Elementary School, a peach colored three-story building in the lower 9th ward. It was, according to Beatrice, the first school to be integrated in New Orleans. Plenty of parents and children she developed relations with over the years lost houses, turned into piles of matchsticks. “I could never go back into the classroom because I can still see their faces and their parents who were lost in the ninth ward, who lost their lives,” Beatrice said. Beatrice tutored one family of children between kindergarten and the eighth grade who stayed in the lower ninth as the hurri-

cane passed and the floodwaters descended on homes. The family went onto the roof to avoid the steadily rising water. The eldest child, an eighth grader who couldn't swim, tried to reach a higher roof, but drowned under the weight and rush of the water. In an act of desperation, the other younger children followed suit, drowning in the undertow. Beatrice, her eyes swelling, the memories haunting her still, admitted she “doesn’t have the guts” to go back into a classroom because it’s too hard “to see them grow and have their lives taken away from them.” Louis Armstrong is still closed, standing silently like a ghost, like so much in New Orleans twenty months later. “There are so many untold stories,” Beatrice said, melancholy, “there are stories that will never be heard.” This isn’t one of them.

Submit A Story! Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com

THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

YO U T H

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C E N T E R

6% # % #, )," + "% - & "# 8 )# ! !# " 6 6% 7 4 " = 8# By Lucy Tucker and Isaiah Simms Rethink

F

or millions of city kids, the symbol of everything that stinks in the public schools is the bathroom. Nowhere is this more true than for students in the Crescent City. So it was not so unusual that our own New Orleans Rethinkers decided to radically rethink the public school bathroom. As a summer school project this year, they will design a cutting-edge bathroom and along with it, a system for students to maintain it as a clean and safe space. (No more filth; no more hangouts for bullies.) Perhaps the most unusual aspect about this bathroom is that it will be “green.� In fact, when built, the Rethinkers’ bathroom will be the first “green� public school bathroom in the USA designed by students themselves. Partnering with Rethink for the design project this summer are YA/YA Inc, Concordia Planning and Architecture, Spirit in Action, New Orleans Outreach and Global Green USA. Below is an interview with John Mejaski, Green Seed Schools Project Manager, Global Green USA..

Rethink: Can you tell our readers what you mean when you use the word “green� – like for instance, what is a “green school?� Mejaski: When we use the word “green,� we mean a practice that works with nature instead of against it. A green school saves energy and water and other natural resources. The classrooms are healthier and have a better comfort level. One component for improving the environment inside a school is natural lighting. For instance, you can put up overhangs

outside, over the windows – then the light will come in but not the heat. Green schools also improve air quality. I went to a school the other day and it had a huge room full of paint cans. You could smell the VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). I have also seen blue vinyl tiles in New Orleans’ schools that have VOC’s in them. Studies say that schools built in a green fashion have about 20% better test scores, a significant reduction in health problems, and make teachers happier. Rethink. So you have a Green Schools project here. What are you planning to do?

) .# / " ," # # % "# " 0 @3A % , % $ # # #, % . , # # " " % - $ . - 8 ," % " # %

Mejaski: First we are going to select five “Green Seed Schools� and help them improve things like energy and water efficiency and indoor air quality. We will give each of these schools up to $75,000 to make improvements. After that, we will work on what we call “high performance showcase green schools.� Our plan is to select two schools for that project that will receive major green renovations. In the end, we hope that schools in the city and across the state will adopt green building principles. Rethink: So Global Green is helping us design a green bathroom this summer. What kinds of things will you teach us?

Lucy Tucker/ Rethink Photos

Mejaski: Well, the big measure of success, at least on paper, is how you will save more energy and water than in a traditional bathroom. We’ll look at things like flow reducers for the faucets. And we’ll teach you about “low E windows’ that let in natural light but keep out the heat and cold. We could consider something like a water cistern on the roof that collects water. Then we could use that water to flush the toilets. That way we don’t have to use any chemicals and it Lucy Tucker, Isaiah Simms and John Mejaski with environmentally-friendly building materials.

Part of a series of monthly interviews by Kids Rethinking New Orleans’ Schools, or Rethink.

cuts down on the water we take out of the municipal system. Here you can combine two technologies – low flush toilets and water collection systems. How you put them together‌that’s where the creativity comes in. We will teach you about using reclaimed materials and we might suggest embedding some special symbols in the counters or flooring - symbols that will mean something to the kids who use the bathroom. If you add things to the room with good symbolic meaning, kids might want to take better care of it. If your design is good, we plan to use it in one of our “green seedâ€? schools. Rethink: So this will really be the first green bathroom designed by kids? Mejaski: Yes, it will be a first. This is very cool, real exciting. You guys will be on the forefront. Global Green USA is a national environmental organization that merges innovative research, cutting-edge community based projects and targeted advocacy to create a sustainable future. The Green Schools Initiative is the second major Global Green Initiative in New Orleans. For more info, visit: www.globalgreen.org. For information about Rethink, contact The Trumpet: thetrumpet@npnnola.com or call (504)-940-2207.

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