Posted on 08/27/2007 2:02:52 PM PDT by kipita
I had the extreme pleasure of visiting Baton Rouge, Louisiana and chatting with a very well connected black female from New Orleans. Below is a summary of her analysis.
Until the mid-1970s, New Orleans was ruled by an all white political and business elite. However, starting in the mid-1960s, well-educated blacks were accepted in “ supporting positions” of power and earned the respect of the mostly white professional class.
From 1978 through 1986, Ernest Dutch Morial served as the Democratic Mayor of New Orleans. He quickly replaced the mostly white supporting positions within city government to just about all black and established an all black elite class. He also used the Mayor’s office to increase the strength and influence of the mayor's office over state-appointed boards such as the Sewerage and Water Board and Dock Board, an effort he described as a democratization of city governance. The newly established all black New Orleans elite class quickly flourished under Morial.
With strong support from the white community, Sidney John Barthelemy was elected as the Democratic African American mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994. Taking a less hands-on approach to economic development than his predecessor Morial, Barthelemy preferred to let the private sector be the primary engine of growth. His efforts to be a pro-business and somewhat race neutral, quiet and mild centrist politician did little to earn the respect of the increasing black citizenry and infuriated his archrival Morial and the Morial inner circle black elite.
Ernest Dutch Morial’s son, Marc Haydel Morial, served as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002. Although tourism boomed during Marc Morial's mayoralty, the growth did not spread to the rest of the city’s economy. Predictably, the gap between the black elite (from his father’s administration) and the vast majority of inner city blacks widened considerably. Starting in 2005, Morial, certain relatives and former associates became the focus of federal investigations into corruption during his administration.
In 2002, Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr received 85% of the white vote and 40% of the black vote to become the Mayor of New Orleans. Like his predecessor, Sidney John Barthelemy, Nagin embodied white hope for centrist leadership from the Mayor’s office. However, Nagin often clashed with the New Orleans City Council, and as a result failed to get their support for proposed legislation he favored. In addition, his ineffectiveness during Hurricane Katrina resulted in much hardship for many of New Orleans' poorer citizens.
Kipita’s analysis……
Many well-connected African-American elite residents of New Orleans became successful by assimilating “American values” with “African values (blues, jazz, expressionism, rhythm, naturalness, etc.)”. Many white Americans in New Orleans live richer lives due to an inclusion of “African values” with “American values”. The problem seems to be that pure “African values” are encouraged and “American values” are not promoted by the black elite. Expect more “chocolate-city” politics in the future…..
FYI.
Somebody help me out... I'm drawing a blank.
I live is southern Spain, where Christianity meets Islam and Africa meets Europe. Africans are dying by the boat load to have an opportunity to work and live in Europe.
Somebody help me out... I'm drawing a blank.
No need to draw a blank. The article specifically lists such African values as “(blues, jazz, expressionism, rhythm, naturalness, etc.)”.
Sadly, I think we are supposed to take that comment seriously.
So if you can’t dance you’re a bad person? Geeze, Mother Teresa is probably burning in Hades.
Nagin is neither intelligent, nor a good manager. He has also had obvious substance abuse issues. He is not driven by the "work ethic." He plays the "Race Card," and no other. As far as the "Black Elite," who are claimed to be in charge: their performance in office is pathetic, even if it were to be judged by the performance standard of Washington DC's local ruling elite.
Electing Nagin was the kiss of death for NOLA. It would be foolish to expect change because the above-mentioned elite is raking in a fortune in federal money doing just what they are doing: which is very little.
Be interesting to see if Nagin ever gets thrown out.
It means you can settle your debt to a village elder or shaman by giving him your young daughter as his slave for life.
Not exaggerating. I saw just such a heartbreaking case on a documentary showing endemic child abuse practices around the world.
That must be what they mean about it taking a village.
Again, I live in southern Spain. Spain has a reputation of musical expressionism derived from its Gypsy citizenry (flamenco). It’s appreciated here and people from around the world visit here because of it (New Orleans jazz and blues). Many Spaniards in the North resent that “label” and many like it. Many Gypsy families in the south are successful (I married into such a family) due to European values and they may or may not value flamenco (just as many successfull blacks don’t value rhythm). The main point was to say that a successful culture values “part” of one culture but non-successfull cultures don’t seem to accept any of the values of successful cultures.
Not only don’t they accept the values of the successful culture in this instance, many (probably not the “elite”) are actively trying to destroy the values which made American Judeo-Christian-based culture successful. It’s called the “crabs in a barrel” mentality.
I don't see those as 'values'... at least, not in the traditional meaning of the word. I view them as 'entertainment preferences'... or 'leisure tastes'.
Seriously...
Ha! As if. Nagin got reelected post-Katrina. There's been talk that he might run for governor after he finishes his second term as mayor of New Orleans.
Agreed. Looking back, I see that I forgot the /sarc tag on my post. Oops.
(blues, jazz, expressionism, rhythm, naturalness, etc.)
I don't see those as 'values'... at least, not in the traditional meaning of the word. I view them as 'entertainment preferences'... or 'leisure tastes'.
Seriously...
I tend to strongly agree with both statements! However, one needs to leave America and live elsewhere to value America. As a lifelong suffering conservative black American, I'm glad I left and shall not return to America.
Ha! Indeed. We have established a precedent for that here in Maryland. O'Malley, the incompetent man who buried Baltimore, turning it into a cross between NOLA, and Lagos, Nigeria, has been rewarded with the governorship.
Fortunately for him, he was given a police escort to the state capitol at Annapolis. Former Governor Ehrlich, who displayed a modicum of competence, did all right with live voters, but that wasn't enough to overcome O'Malley's overwhelming lead with the dead, multiple ballot casters, the illegal contingent, and the typical Baltimore voter, registered in 1812 and never removed from the rolls.
Why won’t you return? You’re who we need!
My sympathies. Why don't people ever learn?
/rhetorical question mode
That's truly unfortunate. You're the kind of person who can really make the situation better. Your example would set a model for others.
Just get me some damned buses! Er, a some more damned buses!
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