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COVER STORY
No Time for Games
by Anitra D. Brown

FEATURES
Hard Truths
by Dr. Sara Hollis
ULGNO: In the Business of Helping Businesses
by Lyndon Jones
Inside the Judges' Chambers
by Bia Assevero
The Enrollment Practices of New Orleans Charter Schools
by Dr. Raynard Sanders and Karran Harper-Royal

Columns & Departments
Publisher's Notes
Our Town
Fundraising Good Times
To Your Health

 

Damn, Damn, Damn!

It’s been nearly a month now since District B Councilwoman Stacy Head, who is White, eked out a narrow victory over former legislator and city council woman, Cynthia Willard Lewis, who is African American, in the council-at-large run off.

While Black folks still walk around in a funk, incredulous Whites shake their heads in disbelief.

We, at The Tribune, are first and foremost angry—angry that one of the most divisive public figures in recent years could emerge victorious, and by only 281 votes, in a city that is still majority African American. But mostly we are ashamed and embarrassed, too, that it was our own who determined the outcome of this important contest.

No matter how we push the replay button; no matter how we arrange and re-arrange the strategic maneuvers for other possible outcomes; no matter how we try to rationalize or explain away what happened, the answer is clear:

BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME FOR THE DEBACLE THAT TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 21.

As the campaign to fill Arnie Fielkow's council-at-large seat revved up, we knew there would be a contest—probably defined by race. Isn’t that always the fault line in our society? And, of course, the White moneyed folks didn’t prove us wrong. Over the course of the campaign, the well-heeled lined Head’s coffers with nearly a half million dollars in contributions. Compare that to the paltry $80,000 that Willard Lewis was able to secure.

Not to worry, our analysis showed Cynthia Willard Lewis capable of victory where it counted most – at the polls. African American voters still outnumber White registered voters by a substantial margin (139,722 Black to 78,425 White or 17,400 other). We took comfort in the fact that in New Orleans, we remain the majority despite draconian measures put in place to assure that African Americans were prevented from returning home after Katrina – “an opportunity” the White business elite called it.

But even more significant to us, the difference between the two candidates was patently clear. On the one hand, there was Willard-Lewis, who has been a vocal advocate for the community she represents. Hers was one of the clearest and most passionate voices as relates to the right of return of African Americans post Katrina. When the infamous green dot was placed on neighborhoods in New Orleans East as well as the 9th Ward, it was Cynthia Willard Lewis who spoke boldly and forthrightly for us all.

And this wasn’t all Willard Lewis did—she was on the frontline, “preaching” if you will, defending the concerns of her constituents. Were there areas where she came up short? Probably. But haven’t all of our elected officials come up short in one way or another at times? Haven’t many of them abandoned our community when it has suited their selfish ends, pushing projects and legislation contrary to our best interests? How many of them sit idly by when we expect them to speak for us? We all know who they are.

Then there was Stacy Head. The hallmark of her tenure—unforgettable in our book—was the callous disdain she flaunted at a city council meeting in December 2007 where housing development residents pitiably entreated their officials for the right to return to their homes. Head mockingly waved good-bye to those gathered with a “let them eat cake” high-handedness. Chaos ensued. Yet despite all of this and other indisputable evidence of Head’s lack of respect for African Americans in this city, it was Black folks who edged her to victory.

ACCOUNTABILITY TIME

Here at The Tribune, we have decided that turning our heads and quietly sitting on the sidelines because the backdoor deals and underhanded actions happen to be those of African-American elected officials and other would-be leaders make us complicit and derelict, too. We have, therefore, decided to call out the drop-outs and the sell-outs in this election.

First, the drop-outs. Eighty-four (84) percent of the registered African-American voters could not be moved to go to the polls to cast their ballots in their own self interests. Tired, you say? Maybe. Or disgusted? Perhaps. Or could they be so fed up with the flim-flam dished out by Black officials that they have given up on the process? It’s not a stretch to suggest that we have elected officials to thank for the apathy of average citizens who are convinced that those they have voted for in the past have let them down time and again and nothing they do will make a difference.

But we save our greatest condemnation for the sell-outs—those African Americans who count on our short memories and propensity to forgive their never-ending betrayals of the Black community.

It’s accountability time. Let’s take a close look at those who are really responsible for the predicament we find ourselves in, then call it like it is. First let’s revisit those African Americans who helped create Stacy Head in the first place – those who are behind her ascendancy to one of the powerful seats in a district that remains majority Black. And lest we forget—there are actually Black, elected officials amongst us who would rather see a divisive, brash White woman prevail than to cast their ballot for or give their endorsement to another African American with whom they might have had differences in the past or a candidate who they feel might possibly overshadow them at some time in the future.

Compare the Austin Badon and Jared Brossett models to Jackie Clarkson. Clarkson was able to overlook Stacy Head's disparaging remarks in her much discussed city e-mail account. That Stacy called Jackie "an ASSS" and "a disaster" and declared that she was "so tired of her old time politico bs that I can't stand it" didn’t deter Clarkson from supporting her in a race against a Black candidate. Clarkson saw the bigger picture, and when it came to the wire, White Clarkson supported White Head around a White agenda, never mind the previous insults.

While White folks continue to support each other no matter what and vote in lockstep, our "leaders" urge other Blacks to break ranks and "crossover" or admonish those in their sphere of influence that "it's not about race..." To this we say, "Give us a break!"

When will Black people ever learn? All some aspire to, it appears, is a position as standard bearer or gatekeeper or water carrier for a White person. Quite frankly, the very idea of such makes our skin crawl.

To our Black officials, we admonish: If you are going to be real leaders, our leaders, you have to respect yourselves and know how to demand respect for those you represent.

Time is running out.