November 13, 2005
Activist Moonbats...
The notion that anyone from metro New Orleans has a "right of return" is an interesting one, and is worthy of extensive debate. I'm in agreement with the basic notion that folks who lived in New Orleans should be afforded an opportunity to return to their homes. I certainly agree that tenants should be afforded every possible right under the law to recover their property and try to return to the apartments, houses, etc., that they rented prior to the storm.
That said, out-of-town activists who have no bloody idea what they're talking about really get on my nerves. Take one Judith Browne, of The Advancement Project, a "democracy and justice action group" based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Browne's take on the current situation in New Orleans, as reported by Da Paper, is simple:
"If market forces control, then (New Orleans) will be an all-white city," said Judith Browne, co-director of the Advancement Project, founded to promote a movement for racial justice, and counsel to the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition, formed in the immediate wake of Katrina. (emphasis mine)
You gotta love it when an activist goes out of her way to offend the very people she's supposed to be representing. For New Orleans to become "an all-white city" would require circumstances even more extraordinary than Hurricane Katrina. For starters, 60% of the city's population prior to the storm was black. While a large number of those folks evacuated, many of them have returned. The reason for their return is simple, and just the same as their white neighbors: they're homeowners who are in the process of putting their lives back together. From Lakeview to Gentilly to Pontchartrain Park, black families are ripping out drywall and floors, fighting with insurance adjustors, juggling school situations for kids, and shaking their heads at out-of-towners who have no idea what they're going through.
Like Judith Browne.
I dunno, maybe UNO didn't teach me something that Ms. Browne learned at Columbia, but living in this city has taught me that whites aren't the only property owners here. There are a lot of black families and investors who own rental property in the city. In fact, the abysmal condition of various rental properties have come back to embarass a number of black politicians and businessmen over the last twenty years. Black folks are here to stay; the notion that New Orleans would become all-white isn't just silly, it's stupid.
As I said at the outset of this entry, the debate over the "right of return" is one that should be full-on, all-out, compassionate, and positive. It needs to be led by people who are familiar with the situation, however. Clearly Ms. Browne has yet to be counted in that number.
Comments
I agree with you. I go to LSU, and for a politics class, I'm doing a blog entitled "What does the government owe us?" http://ccasey.blogspot.com/ I'm trying to get my site off the ground. Your blog posts seem to be insightful and well-written. Do have any advice? Perhaps if my blog becomes any good, I could start to get blogrolled.
Posted by Casey at November 14, 2005 11:45 AM
Too bad my comments were taken out of context. The point I was making was that many folks are being pushed out unwillingly by landlords and those who own land are at risk due to potential use of eminent domain, mortgage and insurance redlining. People are fighting and so are organizations like mine. We are all working to secure the right to return for African Americans. Through organizing and participation, Black folks will secure this right and through their own efforts will start to show that they can and will rebuild.
Posted by Judith Browne at November 20, 2005 10:36 PM