NOLAson's Take: Candlelight Vigil at Jackson Square

The people taking part in the candlelight vigil marched from the Mississippi River to Jackson Square, and not much was said.


So, when a gentleman observing the procession began to play his flute to the tune of “We Shall Overcome,” it carried softly into the night air over "the city that care forgot".


That melody made me realize that as many times as I’ve frequented the French Quarters, this was one of the few occasions where a diverse group of people stood in close proximity without the help of Mardi Gras floats or beads or booze.


Instead, tonight’s congregation was drawn by loss and remembrance as speakers such as Rev. Al Sharpton and Susan Taylor delivered messages of empowerment.


And there in the dark, with folks standing shoulder-to-shoulder and candles ablaze, I could see the hope for a better New Orleans flickering at times, but still bright enough to light the night sky.


New Orleanians: If only we could let that light shine day-in and day-out, this might one day be the city that care remembered.

Around Town: Black Greek Letter Organizations Step Up for NOLA

The relevancy of Black fraternities and sororities may be a recurring theme on the national level, but local chapters are proving their worth.


From providing communities with informational resources to gutting houses, undergraduate and alumni members are providing the service their founders intended, as well as helping rebuild a fractured city.


Chavez Cammon, a political science/criminal justice major at Southern University at New Orleans and president of the Epsilon Nu chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, said his chapter is ready to work.


“We’re in the process of setting up a partnership to adopt one of the schools in the recovery school district near SUNO,” said Cammon, whose chapter has also set up voter registration drives and political awareness campaigns.


However, Cammon said there is plenty yet to be done.


“We have a young leadership among the student government, and there’s a movement to get all the organizations on campus together and figure out how we can all make a difference as undergrads.”


Ross Johnson, a graduate of Dillard University and chaplain for the citywide alumni chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, said that in his opinion undergraduate chapters are working hard.


However, Johnson said for those members of the Greek black letter organizations that his challenge is simple: “You are mandated to service, and it’s time show up and serve.”

Around Town: Drum Beats = Heart Beats for one Young Musician

Like many of the talented musicians bred in New Orleans John Jones talent could have been his ticket out of New Orleans when Katrina struck. However, the 27-year-old drummer said he wouldn’t feel right anywhere else.

“For one this is home. I was born raised here,” said Jones, a member of the Marlon Jordan Jazz Group. “More importantly, people that are aware of the city’s deep culture should be at the forefront of the rebuilding process.”

Jones, a master’s candidate in the University of New Orleans’ Jazz studies program, said another reason he chose to return was because he eventually wants to teach music.

“I could probably go elsewhere and establish myself, but it makes more sense to come back and help lay a foundation for other young kids.”

Like many of the talented musicians bred in New Orleans John Jones talent could have been his ticket out of New Orleans when Katrina struck. However, the 27-year-old drummer said he wouldn’t feel right anywhere else.

“For one this is home. I was born raised here,” said Jones, a member of the Marlon Jordan Jazz Group. “More importantly, people that are aware of the city’s deep culture should be at the forefront of the rebuilding process.”

Jones, a master’s candidate in the University of New Orleans’ Jazz studies program, said another reason he chose to return was because he eventually wants to teach music.

“I could probably go elsewhere and establish myself, but it makes more sense to come back and help lay a foundation for other young kids.”

Around Town: The Anthony Bean Community Center

Although the commemorative events placed me in the midst of politicians, academics, entertainers, and other moneyed people, seeing young people do positive things in post-Katrina New Orleans gently reminded me where the wealth of our city lies.

I’m speaking specifically of the Anthony Bean Community performing artists. The group of high-school-aged New Orleanians graced the ‘Day of Presence audience with sleek dance moves, but their story is deeper than boogying and bopping. Their story explains that what young people do on stage can keep them from doing negative actions associated with many of New Orleans’ high-crime neighborhoods.

“For me, dancing keeps me off the streets,” said Daldesa Keppard. A 17-year-old student at Warren Easton High School, Keppard said because she has something to occupy her evenings, she has very little time to get into the trouble which many of New Orleans’ youth are all to familiar with.

“Dancing not only keeps us involved and off the streets, but it also allows us to express ourselves creatively,” Keppard said.

Elise Felix, asst. director of the Anthony Bean Community Center for seven years, said that the kids are not only dancing, but learning to put on plays as well.

Felix said the young people are putting together a production called 5-0-4 in which six kids return to New Orleans four weeks after the storm determined to help rebuild the city. After tossing around ideas, the group stages a large concert to rally the people of New Orleans.

Felix said that the group members not only perform, but also builds props and work behind the scenes to put on the production.

“Many of our youth, especially our young Black men fall into the trouble because there’s no place for them and a lot of times they drop out of school,” Felix said. “But if you’re running with Peanut, Pookie and Juju, then you become apart of the school of hard knocks.”

Felix said if groups or organizations have the means or resources to help young people, then that’s what they should be doing.

“I challenge them to take these young folks in, not just to get government funding, but more importantly to keep these kids off the streets.”

Around Town: SUNO students turn out

While many collegians are focused on the start of school, purchasing textbooks, and worrying about outfitting their dorm rooms, students from Southern University at New Orleans are on a different mission.

“Of all the colleges and universities effected by Hurricane Katrina, SUNO is the only institution that has not been able to return to its campus,” said Sabrina Effron, a senior criminal justice major and member of the university senate and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Located near New Orleans’ Lakefront area, SUNO was hit hard by Katrina. Currently, SUNO’s classes and offices are held at a temporary campus housed in modular buildings not far from the original campus, such as the one snapped here by Drew Daniels for Black College Wire and THE BLACK COLLEGIAN. But the school’s enrollment, which Effron said topped 2,800 this semester, is straining the temporary campus.

“The city’s recovery is important to SUNO because it’s primarily a commuter school. And as the institution responsible for educating many New Orleanians, SUNO is important to the city – we need each other,” Effron said.

What’s amazing is that SUNO students are not just attending rallies and forums (such as the Day of Presence Convention Center rally I photographed above), they are proactive ambassadors of the university.

Brenda Campbell, a graduate student in SUNO’s social sciences department, caught the ear of Rev. Al Sharpton (who I caught at the 8/29 candlelight vigil at Jackson Square), and some of the first words out of her mouth were, “I need you to see the condition of my school. Books are still stuck to the walls in the library.”

Although it may be considered "just a city college" by many, based on the courage and persistence that many of its students have exhibited, I believe there is some world class educating taking place at SUNO.

Around Town: Policy Forum at Dillard Involves Youth

When I think of "policy forums," I envision a stuffy room filled with talking suits who toss around a bunch of big words. However, a public policy forum held at Dillard University earlier this week was a departure.

As I gazed around the room there were many young elected officials and college students, but what caught my eye was a group of high school students from Jackson, MS.

Hailing from Jim Hill and Piney Woods high schools, the group made the trip to New Orleans to listen in on the forum.

Renee Ombaba, a 17-year-old senior at Jim Hill High, said this was her first trip to New Orleans and she was “surprised at the condition of the city.”

“On the news you hear this and you hear that, but when you come here it looks like the city was in a time capsule,” she said.

As a member of her school’s Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Club, Ombaba said one thing she took away from the forum is accountability at the local and state levels of government.

“People always blame the federal government, but the federal government can only do so much. After they disburse the funds to states, it’s up to the states to use the money wisely. We need to also hold our state governments accountable to help fix problems instead of just blaming the federal government,” Ombaba said.

Charles Taylor, also a 17-year-old senior at Jim Hill High School, said of attending the forum: “It’s very significant for me to be here to listen and weigh in on this forum, because the people who are going to be affected by many of the decisions made here are the youth,” said Taylor, who serves as the president for the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties club.

“We are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, so it’s important that we engage in dialogue today,” Taylor said.

Around Town: Candlelight Vigil at Jackson Square

“Well it showed respect to a lot of people that died in the storm and I gained that even in a bunch of chaos we can all come together and act like one big family”

– Blake Sanders, 18, student at Delgado Community College

- - -

“I think it was important to attend the ceremony because it gives us closure for people that we lost in the storm. Also, I gained a new respect for Rev. Al Sharpton and how he spoke on the issues. He said some things that we needed to hear, especially his comments about how Bush can find money to rebuild Iraq, but can’t rebuild New Orleans.”

– Victoria Nicks, 20, student at Delgado Community College

Around Town: NOLAson’s take

This is NOLAson checking in. As the man on the street for THE BLACK COLLEGIAN, I’ve been able to attend a number of events commemorating Katrina this week and meet a number of people and see a range of emotions.

While the events are marked by somber remembrances and frustration with the lack of progress, one of subtle, underlying themes is the need for young people to step up and take charge.

Mainstream media may focus on the commemorative events in general; it’s my hope to bring you the views of young folks attending area rallies, forums and universities.

More "Around Town" dispatches to come...

[Photo: Heading to the 8/29/07 Candlelight Vigil at Jackson Square, by Shawn Chollette for THE BLACK COLLEGIAN]

Around Town: A Day of Service

As part of an initiative called the Day of Service volunteers fanned throughout New Orleans to engage in painting, cleaning and pressure washing.

At one location, employees from Entergy New Orleans, the city’s lone Fortune 500 Corporation, spent the day giving rooms at McDonough #28 Elementary a few fresh coats of paint.

Amy Davis, a customer service manager for Entergy said she sent out an in-house communication asking for volunteers and a number of employees responded.

“Every one here is here on a volunteer basis, and because they want to give back,” Davis said.

Around Town: Bring Our People Home Festival

As the rain fell Tuesday afternoon, a small group of people huddled underneath a tent set up in the parking lot of a mall, some with tears streaming down their cheeks.

Former residents of New Orleans’ housing developments, and concerned citizens wanting to help them get back home, assembled in the Gentilly neighborhood to protest the “illegal evictions” from the housing units and lack of affordable housing.

Leslie Berzat, who lived in the B.W. Cooper Housing Development with her mother prior to Katrina, said she was now living in Houston and it was time to come home.

“I am homeless right now!” Berzat said. “And I haven’t gotten any help.”

Geneva Seals said she lived in New Orleans East before Katrina before evacuating to Atlanta, now she’s ready to come home.

“I have made 17 trips back here, and the money is starting to run low,” Seals said. “I lived in some apartments before Katrina and my landlord has rebuilt and raised the prices. I can’t afford it now.”

The rally concluded with the audience boarding busses and heading to the Lafitte Housing Projects to help residents “take back” their units.

Ironically, President Bush was scheduled to have dinner at a restaurant directly across the street from the development.

Around Town: How some students plan to commemorate Katrina

While roving about the city to assess how involved local collegians are in the commemoration of Katrina, I found that many students are simply “Katrina’ed-out.”

“I don’t know if it’s 2005 or 2007 because you can’t tell the difference in some places," said Quentin Chevalier, a pharmacy student at Xavier University. "If you walk down some streets, it looks like Katrina happened yesterday."

Some students said they feel that regardless of how slow progress is after Katrina, it's important to remember what happened to New Orleans two years ago.

One collegian at an area school, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was trying to get her professors to cancel classes this Wednesday so students could take part in the events happening across the city.

Meanwhile, Autrail Manning said he was going to commemorate the event by acknowledging the losses many suffered during and after Hurricane Katrina.

“I lived on the Westbank (of New Orleans) so my home only suffered wind damage,” said Manning a sophomore at Dillard University. “But I understand that some people lost everything, so I plan to take a ride through the 9th ward and remember them.”

Faren Pitts, also a Dillard student, said she plans to commemorate the anniversary by attending the public policy forum being hosted by the university.

“Other than that, I’ll probably purchase a Katrina Bell to ring on (the anniversary),” Pitts said.

The ceremonial bells, which will be rung throughout the city on August 29th, signify the levee breaches that occurred throughout the city. Bells will ring for two minutes starting at 9:38 a.m. as city officials lay wreaths throughout the city.