New Orleans on My Mind

Hi everyone!

I have finally, well almost finally, crafted my research question:

"How does the social capitol of adolescent African American girls affect their integration into public space?" I plan to answer the question through qualitative interviews with young people Bayview/Hunter's Point this summer.

I am extremely excited for my research because I can finally bridge the gap between my intellectual pursuits and my community. However, before beginning this summer, I am chaperoning a student group on a service-learning trip. 11 undergraduate students and I will go to New Orleans, Louisiana for 10 days. Interestingly, the trip’s activities directly reflect one of my sorority's newest initiatives, Social Justice and Human Rights. We will be living at the Lazarus Project. The Lazarus Project is a residential facility for people living with HIV/AIDS. Hurricane Katrina directly afflicted many of the residents. Our job is to listen to their stories, help execute daily services and gain a better understanding of New Orleans culture. 

I can really use your prayers and support while preparing for the trip. I know it will be tough emotionally, but it be a life-changing experience. I'm really really really excited to be immersed in the culture, people and history of New Orleans. 

Jambalaya

Louis Armstrong

Mardi Gras

Marie Laveau

New Orleans Saints

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Po Boy

New Orleans by Charles Perkins

If your American dream is painted on a canvas
Neatly folded in the corner of Andy Warhol’s mind
New Orleans is a hurricane beating down your coast

If you close your eyes
And feel the easy ride
Of the St. Charles Street Car
Where a solo tuba
Blows the scent of magnolia
Down narrow streets
and everyone plays possum with the heat
and no one’s too big or too small
to paint their tongue with a snowball

where former slaves pay homage to the first Americans
by masking in suits of rhine stones and bright colored feathers
that transform security guards into Indian Chiefs
doing rain dances on Congo Square
where the drums drum
and the wine drink
and the big chief sing
somebody give me a quarter
cause pretty big chief want some water

if you can envision the souls of yesterday
living in the music
that rises from the cracks in the sidewalks
New Orleans is your dream
With a heart as soft
As the spanish moss
Dripping from centuries old oak tress

She’s a pretty face with dirty feet
The good witch of lake Ponchartrain
The spice god of shrimp and crawfish
Keeping the spirits fed

Communities of windowless monuments
Masquerading as cemeteries
Tower above ground
No earth or worms to cover the flesh
No silver bullets to turn out the spirits
That still dance with her

Spin your umbrella
And wave your bandanna
It’s Mardi Gras time
And everybody’s happy

Armed with a blue print of civilization
The new world stormed in
With enough asphalt and cement
To pave a boulevard back to Paris

the spirit of the swamp still hasn’t submitted
Leaving mildewed kisses of disapproval
On every thing foreign to the wet lands

Catholicism could not turn out the spirit of Marie Laveau
The wrecking ball could not turn out the spirit of Storyville
And death could not turn out the spirit of Louie Armstrong
When yesterday hangs on to forever
Tradition is a temple.

Able-Bodied and Socially Just

Hello everyone!
It has been a long time! Unfortunately and fortunately, I have been extremely busy with school, work and navigating New York winter weather.

Merry Christmas

So many blog topics have come up over the past couple months but one in particular has been on my mind. Firstly, let me start with a small academic update. This semester is taking me deeper into to my masters thesis. In addition to taking a Research Design course, I'm taking an Urban Political Process class and a sociology course about Immigration. On the first day of my political science class my professor was flabbergasted when I told class that I aspire to be a politician. Because New York and San Francisco are so influential, controversial and popular, naturally, residents of each city are cynical and critical of their city politics. That's fine. I've been in love with the law and social change for a long time so there is no changing my aspiration. Reading various articles and books has made me more thoughtful about decisions made by our government, especially when basic social services are not offered to impoverished people living in these cities.

Working on a college campus, in an office dedicated to multicultural affairs, I'm constantly reminded of social identity. One political policy has really triggered and irritated me. The snowstorms in NY have made national news. I, along with other New York residents, have been highly upset with city's inefficient and ineffective methods to cleaning up the snow. Furthermore, I really don't like being cold or my feet getting wet as I walk the few blocks to school. As I was marching and trying to maintain my balance on countless yards of snow, I thought to myself, how would I get through this in a wheelchair? Or with a walking stick?

After I stopped and thanked God for blessing me to be physically capable to do this, I had to really stop and think of what type of civic servant will I be? Working solely for economic development is not enough. Fighting the good fight and advocating for racial equality is great. However, it is time for public servants, especially our elected officials to move passed the basics and incorporate all of their constituents. We hear it over and over again, be the change. Let's talk about it and be about it.