HM….Just the other day my wife (who is Filipina) was remarking about how many Filipinos there were in Nashville and wondered if it was the “Lemon City”. I had no comment….

Left by Marc on January 17th, 2006 at 8:32 pm

Robbie- I agree that Nagin’s quote doesn’t sound right. But I hope that you can understand the difference between a majority group keeping out ‘outsiders’ and a historically oppressed minority group doing the same thing.

While the two actions are superficially similar they are practically completely different. It’s all about who has power.

Please don’t be one of those people who whine about why we’re not allowed to have a National Association for the Advancement of White People.

Left by Preston on January 18th, 2006 at 7:03 am

It’s all about who has power.

I agree with you here, Preston. And I think Mayor Nagin’s remarks were more self-preservation than anything else (although I truely believe him to be a racist). Ray Nagin’s remarks were meant to justify — if not demand — that a black person be the Mayor of New Orleans. His remarks were intended to justify keeping him in office.

“God wants New Orleans to be a Chocolate City. Naturally, it should be led by a Chocolate person. I, Ray Nagin, happen to be a Chocolate person. And since I’m already the Mayor of Chocolate City (and don’t forget that I’m Chocolate, and that’s the way God wants it to be), well…there’s really no need to start talking about changing things. So sayeth the Shepard…”

As for the NAACP, they have done more to keep the races segregated than united…perhaps only the Democratic party has been more successful than the NAACP in perpetuating racial segregation in our country.

Left by Robbie on January 18th, 2006 at 10:10 am

I really don’t think Nagin’s remarks were that calculated Robbie. I think it reflects a bit of hopelessness and depression. He wants back what New Orleans was, predominantly black, and hey I’m sure that’s the sentiment of a lot of people who lived there..that’s human nature. He sees an influx of Mexicans (he’s already commented on that) and also knows in his heart that a lot of blacks won’t return because their homes will not be rebuilt. That said, I really think Nagin should resign. I don’t think he can handle what New Orleans has become nor do I think he can handle the New Orleans that is inevitably going to be different than what it was.

Left by dianne on January 18th, 2006 at 10:40 am

Oh…and forgot to comment, contrast everything I have said above with the Plantation remark by Hillary, which was undoubtedly politically motivated and racist.

Left by dianne on January 18th, 2006 at 11:03 am

As for the NAACP, they have done more to keep the races segregated than united…perhaps only the Democratic party has been more successful than the NAACP in perpetuating racial segregation in our country.

Well, that’s quite a comment to drop without any support.

Obviously the Democratic Party up until 1948 or 1964 (take your pick) was the party of segregation and is complicit in segregation. (though it’s rather naive to think that segregation would have ended if Southern Democrats opposed the practice- history shows what happened is that the South simply stopped supporting Democrats.)

But please explain your logic for saying the NAACP is responsible for segregation.

Left by Preston on January 18th, 2006 at 11:49 am

Dianne-
anything Hillary Clinton says that prevents her from becoming the nominee in 2008 is fine with me.

Left by Preston on January 18th, 2006 at 11:50 am

It seems that anytime a black person dares to rise above “being black”—getting an education, thinking for themselves, getting out of the ghetto, etc.—they are attacked by their own (especially black Democrats and black leadership from the NAACP) as being “not black enough”, an oreo (black on the outside, white ion the inside), or depicted as a Sambo.

• When Bill Cosby, who earned a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts in 1977, made public remarks critical of those low-income Blacks whom he believed to be deprioritizing education in favor of sports and fashion, he was criticized by black leaders on the Left.
• Condi Rice, who is the highest ranking black women in the history of American Politics (and also a Ph.D), is routinely depicted in cartoon as a “House Nigga“.
• Maryland Democratic Leaders have sanctioned racial slandering of GOP Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is running for Senate in Maryland. They have endorsed pelting him with Oreo cookies in public and calling him “less than black”.

Dell Gines at Black Professor Blog has this to say:

This is what the black power movement has transitioned to, the black blame movement, where everything under the civil rights rubric has become a scavenger hunt whereby our so-called ‘leaders’ attempt to find the racism variable as a behavioral excuse for us degrading ourselves. There was a time when self-affirmation, mutual identification of black value, and a demand for internal and external respect were the mantra.

Not any more…

And who is leading the black power movement in this country? The NCAAP.

Left by Robbie on January 18th, 2006 at 12:11 pm

Seems pretty tenuous to me. First of all, what do any of those attacks have to do with the NAACP? Second, what do they have to do with promoting segregation?

Left by Preston on January 18th, 2006 at 12:53 pm

I didn’t say they promoted segregation. It’s just the end result of their blame/victimization movement.

Left by Robbie on January 18th, 2006 at 1:43 pm

Furthermore, segregation was a historical violence perpetrated against black people by white people. For a white person to attempt to score a political point by casually accusing the victims of that violence for their own oppression is a little offensive.

Left by Preston on January 18th, 2006 at 1:46 pm

I say rebuild and let all of these evacuees have thier city back. Texas (especially Houston) is tired of all the crime that they have brought over here. Don’t get me wrong, I know that crime has always been here, but Houston opening their hearts and arms to these people have caused more problems than it is worth. Our crime rate here has more than doubled because along with the people from New Orleans that needed help came a whole generation of Thugs and Criminals. Send them all back and let them destroy thier “Chocolate City”.

Left by 5 on January 18th, 2006 at 4:03 pm

28 y/o vanilla seeks a welcoming city…

As a white female citizen of new orleans, I was deeply saddened by my mayor’s remarks. As a citizen of this “chocolate city” I have obeyed the laws, paid my taxes, and given back a great deal. For this what do I get? A slap in the face and a leader…that I initially supported…to tell me that, as a person “uptown” that he doesn’t care what I think or have to say. No thank you. To my wonderful mayor I say I don’t want your “chocolate city” not because of the chocolate aspect…but because of the lack of recognition of vanilla.

Left by Lauren on January 18th, 2006 at 10:17 pm

Robbie-
I’m not sure if you are aware of the context of Nagin’s statements or you are ignoring them to score political points. The context, of course, is that swaths of the city may not be rebuilt to provide a safety valve in the event of another hurricane. Up until August these areas were black neighborhoods. Some people evidently believe there is an agenda behind these plans to reshape New Orleans into a majority white city. I’m inclined to think that there isn’t a racist agenda behind the planning but it’s not a stretch to believe that higher valued real estate (owned by whites?) is more likely to be rebuilt than lower valued real estate (owned by blacks?).

City struggles with rebuilding plan

Commission members expect federal legislation will be adopted soon that will allow homeowners to sell their properties to a public authority. Planners will then have a better idea of which neighborhoods are likely to be repopulated, and which will struggle against abandonment, the newspaper said.

Left by Preston on January 20th, 2006 at 10:45 am

If a white mayor of a large city facing rebuilding had made a comment like this, demands for a cease on all federal aid would be shouted from every roof top across the nation. Why is the press letting this one go?

Left by Jason on January 20th, 2006 at 11:02 am

Jason- I personally think Nagin’s statements were not particularly tactfull but I hope you can see the difference in a mayor attempting to protect the right of a historically oppressed minority to return to their homes and, say, Bull Connor.

In judging the fairness of a situation it’s an obvious first step to imagine the reaction if the races were different. But it is willfully blind to ignore that the power relationships alter the meaning of the actions of Nagin and your hypothetical white mayor.

I don’t mean to argue that Nagin isn’t making political calculations in his attempts to assure the return of African Americans to New Orleans just to state that there are indeed forces at work that will lead to an inability of blacks to return to their homes.

Left by Preston on January 20th, 2006 at 11:24 am

I lived in N.O. and I’m white - and it sickens me to hear Nagin say something so disrespectful. I don’t care if it is a black holiday - that doesn’t give him license to act racist. Plenty white people lost it all, and how sad to hear the leader telling them they are of no value to the city. It is 2006 for God’s sake!

I can’t help but wondering why someone didn’t just interupt him on stage and just start quoting Martin Luther King’s dream speech. You know, the line about wishing for the day when blacks where not judged for the color of their skin, but the content of thier character. Moral character is the least thing that N.O. is known for, and surely voicing that you want a “chocolate city” is like saying, “judge me because I’m black and deserve this, not becuase of who I really am.”

That skin color would have anything to do with rebuilding N.O. right now is just disgusting. I mean, hello, what about the levees? How about concentraing on what really matters? If not, all that chocolate is going to be diluted again when it washes into the lake…levees people, levees!

God’s anger isn’t the cause of our problems…it’s engineering! We just were too stupid to realize that living below sea-level requires that we build better structures to support our lifestyles, and upkeep them too. It’s laziness in the Big Easy and a refusal to do what needed to be done - ie. pay up - in strengthening the levees that hurt us most, not Katrina.

We’ve had category 3 storms before, but if the levees hold, it’s just a little roof damage, tree limbs and minor flooding…this is a levee problem. To throw stupid things like God’s anger and racism in the conversation just smells like ignorance to me. Who cares what color the city ends up, as long as it is still there! And really, if the Mexicans want to help clean up the mess, by all means, they are welcome to come in my book. This city will never be the same and the demographics are going to change - end of story. Really, who cares?! Can’t we all just get along? Geez!!!

Left by jodi on January 20th, 2006 at 2:51 pm

“It’s laziness in the Big Easy and a refusal to do what needed to be done - ie. pay up - in strengthening the levees that hurt us most, not Katrina”

Jodi…actually I think you make a scientifically and logically compelling statement…however..

Who do you want to pay up? The former residents now living all across America who have no homes to come back to? The people who have lived in Indiana all their lives without a setting sun reflecting on the water and who can’t afford health care for their familes? Why should they support the lifestyle you spoke of above with their tax dollars? Pardon me if I don’t support beating down doors sending N.O. money to fix the levees. And, furthermore, I don’t trust your Louisiana officials to handle the money even if we send it to them. They are for the most part totally incompetent.

These are my questions. I hope you don’t see them as hateful because I really do feel compassion for y’all, but I don’t think I’m alone in my thinking.

Left by dianne on January 20th, 2006 at 7:17 pm

Dianne- so it’s earthquakes in San Franciso, terrorism in NY and DC, hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, blizzards in the north, tornados in the Midwest, wild fires in the West, mudslides in LA.

Why do those people live there?

Of course we can all do things to minimize risk. Perhaps NO won’t be rebuilt exactly the way it was- but it is too important of a port and a city not to be rebuilt. So we as Americans share some of the risk- it’s just the right thing to do.

Left by Preston on January 20th, 2006 at 11:41 pm

Of course I believe risk must be shared and that N.O. needs federal assistance; however, it should not be disproportionate. Just last year 22 tornadoes struck Wisconsin in a single day, with 400 homes destroyed. FEMA refused the Governor’s request for funding. Yet, those same people who lost their homes in Wisconsin are now forced to pay for the hurricane damage in the south. Is that the right thing to do? I think not. Before we “pay up”, we better “fix up” this broken mess of an inequitable system. And, we better take the time to conduct the best risk assessment possible before we spend billions of dollars to rebuild areas that are inevitably going to be assaulted by mother nature again.

Left by dianne on January 21st, 2006 at 8:51 am

If a white person made a racist remark like that, he would have resigned by now. In explaining his remark, Nagin says “he is African American, okay.” Is that his excuse for being stupid and incompetent? That jackass does more to harm intelligent thoughtful black people than anyone I know.

Not another white dollar to New Orleans until they oust that idiot.

Left by J on January 21st, 2006 at 7:22 pm

I think reasonable people of all races are able to see the stupidity in Ray Nagin’s statements regarding New Orleans being a “Chocolate City.” I think maybe he has been affected by the flood waters in some way that inhibits his internal censors. It is unfortunate that new Orleans was under the “leadership” of such an idiot at the time Katrina struck. All I can say is that when I lived there I voted for Richard Pennington! I now live in Atlanta, and things have never been better. Hopefully Mayor Wonka’s reign won’t last much longer.

Left by Lynell on January 22nd, 2006 at 11:10 pm

Lynell- Nagin was stupid to suggest that New Orlean’s residents should be able to return because they are black: they should be able to return because they were citizens. But the fact that those citizens most likely to be displaced were black validates the general thrust of Nagin’s (unfortunate) comment.

Left by Preston on January 23rd, 2006 at 11:17 am

This is not about blacks and whites - poverty sucks because it steals your personal power, and sad to say, but a lot of african-americans in our area are powerless because they’re poor and don’t see any way out of that poverty. So, they’re not going to help contribute financially to the city at all, so, we have to bankroll the thing, if we care about it.

Yes, I do think we need federal assistance, and I’m not ashamed to say it. Yes, 400 homeslost in WI, is terrible and super-sad, and of course, FEMA should have helped them - this government has the money and power to do it. BUT, that situation is just not the same as an entire metropolitan city going through ahurricane that spanned the entire gulf of mexico AND on top of that, experiencing a break in levee protection that spawned tidal-wave-style flood waters. It is a situation that has been previously unknown to US history and personally, I have never in my life seen anything like it.

I DO think, however, that the state of Louisiana should also help in paying for its own most-loved city…I’m not talking about the displaced people who are strewn all over the US. Many of those were so poor that they can’t bankroll anything like that, so the rest of us have to foot the bill…just like we do for all other kinds of government programs. People who have money pay to help people who don’t - that’s how it is in the US.

I figure that, if the state of LA values N.O. as the tourist cash-cow that it is, then it should help to pay-up. People come to Louisiana because they want to see the city of New Orleans, eat the food, and live it up. If the state values this city, then they should help. I live in this state and would not mind paying a special tax to help.

Recently, I drove by 2 plantations outside the city, one of which told me that the only thing holding them up financially is the local weddings…usually, they get busloads of N.O. tourists visiting the historic sites. Now, it’s a trickle. You see, this state knows that anywhere else the tourists go in LA usually is an off-shoot of visiting N.O. first.

Look, this government has money. This state has money too. I’ve been paying lotsa taxes for years and I see oil refinery after oil refinery when I go driving - it just depends on where our state officials want that money to be allocated.

I figure, IF we value New Orleans at all, then some of our tax money has go towards the levees that protect the city. Is somebody else in the state going to be mad that they didn’t get as much moola as in years past? Of course they’re going to hate it. Everybody wants as much money as they can get. Yes, it’s going to suck for somebody, no doubt. But, if we value this city, then we need to pay up - federally and state-wide.

The core of engineers has told us for years that we need to strengthen the levees, that it was “only a matter of time” Well, they were always shot down because of the money - people in office want to please the people, who want other things, federally and state-wide. Nobody around here thought the levees would ever really breech, but guess what, they did. Now, we have to deal with the aftermath of our own laziness and delusion about the realities of levee protection. Yes, I understand people in other states who don’t want to help out. It’s human nature. But, the bottom line is we need help. And I think plenty of people would help out, if they thought that the money wasn’t going to end up in the hands of a man who values “chocolate” over protection.

The bottom line is, if we value our money more than we value our city, then we should stop talking about rebuilding because it’s futile to do it without the assurance that levees are going to rise higher and stronger than before…plus, it is plain disheartening to have that false hope thrown out there.

My hope is that people do care enough to pay up - the Feds, the State, and the big industry like OIL that drains our natural resources and makes TONS of dough by drilling in LA. I also hope that we get a NEW governor and a NEW mayor, who have better-working brains and see the bigger picture than race, and actually DO something about our situation so that ALL of us can survive. Otherwise, this formerly awesome N.O. is going to be the next Atlantis.

We’ve got to stop talking race, which is just stupid under the circumstances, and start talking about our SURVIVAL. Who wants to rebuild in such shaky circumstances? Hurricane season is only months away and white, black, hispanic, whatever…we ALL need protection.

Left by jodi on January 23rd, 2006 at 12:15 pm

Jodi, you’re a good ambassador for New Orleans. You obviously love your city and are a real humanitarian. I hope you somehow get involved in the effort to restore N.O.

Left by dianne on January 23rd, 2006 at 4:54 pm

I can’t believe Nagin can get away with this crap. As many have said “If a white Mayor of a city said this re: Vanilla, they would have his head”. Check out http://www.whitechocolatecity.com these guys have a great slant on this subject.

Left by Dennis on January 25th, 2006 at 11:06 am

I think Ray Nagin was wrong for that comment. Because there were also people out of the African American race helping N.O getting back together.Yes I am black, and yes I am from [around] there. N.O. has always been the ”Chocalate” city. But he still hasn’t made that comment, at all.

Left by From New Orleans on January 26th, 2006 at 10:26 pm

city? How fast would the NAACP, the Right-Reverened Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and all the other national race-baiters descend on that mayor and that city in a rage of blustering fury? I’m guessing about 5 seconds. Urban Grounds, January 17, 2006http://urbangrounds.com/2006/01/17/nagins-chocolate-city

Left by LIFE ON THIS MUDBALL on January 27th, 2006 at 11:19 am

I was not offended with Nagin’s speech about New Orleans becoming a Chocolate City. I don’t believe Mayor Nagin is a typical racist; after all didn’t he share with us one of his favorite recipes, when later pressed for an explanation of this Chocolate City? Ironically, the Mayor unwittingly acknowledged the ratio being greater milk to dark chocolate when he switched from talking about Chocolate to a chocolate drink.

Ray Nagin’s recipe:

“How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about,” he said. “New Orleans was a chocolate city before Katrina. It is going to be a chocolate city after. How is that divisive? It is white and black working together, coming together and making something special.”

Maybe he was thinking about Hershey’s Syrup when he said this, because notice Hershey’s instructions for this delicious drink.

Chocolate Milk: Stir 2 to 3 Tablespoons (equivalent of 1/8 to 3/16 ounces dark chocolate) in 8 ounces Cold Milk. (white)

So, if New Orleans ends up like a chocolate drink, hey, that’s the way the Mayor, MLK, and God wants it. Quit fussing, let the Mayor do his job already!

PS: Tomorrow I will apologize for my offhand comments. Maybe I can include a recipe for dark fudge to make it all better.

Left by Pat on January 30th, 2006 at 10:06 pm

I am a black female teen. I was reading the remarks all you people have made. Now I dont agree how our mayor said what he said , but he letting everyone know how he feel I feel the same way .Now I dont care how many of you disagree, BUT I DIDN’T SEE ANY WHITE PEOPLE SAYING TO MUCH WHEN WOLF BLIZTER SAID ,” WERE WATCHING THIS DISATER AND THESE PEOPLE ARE SO POOR ,AND SO BLACK

Left by angel on February 8th, 2006 at 4:33 pm

I am a black female teen. I was reading the remarks all you people have made. Now I dont agree how our mayor said what he said , but he is letting everyone know how he feel. I feel the same way .Now I dont care how many of you disagree, BUT I DIDN’T SEE ANY WHITE PEOPLE SAYING TO MUCH WHEN WOLF BLIZTER SAID ,” WERE WATCHING THIS DISATER AND THESE PEOPLE ARE SO POOR ,AND SO BLACK! Now talk about that since you all have so much to say about our may.This note is from a 15 year old girl who was living in the lower 9th ward.Now talk about that!

Left by angel on February 8th, 2006 at 4:40 pm

I don’t live in N.O. but my family loves going there two to three times a year and I am probably more familiar than most with their problems regarding, flooding, etc. However, what I have much more experience as a business man and as an American. I can’t help but muse at all the people that are now all of a sudden focusing on Ray Nagin and the “race issue” in N.O.

You see what I often find in business is that when someone is trying to avoid owning up to a mistake or covering up an inadequacy that they often try to either change the subject matter or to deflect blame. What I see going on in N.O. is probably a little bit of both. What I see is a Mayor that was woeful unqualified and unprepared for the disaster that struck. What plan that was in place was not adhered too, and when the original plan began to fall apart the people running the city had no idea what to do. Ray Nagin as the elected city leader has got to take responsibility for the mistakes that were made.

The first attempt to detract the blame for the failures that occurred was to blame the federal government for not coming to their aid. Now had Mayor Nagin been prepared he would have known that it was his responsibility to contact the Governor to have a request made for Federal assistance. The federal government is precluded from send in troops to one of the states without a request from the state. This is to protect the rights of the states and the rights of the citizens. That may seem very bureaucratic in a situation like this but we have this procedure for a reason.

By now everybody knows about the School buses and city buses that just sat by while people where trapped in N.O. Most people also know about the train offered by Amtrak to help in the evacuation. Now I wouldn’t think that this had anything to do with racism, but rather poor communication and horrible decision making.

Now Mayor Nagin has made an obviously racially charged statement regarding having a “Chocolate city.” To me it seems that he is looking for platform to run on, and he certainly can’t run on his record. If I were him I would be ashamed to run for re-election knowing how poorly I had carried out the duties of my office.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not laying the blame for the entire catastrophe at his feet. The Corp of Engineers should have been keeping better track of the condition of the levees. If you take any tour of the swamp lands and the marshes the tour guides will tell you that they lose wetlands to the ocean every year, the ground is falling under them. This should also tell them that the levees over time are not going to be tall enough. The local housing board could have also required any new construction to be built above sea level. This would raise the cost of individual construction but it would reduce the amount of damage done by individual storms. They could have also taken some lessons from the telecommunications world and looked at ways to build redundancy’s into the pump and levee systems to keep damage more localized and less extensive. The 9th ward that we have heard so much about on the news is actually one of the smaller neighborhoods that were damaged in the storm. It had a high degree of damage than some of the other areas but the sad part is that it was the barge that broke loose and tore through the levee that created the flood there. You have to ask, why the waterway wasn’t cleared of all vessels knowing that a storm was approaching. That should have been part of the emergency plan, if it wasn’t.

My point is this, leaders prepare for the things that others don’t see coming; they foresee the unforeseeable and develop a plan to compensate. I look at what happened in N.O. and I don’t see a race issue, maybe I am naive, what I see is a failure of leadership. We current have a leadership vacuum in this country from the White House all the way down to city governments and the problems are not going to get solved by allowing people to make racial cases or anything else out of it. That is counter productive and after all it only detracts from the real problem, we need people that can lead.

Left by Chad on April 2nd, 2006 at 10:53 pm

Liberals and conservative politicians alike have a LONG tradition of attempting to pass the buck. The difference is liberals are far more willing to admit this fact, while conservatives generally prefer to turn to their time honored ‘tactic’ of ignorant violence.

Left by Skindawg on June 16th, 2006 at 2:11 pm