No Respect

Yesterday I was driving to this meeting I had. I was Second and Baronne uptown in New Orleans. I am naming the streets in case someone that reads this is related to this girl and wants to go slap her. I was getting ready to park my car on First and Baronne. To my left was a group of old men sitting outside of a FEMA trailer. They were just staring at something but I couldn't see what it was. When I got a little closer I noticed a teenage boy and girl playing around. They looked innocent enough but they kept laughing at something behind this truck. When I got next to the truck I realized what the kids were laughing at and the old men were staring at. There was this teenaged girl with her legs off the ground and this boy was holding her up. This baby was serving this boy with a lap dance in the middle of the sidewalk at two o'clock in the afternoon when they both needed to be in school. I’m sure those old men wanted to say something but youngsters are so scary looking that they just shook their head.

I'm not going to preach about this one. I just have a message to everybody. If I see one of my daughters, any of my friend's daughters, any of my family members, or any of my family member's daughters out here giving some young jackass a lap dance with her legs off of the ground during the day in public, I am taking the baseball bat out of my trunk and beating down everyone involved and anyone that is out there finding it funny. I guarantee that will be the last time they shame themselves in public. We have to get some respect for ourselves back into the race. When I was ten years old me and my dad were driving and saw this girl leaning against her boyfriend's private parts at the bus stop. Big Cliff looked at me and said "if I ever see you treating your girlfriend with that kind of disrespect in public I am going to beat your ass". He was not joking at all. I'm glad my daddy wasn't with me yesterday because seeing that might have killed him.

If anybody in the New Orleans area wants me to monitor someone they know for the beat down send me an e-mail. All I need is a picture, their first name, and where they hang out.

The Most Serious Problem

For many years the kids of New Orleans have received sub par education. New Orleans has done a horrible job at educating its youth, me included, for decades. By no means am I trying to free the local school board for the mismanagement and abuse of the system. The state has been trying to take over the schools for years. I always thought local activists were crazy for fighting this considering the condition of the schools. After Katrina, Governor Blanco put the schools takeover in the special session of the legislature and the state took over while the population of the city was still hanging out in hotels. It’s now seventeen months later and some kids just got into school on yesterday after being on a waiting list. The school year started in August. When I saw this the only thing I could come up with is questions.

How in the hell are these kids supposed to learn everything they have missed? Will they still have to take the LEAP test? If they take it and fail it, is that part of their permanent school record even though they’ve missed six months of school time because there were not enough classrooms and teachers? Why did the state fire 7500 faculty and staff without at least estimating how many schools might open first? Some of those custodians would have been here night and day getting those schools together. Why didn't we have a housing plan for teachers that did come back or want to? Why did Lusher School (who already had a dry building) get to move to Fortier High School's building that could have accommodated thousands of kids immediately since it didn't have any damage? Why are there schools sitting untouched since the storm? Why is my mayor talking about a jazz park and all this pretty stuff and not saying anything about kids not having anywhere to go school? Shouldn't he and the city council be holding press conferences in the governor's mansion everyday to protest? Shouldn't this have been the first item in their "crime prevention summit"? Is Cleo Fields the only black politician in the region with the conviction to say something? Is the Recovery School District having public meetings so the citizens can voice their concerns? If they do, why is it I never hear about them? If I had school aged children, would it have been right to bring them back? How many concerned parents like mine with a school aged child didn't bring their kids back because of stuff like this? Doesn't that hurt the recovery of the city if concerned parents either can't come home or have second thoughts when they get here and leave out? The final question is this. How many people will be around to pick up the bodies of these babies from the streets after most of them become victims to the cycle of crime and violence because their country abandoned them during their formative years? Who will tell their story instead of just calling them thugs?

It might take someone more educated than I am to come up with answers and solutions to these things. I can only give you my humble opinion. My opinion is that all of these things are a cause of class warfare, racism, coward black politicians that care more about their political careers than their people, and uninformed citizens too worried about getting over. Parents have to be responsible but there isn’t a government in America that expects parents to build their own school buildings and hire their own teachers. I don't know who it is or where they are going to come from. Hell, it might even have to start with me. Something has got to be done to save these kids from this shameful activity. Maybe we should get as many buses and rides as possible and drive over to those big state of the art public schools in the suburbs and just walk on in. If we keep this up we won’t need a tidal surge and a failed levee system to destroy the city again. It will be done from the inside by the ignorance of our own children when they destroy each other and take the community with them.

Clifton

A Few Houses At A Time

A group of volunteers and paid workers helps build two new homes in the 2300 block of Delery Street. The houses, feature a new hurricane-resistent design, are the result of a partnership of the group ACORN and the LSU School of Architecture.Chris Granger / Times-Picayune

The Lower Nine is coming back a few houses at a time.

To Mr. Dungy

Today's blog is dedicated Tony Dungy for being the first black coach to win a Superbowl. In American professional sports there have only been nine coaches total to ever win a title. There are 119 Division One college programs that have 46% of black players. There are only 6 black coaches at these programs. That's why Tony Dungy winning was a very big deal.

It's not just that he won and his skin is dark. Tony Dungy has class, dignity, faith, and character and he didn't compromise any of it to make it in a profession dominated by people that don't look like him. He kept his head up after the tragedy in his family and he didn't show any bitterness when he was fired in Tampa and another man got to take all the credit for something he built. It goes to show that if you stay true to who you are things can work out for you even when there is adversity. That's a great lesson in this day and age when black men seem to want to go to war for the slightest sign of disrespect. I've never heard anyone say a negative word about him as a man. You never have to cross your fingers and hope nothing stupid is coming when Tony Dungy is on television. As a black man and a sports fan you have no idea how much that means.

Congratulations Tony Dungy and the Colts.

Still Bitter...

I'll give Tony Dungy and his team props in the morning. After watching the game tonight the only thing I can think of is. Why in the hell didn't we run Deuce right at these clowns. This is going to haunt me for months...

Damn you Sean Payton. We should have ran the Deuce.

I Used to Like This Guy Too

"I mean, you've got the first sort of mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a story-book, man,"

Senator Joe Biden

The key in this statement is first sort of mainstream. That means that in all the years he has been a public official Barak Obama is the first black man that Joe Biden has ever been impressed with. Guess what? Joe Biden's a Democrat. There are not many statements made publicly that offend me but this one does. In fact, this is worse than Michael Richards using the N-Word because this man has a say so in the policies of America. Did I mention he was a Democrat? Everyone who thinks Barak Obama has a real chance of winning a popular vote in this country please speak now.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said Wednesday night, "It was a gaffe. It was not an intentional racially pejorative statement. It could be interpreted that way, but that's not what he meant."

Is Jesse Jackson serious? The only reason he feels this way is because Biden is a Democrat. If Joe Biden was a conservative Republican from Alabama or Mississippi, he would be leading a march to his house and demanding he step down.

Why Come?

Look, I know "Why Come" is improper English but it was "Why Come Wednesday" on 102.9 here in the city. Since LBJ and Kelder are the last local morning show since Q93 dissed C.J. Morgan and replaced him with Steve Harvey, I felt like using the term as a tribute. I don't want any of you English teachers sending emails trying to correct me. That includes my sister who has never used slang in her life.

Why did my co-worker brought her own cake to celebrate her last day today?

Is it wrong for me to want my money back for the cake and gift we were going to surprise her ass with?

Why do I feel like the only black guy in New Orleans that doesn’t own a pistol?

Why do sometimes I feel the need to go and get one sometimes?

I have been reading the Unified New Orleans Plan and I like it. I think it's pretty well done and covers everything. But why do I not have any confidence in leadership here getting it done?

Why are the policeman accused of a capitol offense going back to work? What if they are guilty? They don't let regular people that get accused of murder go back to work when they are arrested for capital murder. Warren Riley should have left them on leave until this thing was over.

Am I the only one that thinks it’s cheesy that women have personal web pages with pictures of their children right next to a picture of themselves in a thong? That don't match.

What the hell are Tyra Banks and Serena Williams doing defending those thick bodies to the mainstream media when they think the Olsen Twins are sexy and they weighs 20lbs combined? You guys need to start hanging out in the hood again.

How long will it be before a disc jockey on a black radio stations snaps and admits he or she is tired of playing the same three songs all day long? They can’t like that Irreplaceable that much.

Will my blackness make me vote for Barak Obama for president even though I am not sure he is going to do a good job?

Am I the only black man that finds it depressing when I walk into a convience store or grocery store and some guy who obviously has no job, is standing over his girl's register while she is trying to work watching all the customers to make sure she isn't flirting? She is supposed to smile you dumb ass. She's working with the public. You are the kind of fool that gets his woman fired then gets mad when she can't buy you the new John Madden game. She's a fool for letting you stand there all day but she is probably scared to tell you to leave. She shouldn't be with your trifling ass in the first place.

Mr. Cosby

Today's blog is dedicated to Mr. William H. Cosby. Mr. Cosby was here in the city again yesterday at John McDonough High School to speak out against the conditions in the Recovery School District (which is a racist joke). He was here to speak on behalf of the students and call out the state to do more to change these conditions. That's damn shame that our mayor lives right here and doesn't say a damn thing about the schools.

You can have your opinion about some of the statements Bill Cosby has made about the state of the black community. There are many black people that were offended and took his comments personal. I have to keep it real. Since Katrina, Bill Cosby has been here many times to speak for the people and it wasn't a symbolic anniversary and he didn't have anything to promote. Where are all the rest of the greater than thou negroes who like to talk shit? How come when I go to the Lower Ninth Ward I see young white kids from all over the country cleaning out these poor black people's houses and not the Rainbow Coalition? Say what you want about Bill Cosby but at least he shows up and puts his time and money where his mouth his. I guess we will see the rest of them on the 29th when it's time to sign and remind everybody of how messed up it was or when they are campaigning for something.

I didn't even mention he created Fat Albert and The Brown Hornet.

Mr. Johnson

There is a lady that works with me named Cody. She lives in Baton Rouge now after losing her house and car to the hurricane. She commutes everyday and works from 9-5. Her husband’s job was eliminated when the storm hit and it hasn’t re-opened yet. Every day when he drives her to work, takes care of a few things around the city, then he sits in the parking lot until 5:00 pm when she gets off so she won‘t have to wait. When I come out of the building for lunch he is there. When I leave in the evening he is still there. Now I think I am a pretty ok brother, but I am not waiting outside for 8 hours in the car. The only person I know that would do this is my dad.

Today’s blog is dedicated to Mr. Johnson , a good brother trying get his own business straight while making sure his wife is good at the same time.

Everybody Can't Protest

Image is everything in America. It can either make or break your cause. For instance, I have been a loyal hip hop fan since I was ten. Since I never really got into mainstream songs, I seek out good music to listen to that would never make the radio. I could sit here and name a list of talented brothers and sisters who are creative, enlightening and make some pretty awesome songs. Unfortunately they never make the radio and their videos never get played on MTV or BET. That means that the majority of people that don't know any better can only go by what the media gives them. They see hip hop as pimps, hoes, negroes killing everybody and only worried about sex and jewelry. That's the common image of the art form so now it's hard for the public to take things most hip hop artist seriously.

With that in mind lets go back to the St. Bernard Housing Projects in New Orleans, Louisiana. The former residents have been protesting to move back into their apartments. Last week, while the honest hard working residents of the complex were protesting, a few fools decided to disturb government property and tear down part of the gate. One of these fools was 25 year old Garelle Smith. You can read about this brother more here. Mr. Smith has been arrested 3 times for murder,including shooting Soulja Slim and countless other times for different offenses. Here is the problem. Ninety percent of the people who want to come home truly are homesick and just want to get their lives back to normal. The problem is that with the media attention in the city so focused on crime, you can't have people like Garelle Smith front and center at a protest when it's clear he is nothing but a thug. Nobody is going to support the good people coming back as long as fools like this are standing next to them in the fight. Next time you have a protest about coming home just get the old people like Ms. Gladys together and let them go out there.

Funk In A Freezer

Can somebody please bury James Brown?

This is the man that wrote Say it Loud, Papa’s got a Brand New Bag, The Big Payback, and countless other hits. He invented the funk and for the first 15 years of hip hop was sampled on almost every song. Why isn’t Brother James resting in peace yet? Let this be a lesson to all people. Please get your business straight before something happens no matter how old you are. If you have worked hard enough to have assets to leave your family, divide everything before you leave and eliminate all the greed and foolishness. Did it take this long to bury Elvis? What about Frank Sinatra? We need to have Condoleeza Rice or somebody step in to get this thing resolved before James Brown’s perm starts drying out and some photographer puts him on the internet in shame.

He Should Have Been The Governor

I am so happy that Bobby Jindal decided to run for governor again. Down here in Louisiana we have a habit of missing out on good things. Anyone that watched the debates the first time he ran against Governor Blanco and still voted for her had to be brainwashed or prejudice. This man had facts, figures, ideas for bringing in new money and other ideas to fix things in case we didn't get any new money. What was Kathleen's answer to everything? She would make a committee to explore the problem. That is basically her strategy. I keep telling my people that sometimes we have to let that blind loyalty to the Democratic Party go and look at both candidates equally. The bottom-line is that Bobby Jindal is not the governor right now because black people in Louisiana associate every Republican with David Duke and George Bush and there are a lot of racist people who couldn't bring themselves to hit the button for that brown man. Now we are paying for it by being displaced and waiting on Blanco’s Road Home program. I am not saying if he was governor that the region would be rebuilt. It wouldn't be back to normal but at least we would know what is going on. I feel good about my vote for Bobby even though he didn't win. I will probably vote for him again unless someone more talented runs. He might win but this is still Louisiana, which means that some old dude from Lake Charles that used to go to school with Huey Long will run and no one will vote for Bobby again even though he is the smartest man in race. I love Louisiana.

The Impossible Dream.....Almost

When I was eight years old the Saints had a regular season home game against the Atlanta Falcons that sold out. That meant that for once they would be on TV for a home game and I didn't have to listen to the game on the radio. I got up that Sunday morning, did my picks for all the games with my daddy like we always did and got ready to watch my team play at home.

The score was 41-0 Atlanta by halftime.

That's why as much as it sucked to go up to Chicago and fall on our faces in the NFC championship, I can't be more prouder of my team. It's much better to be playing in January for something meaningful than to watch your team get embarrassed during the year and never get this chance.

Congratulations to the Bears. We'll see you next year in our house when we have home field.

Here's to Ali

“Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

“I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell, but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free.”

“I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.”

“It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

We live in a time where most black athletes will get in front the camera and smile with absolutely no opinion about anything even though kids all over the country die just to buy something with their name on it. That's why today's blog is dedicated to Muhammad Ali on his 65th birthday. I wish there was one athlete today who had his stature while having his fearlessness to speak out.

Here's to Jennifer

Today's blog is dedicated to the talented, lovely, and classy Jennifer Hudson. Last night she won a Golden Globe award for her role in Dreamgirls as Effie White. The fact that this sister lost American Idol and just won a Golden Globe and Taylor Hicks won makes that whole show a fraud.

Here's to Jennifer. I hope she never get's skinny.

When the Games are Over

I've been a Saints fan since I was old enough to know what football was. I'm talking about back in the days where everybody thought it was cool to laugh at the team. All my life I have been waiting for the Saints to go to the Super bowl. I figured if we just kept at it that eventually we would have a team good enough to get to the big game and all my years of pain and suffering would be rewarded.

Then Katrina happened. Ever since then I have been bombarded with images and stories from national and local media that somehow make it seem like it was my community's fault that things happened the way they did. I have also been shown that there isn't anyone in a big hurry to help us get our lives back together. There have been thousands of hard working African American residents that have came home, went back to work and spent their own money trying to put things back together. What do we get for our trouble? We get bad services, no assistance, and blamed for our leaders own ineptness whenever a few bad seeds do something wrong. It's the kind of environment that makes everyone I know sit around and wonder out loud if it was the right thing to come back here in the first place.

Tomorrow the Saints will play the Eagles. I will be rooting for the Saints the same way I have since 1979. I would like to thank Drew Brees, Deuce, Reggie Bush, Sean Payton and all the other coaches and players for doing so well this year that I actually got caught up in everything long enough to forget what the real deal was. Unfortunately, they did such a good job that they earned a bye week. In the two weeks since their last game I have been knocked back to reality enough to remember that no matter what happens during the playoffs when it’s all over we will go back to the usual. The schools will still be messed up. The Road Home program will still be jerking people around. The mayor will only show his face in public after the citizens he really cares about (the business community) gets upset. Every surrounding parish will show through their comments and actions why we had to wait for cities in an entirely different state to take us in from danger. Then in the summer, some teenager will shoot someone and our governor will say that's the reason nothing's been done since September of 2005 except for fixing where the Saints play.

I was an obsessed Saints fan for 25 years. I'm certain there are only a handful of people that know more about the team than I do. My daddy told me that one day I wouldn't care as much. I knew that would be when we held up the Lombardi trophy as Super bowl champs and all my crying and fussing would be vindicated. I was wrong. Katrina did it on August 29, 2005. I'm just a little too conscious, my neighborhood is a little too empty and I have to drive a little too far for groceries and health care for the Saints to make it all better. It's going to be so funny the week after the season is finally over and Tom Benson starts talking about leaving again.

I still love Drew Brees though! The score will be Saints 31 - Eagles 20.

I promise not to make any references to New Orleans crime in this posting........

After watching two minutes of the I Love New York show I now understand why Tiger Woods calls himself cablaisian. I don't really want to be 100% black anymore either. The real question is where did they find the white dudes. Those white guys on that show are giving white guys everywhere a bad name. I'm not trying to put anyone on blast but if you watched the first episode and have already memorized all of the contestants nicknames you might have a problem. The culture is dying.

Will people stop sending chain text messages and killing everyone's plan? We have enough of that on email. Do you know how much it cost to send that text message to 7 people including the person that sent it to you? What if I have a friend that didn't pay his bill? Do I have to write the message down and send it to him in the regular mail so he doesn't get bad luck? I need answers.

I have been listening to the Steve Harvey show this week for the first time in the morning and it is pretty entertaining....But I have been listening to C.J. Morgan since I was in the 8th grade here in New Orleans and he needs to be on the air. Can someone explain to me how Juggy has a job and C.J. doesn't? I don't know anyone over the age of 21 that likes Juggy on the radio. Thats funny to me because he is probably older than I am. Q93 needs to do the right thing and find a spot for C.J.

"Lose one, let go to get one

Left one, lose some to win some (You lost one)

Story of a champion, sorry I'm a championYou lost one"

If you ain't feeling that song you might have a problem.

Saints - 31 Eagles - 20

Beware of the Checkpoint!!

While I was writing the truth about crime in the city yesterday our great leaders unveiled their new plan to fight the rising violence in the city. One of the ideas from our dynamic leadership is to have checkpoints from 2AM-6AM (Isn't it strange that the people who claim to be the most afraid are against a curfew? If it was that bad in your neighborhoods you would have embraced a curfew. There’s no crime in the French Quarter.). We all know what checkpoints really mean. We all know where they are going to be (they won't be on St. Charles and Nashville.) That's why I am asking all black people in New Orleans reading this to please do all of your drinking, partying and creeping by 12AM and get your ass home. If you happen to work that late at night, keep your work ID on and have your check stubs in hand when you are driving. Make all of your paperwork is up to date and all of your lights work on your car. Don't be one of the undangerous negroes that are lined up in chains after the first checkpoint. These assholes need a good media image to show in place of real solutions. Nothing will make these tourist whores happier than pictures of a line full of niggas going to central lockup at 3AM in the morning.

If you think I am just tripping remember how Nagin fought corruption by lining up the cab drivers and the brake tag women the same way.

This is how hip hop is supposed to be when a rapper acts his age.

"Lose one, let go to get one
Left one, lose some to win some (You lost one)
Story of a champion, sorry I'm a champion
You lost one"

The Truth about New Orleans Crime

Once again New Orleans residents are marching on crime and demanding answers and solutions from local officials. This usually means that someone other than a young black teen was shot. The year has started really bad as there are more murders in the city than days passed. I have to admit that for the first time in my 32 years of living here I am kind of scared. There was a time when a person was murdered and it was drug related a robbery or there was at least an explanation for why the conflict started. Now people are getting killed and no one knows why. Citizens have every right to be scared and demand answers. After everybody marches downtown and some folks make speeches that get great applause and some camera time, we need to sit down and be totally honest about why crime is and will be at a high rate for a very long time. If we don't admit to these things then there will never be a true solution to fixing the problem.

1. The black community of New Orleans has been raised in and around a culture of violence for the last 100 years. We raise our boys and girls to fight for everything! It has always had a crippling effect on our community but it became destructive after the crack era and the lost of any type of family structure for many kids. We are dealing with a generation of young people that have been raising themselves since birth and have been fighting every step of the way. They have no social skills.
2. When you have a disaster recovery process that discourages homeowners and educated people from coming back home quickly, we had to know that the criminal element would come back first because they wore out their welcome in other places. Not only that, Central City was relatively dry and there was all kinds of murders there before Katrina. The city leadership should have known that and they let the same thugs along with some new ones go back and terrorize the same neighborhoods. Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers, nurses, and working class people are making their way in other places because they can’t find a decent house.
3. The way in which the state, and local leaders allowed us to attend public school in the conditions that we did and still do is immoral, criminal and racist. When I was in the 7th grade in 1986-87, my reading textbook (which all seven classes of reading had to share) was 20 years old. Would anybody be surprised if we didn't pass a standardized test created with material we had never seen? Kids from most New Orleans public schools make it in life despite that bullshit education and not because of it. You send hundreds of adults into the world without any skills to function in society and then you want to give them all the blame later like they were born that way. I refuse to listen to any government officials opinion on crime here until they admit that their failures for the last three or four decades helped contribute to this problem.
4. Ray Nagin, the entire city council, and anybody else that wants to get involved has to go to Washington and beg, plead, and demand some money for the criminal court system. I don't care if they have to go all the way to G.W.Bush himself they have to do it. I know this is asking for something incredible since our mayor only speaks once a month but we have to pay the attorneys and get things in order down there. I can't speak for everybody but I am not calling and reporting anyone if they are going to get right back out and come after me.
5. The black community has some serious problems but is too caught up with worrying about white people to take care of it themselves. In Central City there is damn near a murder everyday. The people never look as angry as the residents of The Marigny did last week when the doctor got shot. We have to stop accepting self destruction as a way of life just because we are disadvantaged. The time has come for us to admit that if Ms. Gladys grandson kills four people it's his own damn fault. We have to call and get his ass locked up. That leads me to number 6.
6. The New Orleans Police Department has never done a good job connecting with the community and can never really solve any crime problem. This has nothing to do with the color of the officer. The fact of the matter is that there aren’t a large number of people outside of the French Quarter and the Garden District that thinks the NOPD is here for their protection. Until we all figure out what needs to be done for citizens to embrace the police department there will never be the level of cooperation needed. One thing they need to do is get out of those cars and walk around. I think one of the reasons the National Guard hasn't had any trouble in New Orleans East is that they actually go in the stores and to the coffee shop like regular guys. They even say hi when you are next to them at the stop light or passing up your street. They are very not threatening even in uniform and hummers. NOPD officers always look like they are waiting to kick somebody's ass.
7. As much trash as we talk about wanting the streets safer, we can never really do everything we need because the need for tourist runs this place. Sure, a midnight curfew would probably help out the police a lot right now since there is a shortage of officers and they are trying to get things under control. There is no way the business community wants things downtown to shut down that early. They could always enforce a midnight curfew for all parts of the city except for downtown. That would lead to every bootleg community activist to jump up and shout that it's biased and unfair. They would be right too. Sometimes, you have to do things regardless of the money. If we are not willing to do that then let’s forget the whole discussion and keep being scared.