What's your idea of controversy...

NOTE: If you are offended by moderately militant speech, you might not want to continue reading this post. Okay, now I warned you!

So apparently, its controversial for a black mayor of New Orleans to address the black community of his city and reassure them that the city which was predominantly black (ie over 60%) before the hurricane will get back to the point where it is predominantly black again (since demographically it is not, right now).

I'll let you watch the speech so you can see for yourself, but there are some points I would like to make.

http://www.wwltv.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=46812&catId=53


Now, the first thing I have to say is that I applaud the mayor for making such bold comments. However, controversial it was, he said some things that needed to be said. He in effect, did something that most people are not comfortable with. He acknowledged that the elephant they were all ignoring was still in the room. What is the elephant you may ask? The poor racial relations in New Orleans and America. They were bad before Katrina. They've gotten worse since. You see, there is a very large portion of the city (mostly black, some poor, some well off) who are terrified that they are being pushed out of their city. They are terrified because the parts of the city that are being reviewed in order to determine their viability are mostly black. They are terrified because they see mostly white, upper-class men deciding the future of New Orleans and they feel they have no say so in the community they grew up in. And they are terrified because a lot of them still vividly remember the days of Katrina, watching people perrish because of the incompetence of the nation and seeing people get turned away from safe lands because the city right next to New Orleans "didnt want those people in there."

And so when in a speech commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., Mayor Nagin attempted to reassure this same community that they were not forgotten and they were not being pushed out, by saying "New Orleans will be chocolate again," I truly believe it was not his intention to alienate or offend the white community in the city. In fact, (and here comes the militant part) the speech was never meant for them. It was directed purely and simply to the black community for reassurance and for conviction.

Conviction.

Let's get into the part that the media failed to cover (see why I want to write for magazines, but still have to write real stories as well). A majority of the speech was aimed at the Black community in conviction, which is really why no one else can relate to it. He spoke the truth, that the black community does need to get its act together and stand up and say, "we won't take this crap anymore in our community and our neighborhoods!!!" The day before this speech, there was a second line held in the city (picture a rally with music and dancing for people who don't know what a second line is) and the idea was great. Unifying the black community. We have the opportunity to do something great in rebuilding this city, in rebuilding our school system and our communities, in forcing violent criminals out... and what happened at the end of the second line... some gunmen started shooting up the place.

This was the context in which this speech was given. It was given to address a community that has so much potential and isnt standing up for it! Wouldn't you be mad? Shouldnt you be mad? Well guess what?

There was no outrage.

Not until Mayor Nagin's speech. Not until it concerned more than just the black community and people felt alienated. Not until the truth was told. Not until it got uncomfortable for them.

Maybe we should all be uncomfortable, so we can shut up and do something!