State of Black New Orleans 2 Copyright © 2015, Urban League of Greater New Orleans All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper or broadcast. ISBN-978-0-692-51197-8 4640 S. Carrollton Ave. Suite 210 New Orleans, LA 70119 Phone: 504.620.2332 Website: www.urbanleagueneworleans.org STATE OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS 10 YEARS POST-KATRINA EDITORINCHIEF Erika McConduit-Diggs, Esq. EXECUTIVE EDITORS Rashida H. Govan, Ph.D. Cathy Washington, MBA COPY EDITOR Brooke A. Burks, Ph.D WORK GROUP MANAGER Ethan Ashley, J.D. PHOTOGRAPHY Julie Dermansky DESIGN Dione Morgan for Morganhill, LLC Eric Brown for Morganhill, LLC The Urban League of Greater New Orleans would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to the following organizations and individuals who made this eort possible: The Data Center Civic Engagement Working Group National Urban League Washington Erica Buher Ronald Carrere Bureau Flozell Daniels New Orleans Business Alliance Julius Feltus Jacques Morial Walton Family Foundation Margo Phelps W.K. Kellogg Foundation Greg Rattler, Jr. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Timolynn Sams Sumter Vincent Sylvain Greater New Orleans Foundation James Terry Baptist Community Ministries Ricardo Thomas Foundation For Louisiana Keith Twitchell Louisiana Public Health Institute Xavier University Criminal Justice Working Group Derwyn Bunton Dillard University Marjorie Esman Tulane University Michael Harrison Southern University at New Orleans Norris Henderson Susan Hutson University of New Orleans Mummi Ibrahim Loyola University Calvin Johnson Shaena Johnson Kenneth Polite, Jr. Ameca Reali Jon Wool Economic & Workforce Development Health Care Working Group Marsha Broussard Lynnette Colin Paulette Carter Arnel Cosey Joia Crear-Perry Cherie LaCour Duckworth Brenda Edgerton-Webster Melissa Ehlinger Mario Garner Thelma French Michael Grin Barbara Major Richard Henault Coleman Ridley Charlotte Parent Earl Robinson Denese Shervington LaTanja Silvester Brian Turner Jana Sikdar Sheila Webb Allen Square Tammie Washington Housing Working Group Patrice Williams-Smith Isabel Barrios Liza Cowan Education Working Group Dawn Domengeaux Toya Barnes-Teamer Monika Gerhart Belencia Breaux Jerey Hebert Deirdre Johnson Burel Fred Johnson Nancy Freeman Martha Kegel RaeNell Houston Ellen Lee Evelyn Jackson Andreanecia Morris Stacy Martin Arielle McConduit-Longmire Aesha Rasheed Petrice Sams-Abiodun Environment Working Group John Barry Mark Davis Ella Delio Monica Farris Monique Harden Shirley Laska Calvin Mackie Telley Medina Rachel Pickens Beverly Wright URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS EXECUTIVE TEAM PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Erika McConduit-Diggs EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Cathy Washington VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE & OPERATIONS Gizelle Johnson–Banks POLICY & DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT Rashida H. Govan DIRECTOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Ethan Ashley DIRECTOR CLARENCE L. BARNEY HEAD START CENTER Belencia Breaux DIRECTOR WOMEN’S BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER Lynnette Colin DIRECTOR OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Cherie LaCour Duckworth DIRECTOR PROJECT READY Evelyn Jackson DIRECTOR PARENT INFORMATION CENTER Arielle McConduit-Longmire URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD MEMBERS Dorothy “Dottie” Reese Ryan Banks William T. Bostick VICE CHAIRMAN Chris D’ Amour Mark S. Boucree Jason Burns TREASURER Ronald Carrere Dennis R. Mc Seveney Arnel Cosey George Chin SECRETARY Peggy Grandpre Jade B. Russell John Georges Michael G. Grin EXOFFICIO Flozell Daniels, Jr. Maida Jones Glover Catherine McRae HONORARY MEMBER Necole Merritt Richard A. Henault Sonia Perez Ashton Ryan HONORARY MEMBER Damon I. Singleton Norman C. Francis Jamie Schlottman PRESIDENT & CEO Keely C. Thibodeaux Erika McConduit-Diggs Ricardo Thomas Kimberley Treece Beth Trotter Kyle Wedberg 9 State of Black New Orleans TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD The Fabric of New Orleans 11 Keith Weldon Medley INTRODUCTION The State of Black New Orleans: 10 Years Post Katrina 15 Erika McConduit-Diggs, Esq. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Advocate, Agitate, Activate: 17 Civic Engagement trends in Post-Katrina New Orleans Westley Bayas, III and Vincent Sylvain CRIMINAL JUSTICE Over-representation in the Criminal Justice System: #BlackLivesMatter 33 D. Majeeda Snead and Rashida H. Govan, Ph.D. ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: Equity in the Economy: The Growing Wealth and Economic Divide 51 Richard C. Peters, Ph.D., Silas H. Lee, Ph.D. and Leroy D. Simpson, III, Psy.D., and Rashida H. Govan, Ph.D. EDUCATION The State of Black Education:Ten Years After the Storm of Reform 65 Rashida H. Govan, Ph.D., Andre M. Perry, Ph.D. and Debra Vaughan 10 ENVIRONMENT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Disaster Planning and Equity: 91 Lessons Learned in Post-Katrina New Orleans Robert A. Collins, Ph.D. ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE Environmental Injustice and the State of Black New Orleans 101 Beverly Wright, Ph.D. LIVING WITH WATER 115 Doubling Down: Getting to Resilience in New Orleans John M. Barry and Mark S. Davis, J.D., M.L.T. HEALTHCARE Health Outcomes in Post-Katrina New Orleans: Place and Race Matter 123 Pharissa Robinson, J.D. and Lila Arnaud, M.P.H. HOUSING The Challenges of Getting Home Quickly and Fairly: Successes and Failures of Housing Recovery Efforts 139 Kelly D. Owens, Ph.D. REFLECTIONS 161 11 State of Black New Orleans FOREWORD THE FABRIC OF NEW ORLEANS Keith Weldon Medley IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE HURRICANE KATRINA DEVASTATED NEW ORLEANS. SINCE THAT TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES IN NEW ORLEANS AND ITS PEOPLE. It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina a.m., the same surge began ooding the Lower devastated New Orleans. Since that time, there Ninth Ward once more, as well as the mixed race have been unprecedented changes in New Gentilly area and Pontchartrain Park, which had Orleans and its people. already ooded. Then the levee walls on the west side of the Industrial Canal failed, sending water The events of August 29, 2005 proved horric cascading into New Orleans neighborhoods for the lives and neighborhoods of those unable miles away including Treme. By the end of the to evacuate. At 4:30 a.m., leaks in the oodgates day, 80% of the city was underwater. began ooding areas such as Pontchartrain Park. By 5:00 a.m., storm surges from the Mississippi Those who study New Orleans without seeking River Gulf Outlet crumbled levee sections and its African and African-American inuences the waters started seeping in toward St. Bernard invariably miss what it means to know New Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward. At 6:30 a.m., Orleans. People of African descent – enslaved storm surges pushed the water in the Industrial and free – willingly or unwillingly have been here Canal over the levees and ooded all of New since its earliest days. Between the years 1718 and Orleans East, where large numbers of Black 1722, boatloads of Africans from the Senegambia professionals and entrepreneurs resided. At 6:50 region of Western Africa and outcasts from French Foreword 12 society arrived in New Orleans for forced toil in who settled in Dulac, Louisiana after their land the Louisiana marshes. They hacked and drained was appropriated, “Salvation Culture” is the same swamps, constructed buildings and levees and concept in play in New Orleans. The expressions dug canals. For the French indentures, the term that appear to be being suppressed in the city was three years. For most of the African laborers, are beautiful and revered around the world. Louis it was a life sentence. Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson came from those traditions. Even with the backdrop of Katrina, 2007 marked a sense of resiliency and renewal and heightened The streets of New Orleans and its on-beat music, civic involvement. In Pontchartrain Park and cultures, and traditions provide a cultural safety Gentilly Woods, residents signaled their return net. So, even though systems and social forces with bright yellow ribbons wrapped around trees may line up against Black youth, the cultural and mailboxes even as Katrina dust still hung in expressions provide self-esteem and purpose the air. In the Lower Ninth ward, volunteers from beyond what could be found in mainstream around the country cleaned a ood-ravaged society. In many ways, this psychological safety Martin Luther King School that the school system net existed in the olden days of Congo Square had virtually abandoned. Neighborhood groups where Africans would gather on Sundays and and civic associations raised their voices and play their drums and perform ancient rituals that, confronted the powers that be over the state for a few hours, shrouded every Sunday from the and future of their beloved city. As an old Creole reality of their weekdays. And it still exists today proverb stated, “Little by little, the bird built its in the traditions of the brass bands, social and nest.” pleasure clubs, and Mardi Gras Indians. There are always fears about the suppression of These cultural expressions are transmitters of New Orleans Black street culture. These consist New Orleans cultural history. The practitioners of the parading groups, jazz funerals, brass are cultural preservationists that hold tightly to bands