University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Summer 8-6-2013 A Gateway for Everyone to Believe: Identity, Disaster, and Football in New Orleans Brandon D. Haynes University of New Orleans, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Regional Sociology Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sports Studies Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Recommended Citation Haynes, Brandon D., "A Gateway for Everyone to Believe: Identity, Disaster, and Football in New Orleans" (2013). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1712. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1712 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Gateway for Everyone to Believe Identity, Disaster, and Football in New Orleans A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies by Brandon D. Haynes B.A. Louisiana State University, 2001 M.P.A. University of Missouri, 2004 M.B.A. Kennesaw State University, 2010 August 2013 Copyright 2013, Brandon Haynes ii Acknowledgments “It is a peculiar sensation, this double consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of other. One ever feels his twoness, --an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts two unrecoiled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” -W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folks, 1903 “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” -Carol Moseley-Braun, 1993 “I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” -Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, 1975 These three quotes represent the same premise that has guided my academic journey. Throughout my four years at the University of New Orleans, I have struggled with the idea of defining myself, while still adhering to the scholarly ideals, principles, and image of the academy. For a time, I have tried to reconcile my inner being as a smart, gregarious, expressive, and sometimes surly, black male, with the numerous white faces of academia that have at times overwhelmed me. For a time, I wondered if I could achieve my lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. For a time, I did not know if I was smart enough, or sounded the part. Although I could make sense of just about everything academia has thrown at me, I still did not sound like my colleagues. To be frank, I did not want to sound like my colleagues. I wanted my thoughts, my ideas, and my voice to shine through in my work. I doubted I could have the best of both worlds, which was to use my voice to communicate scholarly concepts to broader audiences. My doubts were misplaced as this work, in my humble opinion, does both. I found my voice in the context of the research and created a product which four years prior I could not have ever imagined conceiving. All I can say to this fact is “God is good.” To think that a project of this size was completed only with the help of a higher power would trivialize the special people around me. This is the moment I have most been looking iii forward to for the last four years. So many people have aided me in my journey to completion, and this is my chance to say thank you. First, I want to acknowledge my cohorts, those who have completed their doctoral degree and those soon to follow. There is nothing like going through a process with others and coming out of it as friends. A special thanks to Drs. Casey Schreiber, Carrie Beth Lasley, Kelly Owens, and Jerry Graves. We have talked at length about the program and the doctoral process. Having you all cross-over showed me an end was attainable and provided the extra motivation to complete this degree. I also want to thank both Nada Toueir and Chandra Teddleton who will be completing their respective degrees soon after. We have talked to each other until we are blue in the face and now it is time for your lights to shine. There is no way I could have reached this goal without the help of my dissertation committee and staff of the Department of Planning and Urban Studies at the University of New Orleans. I have to start by showing my appreciations for David Lambour. Over the past four years, I have found David to be one of the most open and real people in the department. His open door policy held true, as I continually vented my frustrations to him and not once did he ever turn me away. I don’t know if he’ll ever truly know how important that was to me, but it was vital in my success. I want to say a resounding “Thank You” to Dr. Renia Ehrenfeucht, Dr. Vern Baxter, Dr. David Gladstone, and John DeShazier. Each of you added to my scholastic and personal growth in different ways. You accepted nothing but the best, and thus I raised my level to give you the best I had to offer and for that I again say “Thank You.” Specifically, Dr. Baxter, who, over the last semester, acted as my offensive coordinator. You showed me how to string together a series of plays that would get me to the end zone. The time you spent with me, even when you did not have it to spend, was invaluable. There is one member of the planning faculty, though, who made this all possible. Her name is Dr. Michelle M. Thompson. Michelle was a lot of things to me at UNO. She was my first iv professor at UNO. She was the chair of my dissertation committee. She was one of my favorite people at UNO. More importantly, what she is to me will stand the test of time. She is one of my favorite people I have ever met. Michelle is my doctoral mom, my big sister, and, most important, my friend. With a vigor and zeal I had not yet encountered in life, she drove me to the depths of frustration from which I thought I would never return. What she did was stretch my mind and capabilities such that when it came time for “game day,” I was as smooth as Drew Brees in a hurry-up offense. Well, coach, it worked, and I have you to thank for it. I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors. Now comes the time to thank my friends and family. First, to my extended family and friends, thank you for the encouragement. You have always congratulated me in meeting my milestones and shown me so much love through this process. I will never forget it. I want to thank my church family at St. John Missionary Baptist Church. Your prayers have been answered, I am a doctor now. To my friend Jesse Herman, we met in the lunchroom of the UNO cafeteria and have been close ever sense. You have been with me through some tough times and I want to express my sincerest gratitude for it. My friends Cesar Rico, Brian Mims, Mark Abshire, and Albert Ardon, I’ve known you guys for almost half of my life now. Thank you for your support, and the countless nights we spent together over beers, barbeque, and football. Those times are dwindling, but they are not forgotten. To Michael and Elisa Reeves, it’s been fun getting to know you guys since graduate school. I appreciate each time we met for lunch or dinner, and the encouragement you shared with each Gmail message. To Melissa Saddler Ingram, my sister from the Midwest, thank you for the years of friendship, solace, and comfort. We do not talk as much as we used to, but I know you’re there, still the same, as am I for you. And, Adam Hamilton, my brother from another mother, we always seem to go through life changes about a year or so apart. This time, we’ve both changed careers. I cannot wait to see where we go from here. v I have yet to mention two of my best friends. I will start with Adrian Grubb, my childhood friends and father of my God-children. We have been friends since the womb it seems like and there is no one I would consider more a brother than my own brother. From Paul B. Habans to Edna Karr Magnet, our friendship has only strengthened. I cannot begin to tell you what an honor it has been to be your friend. It will be more the honor to one day call you doctor as well.