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Research report by: People, Places & Design Research February, 2010

Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum

Contents

Front-end Research: Executive Summary . . . . . 1

First Study: Intercept Interviews in New Orleans . . 2

Research Conclusions ...... 3

A. Interest in Louisiana History ...... 5 B. Interest in Civil Rights ...... 6 C. Interest in Civil Rights Themes ...... 8 D. Initial Interest in Visiting ...... 9 E. Characteristics of the Sample ...... 10

Second Study: Focus Groups in Three Cities . . . 11

Research Conclusions ...... 12 Overview, Research Strategy, Principal Results

Opportunities ...... 15 A. Interest in Cultural History ...... 16 B. Regional Differences in Louisiana ...... 25 C. Interest in Current and Historical Eras . . . . . 29 D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights”. . . . . 32 E. “Other” Civil Rights Movements ...... 36

Challenges ...... 43 F. Awareness of the Civil Rights Movement...... 44 G. Louisianan Visitors to New Orleans ...... 46 H. Emotional Perceptions of Civil Rights . . . . . 48 I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” ...... 50 J. Initial Interest in Visiting a Civil Rights Museum. . . . . 62 K. Sensitivity to Perceptions of Racism ...... 63

Research Report prepared by Brian Werner & Jeff Hayward People, Places & Design Research Northampton, Massachusetts February, 2010

Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 1

Executive Summary

This “Front-end Research” report presents the results of two complementary audience studies, both intended to explore the public’s knowledge, interests and openness to Louisiana’s civil rights history. The first study is based on intercept interviews (primarily quantitative) of people at various locations in New Orleans. The second study is based on nine focus group discussions (a qualitative research method) with residents of Louisiana in Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The methods, results and findings of each of the studies are described in greater detail in the two major sections of this report.

Key Findings Public interest in Louisiana history is not necessarily compelling, although there are some opportunities. The history of Louisiana is not automatically appealing for Louisiana residents or tourists, but some aspects of Louisiana history have potential appeal. One topic with apparent public interest is about the diverse cultural histories in the state. People can readily identify several cultural influences from history and today, and they say they are interested in learning more about them. For example, the commonalities and differences between Cajun and Creole cultures and the regional variations in culture within Louisiana are relatively strong interests. Interest in civil rights history is mixed, not assured. General interest in the topic of “civil rights” exists, but that’s different from interest in the Civil Rights Movement. Interest in civil rights history (i.e., the Movement) is moderate on average, although relatively high among African American residents of New Orleans, moderate among African American residents of other parts of the state and weak among both tourists and white residents of Louisiana. For most whites (and some African Americans) the Civil Rights Movement is more depressing than inspirational. There were some hints of interest in other connections when people were asked about specific topics such as: “People’s rights during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster” and “Free blacks during the time of slavery.” Knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana is limited, except among older audiences. Even though knowledge about the national Civil Rights Movement is very high among people of Louisiana, most people’s knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana is very low. Older African Americans from Baton Rouge and New Orleans who lived through that era can identify people and events, but whites and all younger people have little or no established frame of reference. People might be engaged by a broader conception of civil rights, but that path also comes with apprehension. Many people are open to the idea of learning about a variety of civil rights movements – e.g., women’s rights and disability rights, and to a lesser extent gay rights and immigrant rights. For some people, these movements are a legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and this could create a more welcoming image for whites especially. For some African Americans, inclusion of these other movements might be deemed distractions or even offensive. And while most Louisiana residents can cite a modern example of cultural conflict, few think of such conflicts as something about which they would enjoy knowing more.

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First Study: Intercept Interviews with Residents and Tourists in New Orleans

Research Conclusions ...... 3

A. Interest in Louisiana History ...... 5

B. Interest in Civil Rights ...... 6

C. Interest in Civil Rights Themes ...... 8

D. Initial Interest in Visiting ...... 9

E. Characteristics of the Sample ...... 10

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Research Conclusions: Interviews with Residents and Tourists

This study was initiated to understand the perceptions of Louisianans and tourists about the possibility of a civil rights museum in New Orleans. The purpose of the research is to inform programmatic planning about the nature of possible visitor experiences and exhibition themes or topics to consider in the planning process.

Understanding the sample of people who were interviewed

For this first part of the research – the quantitative study – the data are drawn from intercept interviews of 115 people encountered in various public places (libraries, coffee shops, museums, parks and Jackson Square) during October of 2009. Intercept interviews were conducted by trained interviewers at these locations with randomly selected people. No qualifications were used in selecting the people to be interviewed, although locations were chosen to gain a reasonable sample of people from Louisiana (both African American and white) and outside of Louisiana (mostly white, intentions to encounter African American tourists were not realized sufficiently to justify analysis). This study was designed to use a relatively small sample size as a foundation for additional work (e.g. for focus groups, future surveys). However, the modest sample sizes do not support fine distinctions among types of potential visitors.

Principal Results Interest in Louisiana history People expressed moderate to high interest in a variety of topics from Louisiana history. The strongest interests among the overall sample were about the people of Louisiana: “The many cultures of Louisiana” and “Ethnic and racial history of Louisiana.” The general idea of “Civil rights in Louisiana” elicited very high interest among African American Louisianans, moderate to high interest among white Louisianans, and low interest among tourists (this is not the same as interest in the Civil Rights Movement). Top-of-mind interests regarding civil rights The first impression of interest in a “civil rights museum” is mostly positive but not enthusiastic. Most people could name some general idea of what could be interesting to them in such a place, but these ideas were vague and unenthusiastic. For those who have thoughts about civil rights today (primarily Louisiana residents), the observations are mostly discouraging observations of racism and inequality — few people focus on accomplishments or positive efforts. Interest in civil rights themes During the interviews, people were presented a list of possible themes for a civil rights museum. For all three subsets (African American Louisianans, white Louisianans, and white tourists) the most interesting theme was “People’s rights during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster” followed by “Free blacks during the time of slavery.” “Struggles for civil rights today” and “the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana during the 1950s and 1960s” were also highly rated, but primarily among African American Louisianans. Although white Louisianans expressed high interest in the general idea of “civil rights in Louisiana,” they were much less interested in the Civil Rights Movement and civil rights today.

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Reading the tables

In this report, the results of the community interviews are presented primarily in tables like the ones below.

Tables with no spaces between the rows are from a single question. In this example, 57% of African American Louisianans expressed high interest in visiting a civil rights museum (38% expressed medium interest and 5% low interest) compared with 67% of white Louisianans and 27% of tourists. The asterisks indicate a statistically significant difference between the columns.

AUDIENCE SUBSETS African Am. white white Louisianans Louisianans tourists (n=37) (n=33) (n=30) Interest in visiting high interest ** 57% 67% 27% medium interest 38% 21% 33% low interest 5% 12% 40%

A separate question Tables with spaces between the rows are in condensed form and each row is independent, from a separate question. In the table below, 83% of African American Louisianans expressed a high interest in “the recent history and future of New Orleans” compared to 70% of white Louisianans and 37% of white tourists. Although the figures are not present in this table, by subtracting from 100%, 17% of African American Louisianans, 30% of white Louisianans and 63% of white tourists expressed medium or low interest. The difference between Louisianans and tourists is statistically significant — meaning there is at least 95% confidence that there is a real difference between the groups.

AUDIENCE SUBSETS African Am. white white Louisianans Louisianans tourists (n=37) (n=33) (n=30) High interest in… The many cultures of Louisiana 78% 64% 63%

The recent history and future of New Orleans ** 83% 70% 37%

** = indicates statistically significant differences (p<.05) between the columns of figures ++ = denotes a trend (p<.10) that is not quite statistically significant by the usual standards but may have some intuitive value.

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A. Interest in Louisiana History

OVERVIEW: Overall, the people interviewed were most interested in the “many cultures of Louisiana” and “the ethnic and racial history of Louisiana.” These were the highest interests for white tourists and among the highest for Louisianans. Tourists expressed much lower interest in several of the topics, including two that are central to this research: “recent history and future of New Orleans” and “civil rights in Louisiana.” Among Louisianans, African Americans seem somewhat more interested than whites in “civil rights in Louisiana.”

Here is a list of topics this new place might be about. For each one, tell me if your interest would be high, medium or low for each topic. [at this point in the interview, interviewees only knew it was a “new place with exhibits and activities” being considered for New Orleans].

AUDIENCE SUBSETS African Am. white white Louisianans Louisianans tourists High interest in… (n=37) (n=33) (n=30)

The many cultures of Louisiana 78% 64% 63%

Ethnic and racial history of Louisiana 78% 64% 63%

The recent history and futureof New Orleans ** 83% 70% 37%

Civil rights in Louisiana ** 81% 61% 37%

History of jazz in New Orleans ** 70% 58% 43%

Creole communities in the 1800s 65% 52% 43%

Unique art of Louisiana ** 60% 58% 40%

The early Spanish and French settlers of New Orleans 56% 49% 53%

Origins of the Cajun communities 41% 46% 53%

The Mississippi environment 41% 58% 33%

Mardi Gras around Louisiana 47% 42% 40%

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B. Interest in Civil Rights

OVERVIEW: Although most people could express something of interest regarding civil rights in Louisiana, most were generalized topics. Some people expressed interest in current civil rights events, those in New Orleans or early Louisiana history, but there were no specific topics that were shared among a large proportion of the people being interviewed.

The topic of this new place is going to be something about Civil Rights in Louisiana. If you were to go there, what would be interesting to you about Civil Rights?

35% history in general/ timeline of events 13% current events/ civil rights today 10% civil rights in New Orleans 10% early Louisiana history/ slavery/ Civil War 9% local civil rights organizations, leaders 8% contrast with civil rights elsewhere 7% segregation/ integration/ Jim Crow laws 5% knowing about our rights 4% 1950s and 1960s 4% personal stories 3% the impact on people 2% events in other states 2% importance of Louisiana to national movement 2% diversity within civil rights movement 2% gay rights 2% corrupt politicians

2% nothing at all 8% other (day to day life, Black firefighters, Creole people, etc.) 9% don’t know/ no answer

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B. Interest in Civil Rights (continued)

OVERVIEW: Over half of the people interviewed were able to mention a specific topic when asked about civil rights issues in Louisiana today.1 The responses were mostly negative evaluations of civil rights today — four of the five most frequent responses are observations about inequality and lack of action. Relatively few people mentioned positive evaluations (accomplishments and current efforts). Local African Americans were better able to cite a current civil rights issue in Louisiana then white locals and white tourists.

What comes to mind when you think of Civil Rights issues in Louisiana today?

14% oppression/ white privilege/ racism 13% current socio-economic inequalities 10% inequality in education 9% accomplishments 8% Katrina issues/ rebuilding/ FEMA 7% nothing much has changed 5% current efforts 4% other types of discrimination/ everyone’s rights 3% Hammond Justice of the Peace 2% integration 2% corruption 2% impact on people

8% other (we’re all related here, Tom Dent, same as other states, first Native Americans, etc.) 24% don’t know/ no answer

AUDIENCE SUBSETS total African Am. white white sample Louisianans Louisianans tourists (n=115) (n=37) (n=33) (n=30) gave any answer 76% 95% 73% 50%

1 People from outside of Louisiana were much less likely to give a response to this question.

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C. Interest in Civil Rights Themes

OVERVIEW: People were presented with several possible themes related to civil rights. People were most likely to express high interest in “People’s rights during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster” and “Free Black people during the time of slavery.” The “Women’s Rights Movement and gay rights today were among the least compelling for most of the three audiences presented here.

Interest among African American Louisianans appears to be higher for most topics, but about the same or lower for “rights and the making of the U.S. Constitution,” Women’s Rights Movement” and “gay rights today.”

On this card is a list of themes that might be included in this new place. For each one, tell me how interested you would be on a 1-10 scale, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest. [At this point in the interview, the person being interviewed has been told the place will be “something about civil rights in Louisiana.”]

AUDIENCE SUBSETS African Am. white white Louisianans Louisianans tourists (n=37) (n=33) (n=30) High interest in… People’s rights during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster 76% 59% 60%

Free Black people during the time of slavery 70% 49% 47%

Struggles for civil rights today ** 62% 39% 27%

The Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana during the 1950s and 1960s 57% 34% 30%

Rights granted by the Louisiana Constitution 53% 36% 33%

Rights and the making of the U.S. Constitution 36% 30% 40%

The Women’s Rights Movement of the early 1900s 32% 39% 27%

Gay rights today ** 25% 33% 10%

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D. Initial Interest in Visiting

OVERVIEW: Initial interest in visiting a “Civil Rights Museum” is much higher for African American and white Louisianans (most expressed high interest) than it is for tourists (only about one quarter expressed high interest).

If this was all you knew about this place, tell me how interested you would be in going, again using a 1-10 scale.

AUDIENCE SUBSETS African Am. white white Louisianans Louisianans tourists (n=37) (n=33) (n=30) Interest in visiting high interest ** 57% 67% 27% medium interest 38% 21% 33% low interest 5% 12% 40%

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E. Characteristics of the Sample

OVERVIEW: The sample of people interviewed includes representation of several personal characteristics. About half of the sample is composed of people living in New Orleans and about one-third live outside of Louisiana. Ranges of ages and educational experience are included in the sample. The sample has a majority of women similar to the proportion observed in most museums. Slightly more than one-third of the people interviewed identified their ethnic/cultural heritage as “African American” and about half selected “white/European.” Relatively few of the people have children in their households.

overall sample2 (n=115) Home residence: New Orleans 55% other Louisiana 12% other states, countries 33%

Age: 18-24 10% 25-34 17% 35-44 12% 45-54 25% 55-64 25% 65+ 10%

Gender: women 62% men 38%

Children in household: none 16% one or more 84%

Race/ethnicity: African American 39% 37 African American Louisiana residents (32%) Asian American 3% Hispanic/ Latino 3% White/ European 54% 33 white Louisiana residents (29%) other 2% 30 white tourists (26%)

Education: high school 13% some college 22% college degree 35% graduate school 30%

2 The overall sample includes some people (African American tourists, people who described themselves as Hispanic, Asian, Native American or multiple races/ethnicities) who did not fit into the three subsets.

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Second Study: Focus Groups in Three Cities

Research Conclusions ...... 12 Overview Research Strategy Principal Results: Opportunities and Challenges

Opportunities ...... 15 A. Interest in Cultural History ...... 16 B. Regional Differences in Louisiana ...... 25 C. Interest in Current and Historical Eras . . . . . 29 D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights”. . . . . 32 E. “Other” Civil Rights Movements ...... 36

Challenges ...... 43 F. Awareness of the Civil Rights Movement...... 44 G. Louisianan Visitors to New Orleans ...... 46 H. Emotional Perceptions of Civil Rights . . . . . 48 I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” ...... 50 J. Initial Interest in Visiting a Civil Rights Museum. . . . . 62 K. Sensitivity to Perceptions of Racism ...... 63

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Research Conclusions: Focus Groups with Louisiana Residents

Overview This second section of the research report summarizes the findings and interpretations from qualitative audience research regarding awareness, interests and perceptions about a possible museum or interpretive center about civil rights in Louisiana. The results are based on commonly held perceptions, memories and opinions among people in three parts of Louisiana: Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Research Strategy This research conducted nine focus groups in three cities to develop public discussion. A focus group is a qualitative research method seeking to define issues from the public’s point of view, eliciting a variety of opinions about a topic. The format includes pursuing a variety of topics to investigate the context and substance of people’s opinions, such as: . asking about interest in Louisiana history . asking about awareness of Louisiana cultures and interest in facets of those cultures, and . asking about people’s awareness of and interest in Louisiana civil rights stories. Qualitative research is helpful because this is one of two methods to address these issues, so that the target audiences could provide greater depth of opinions and unanticipated perspectives on history and civil rights in Louisiana.

Three focus groups were conducted in each of three Louisiana cities: New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. In each city, the groups included one group with all African American participants, one group with all white participants and one group with any and multiple ethnicity (African Americans, whites, and other races or ethnicities). Participants were recruited by social networking (friends of contacts referring others) and through e-Rewards (an opinion research firm).

In most of the groups, the racial/ethnic background of the moderator(s) reflected that of the participants. Two moderators were used to conduct these discussions; both are experienced in this type of qualitative research. Most groups had 7-10 participants and included both men and women.

To help participants keep an open mind, they were told prior to their participation that the discussion would be about “Louisiana Melting Pot: Cultures, Conflict and Civil Rights.” Over the course of the discussion, participants were informed about the role of the Louisiana State Museum and the plans for a New Orleans museum about civil rights in Louisiana.

Analysis of participants’ comments is not a simple process of tabulating how many times something was mentioned. Rather, the challenge is to come up with a holistic perspective and to articulate the issues from the viewpoints of the target audiences.

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Principal Results The diverse sample of participants provided considerable feedback on civil rights and related topics. Some of the feedback identifies opportunities for content and thematic directions that could connect the public and a civil rights destination. They also help to identify challenges that may need to be addressed in strategic planning.

Opportunities

High awareness of the Civil Rights Movement. The people of Louisiana are not strangers to the idea of civil rights. The first and foremost associations that people have with the term “civil rights” concern the national Civil Rights Movement — the prominent figures, national events, the struggles and hardships of everyday life under segregation. African American and white Louisianans may have differing associations with the civil rights, but few would disagree that it resulted in an historic improvement in racial equality.

Louisiana history is cultural history. The history of Louisiana is thought of by residents as interweaving cultural stories that continue to strongly influence life in Louisiana today. To varying degrees people are aware of the French, African, Spanish, Native American and Caribbean cultural heritages from the past. Louisianans generally share a respect for and interest in the music, language, celebrations and food that have evolved from these early influences. Their interest is not limited to their own heritage, but usually includes heritages of other cultures. They are also aware of (and sometimes resent) the Vietnamese and Hispanic immigrants of more recent years. Although a few people think of French legal legacy, political corruption or the Civil War, most see Louisiana history in the experiences of its diverse peoples.

Louisianans want to understand the regional differences they observe. One of the prominent features of the Louisiana cultures is the stark regional differences that people are aware of throughout the state. People in Louisiana are very aware of the regional differences in religion, language, foods, festivals and social customs between northern Louisiana, southwestern Louisiana and New Orleans. Although regions may have some disdain for the others, people are interested in how the regional differences arose and why they persist. A few people are aware that these regions experienced the Civil Rights Movement in very different ways.

People are somewhat open to a broader understanding of civil rights. Even though the first association with “civil rights” is the Civil Rights Movement – which prompts some ambivalent reactions – most people are open to a more broadly defined understanding of civil rights. Some people observe that there are historical connections between the Civil Rights Movement and other civil rights efforts such as the Women’s Movement, disability rights, immigrant rights, gay rights and others. There are some ‘hot button’ issues with particular audiences: gay rights are not broadly supported outside of white residents of New Orleans, and Hispanic immigrants are resented by some African Americans in New Orleans and seemed to be merely tolerated by other groups.

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Challenges

There is moderate interest, but little enthusiasm. Overall interest in seeing a New Orleans museum about civil rights in Louisiana is moderate: low among white focus group participants but much higher among African American participants. Even among African Americans, the interest in the Civil Rights Movement seems to contain little enthusiasm. It is something for the children to learn and appreciate, with very little sense that the people and events are something to relish and celebrate. Among white participants, the Civil Rights Movement is mostly seen as depressing and something to gladly move past.

Lack of awareness of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana. Other than African Americans who lived through it, very few Louisianans are at all aware of the people and events of the Civil Rights Movement and civil rights history in Louisiana. This is especially true among whites and African Americans in southwestern Louisiana. There is some awareness of A.P. Tureaud and Ruby Bridges, but beyond that most people only remember national stories of the Movement. The people, places and events will not provide touchstones for people, so this project will not have a base of familiar topics and examples with which to attract people.

The appeal to African American Louisianans outside New Orleans is likely to be weak. African American Louisianans from outside of New Orleans rarely visit museums when in that city. Almost every focus group participant mentioned experience visiting New Orleans, but very few African Americans from outside of New Orleans could identify a museum they had visited while there. This observation from qualitative research should be tested in a quantitative manner before accepting it as a firm conclusion.

Contemporary separation of cultural heritages. Although people recognize the Creole as an important part of Louisiana history, there is a strong sense of separation of cultures that continues today. Although whites are more likely to observe friendly relations with African Americans, the social separation was apparent to participants of any background. Among people in southwestern Louisiana, the French language is one source of commonality for many African American and Cajun people.

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Principal Results: Opportunities

This section of qualitative research results presents comments from focus group participants to illustrate the several opportunities identified during those discussions. This material suggests ways in which the public could be engaged in topics relevant to a civil rights-oriented destination in New Orleans. The principal opportunities are:

 LOUISIANA HAS A WEALTH OF CULTURAL HISTORY: Cultural history is a strong theme in Louisianans’ perceptions of the state’s history. They are aware of multiple cultures past and present that have come to Louisiana and value both the persistence and melding of cultural identities. This does not mean, however, that all Louisianans recognize and value every culture equally. Few whites are readily interested in African Americans’ unique heritage or culture (except for Creole culture). Few African Americans seemed aware of distinctions among European heritages. The influence of the French language is treasured among people in southern Louisiana, especially in the Lafayette area. Many people who identify as African American, Creole, Cajun and white share the apocryphal story of the child being punished for speaking French in school.

 HIGH AWARENESS OF CIVIL RIGHTS AT NATIONAL LEVEL: The term “civil rights” is familiar to just about everyone regardless of racial or ethnic background; they are able to provide some top-of-mind references in terms of goals, values, people, events and accomplishments. Although the references mentioned by both African American and white participants were most often about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, some differences were observed. African American participants were more likely to mention the struggles and conflict, while white participants were more likely to mention the national figures Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

 HIGH INTEREST IN LOUISIANA’S REGIONAL DIFFERENCES: People in Louisiana are very aware of and interested in the regional differences between northern Louisiana, southern Louisiana and New Orleans. Some are aware of the economic, religious, linguistic and ethnic differences, while some are interested in understanding how these differences came about.

 STRONG INTEREST IN LEGACY MOVEMENTS: Most people are open to a broader understanding of civil rights beyond the stereotypical thoughts of African Americans in the South struggling for equality during the 1950s and 1960s, but for some people there are limits as to who or what may be included comfortably. Conversation about including gay rights and the rights of recent immigrants evokes both support and antipathy from some segments of people.

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A. Interest in Cultural History of Louisiana

OVERVIEW: In the eyes of most of the participants in this research, Louisiana history is cultural history: where people came from, their language, the food they eat, their music, their festivals and values. At the opening of the discussions, cultural history was usually the first aspect of Louisiana history mentioned and the one that people wanted to talk about. People appeared to have several blind-spots: African Americans unfamiliar with Cajun and various European immigration histories, whites with limited understanding of African American cultural history.

Although people expressed interest in seeing their own stories represented in a museum setting, interest in cultures is not necessarily self-oriented; participants expressed considerable interest in learning about the cultures of others in Louisiana also. In spite of limited awareness about the histories of other groups, there is reasonable interest in learning more. There is also awareness that culture both unites and divides the people of Louisiana.

A few people expressed an interest in several other historical topics: the ways in which the Louisiana legal system is different from other states, history of politics and corruption, cultural differences between southern and northern Louisiana.

The people of southern Louisiana have a strong sense that Louisiana is different from the South. They are much less interested in the Civil War than southerners and more inclined to recognize commonalities with people of other races.

Interest in cultural history

Interest in Creole and multi-racial heritage Well, what’s interesting to me is the fact of how Louisiana, well, New Orleans, for instance, how Louisiana was started from years ago. Of course, this is what I read and didn’t know that—how the French and Spanish were here. How people who had plantations, the men who owned the plantations usually had mistresses of color in the city of Louisiana. And they would put them up in houses, and this is one of the ways that our complexion is different from other people over the years—and it’s a mixture of the white and black race or the French and African American race.

As he was saying, up north basically—I’m from north Louisiana. We could tell like in Tennessee who was who and all of that. Then when I came to Southern, there was just some doubts because I was in class with a guy from mid-state, and he had green eyes and curly hair, and he was black. It threw me. Where I’m from, if you had green eyes and curly hair, you weren’t black.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in Creole and multi-racial heritage (continued) Well, my background for one thing. I can name several different classes of people that I might be considered a mixture of. And people I know. It’s really hard to distinguish people in Louisiana because of the differences that are here. You can’t very well tell who’s what.

The different races of people. You can go to New Orleans, and you can be most anything down there. You have the Spanish mixture, the French mixture, and the African American mixture.

And then you get complex when you get into the ancestors because you have your grandparents and great grandparents, and then it becomes this big web. And all the interracial things are there underneath the surface.

But the point I was trying to make is that it’s not black and white. There’s all varieties and a very complicated mixture.

The mix of cultures, the mix of races, the mix of people, the mix of styles, just the fact that—eclectic is the perfect—everything is just hodge podge here. It all comes together culturally. I love it.

I agree. That’s something I like about it also, especially because it’s so unique within this country. It’s evolved so diversely over its whole history.

I think that uniqueness is part of what I like about the area. It’s like nowhere else.

I like the diversity of the people who came into Louisiana and how once all the different cultures from Acadians, Indians, French, Spanish, and English. It seems like more in our history did they come together and stand by each other. You had a lot more acceptance after the Civil War here with the blacks socializing and even, at times, marrying into the Indian, Spanish, and French cultures. I think we were just very, very accepting of other cultures here in Louisiana than any place else.

Here historically we’ve always had these blended groups of where you stand. I guess on the color line—where you stand on the social line. You had Creoles who were very educated and very wealthy.

I don’t think everybody blended, but all minorities blended and embraced each other from years back after slavery, everyone was welcome, but to me there was still a division between white and whatever the minority was. With Creole a lot of the research says that it’s black mixed with white. Depending on who you talk to, it’s white mixed with anything. As long as you weren’t pure white—at one point you didn’t want to say black. It was just Creole. I think there was still a division there.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in Creole and multi-racial heritage (continued) The racial mixtures that constitute this state; it’s different racial history in this state than there is in the rest of the states as far as I’m concerned. And it would be interesting to trace a lot of that especially—and then focusing on the Civil Rights Era, but then after that, there’s so many interesting roads to trace with just race; to pull all the strands together.

Interest in African/Caribbean heritage among African Americans I don’t know if this is the most interesting thing, but I was born in Haiti. Part of that is being interested in the religion here. That seems to be really heavy here. The other thing is the way the landscape reminds me a lot of Haiti. The architecture and the homes and things like that remind me a lot of the Caribbean. And the music is really cool.

Like they said, the different religions that they have here are pretty…it seems like one of the few states that have so many broad bases of religion, but also with the different cultures—like you said in the beginning with the melting pot. This seems like one of the few states that have had so many different language barriers broken. We’ve had English, Spanish—even different types of Spanish like the Portuguese. They’ve all come here. That is one or two basic aspects of Louisiana that I like. So many different things can come to Louisiana and still feel together here.

One of the classes that I took at NYU was about Africanisms in American culture. One of the things that first stood out to me when coming to New Orleans was that I could look everywhere throughout this city and see the African influence. It wasn’t always things that were told to me. Until taking the class, I didn’t realize that these things were Africanisms and that there was actually a history that slaves had brought their own culture here.

I think definitely the 1930s and 1940s. I can’t really remember the time, but there is a book that Ann Rice did dealing with color and the mixed-race time. There are also the ballroom balls where black women would go, and white men would go and dance with them. I think they called them Quadroon Balls. I find that whole timeframe really intriguing. It’s very interesting to me.

I like to learn about the contributions that different people have made. Where sometimes it kind of gets glossed over because we don’t want to give different people who have helped make this country what it is, the recognition they deserve for one reason or another. So, not even just saying what Africans have contributed, but what all of the different cultures have contributed. Like one of the coolest things that I think about slavery down here is the Colombo(?) which was the Spanish idea that you could buy your way out of slavery.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in African/Caribbean heritage among African Americans (continued) So, that has a lot to do with the history of New Orleans and how New Orleans was created and why there were so many free black folks down here and why there was the Creole population. Sometimes you don’t hear about those things unless you’re like “what is this building?”

So, every time period to me has importance because each time period had something different. So, I like going to Congo Square and knowing that that’s where drumming was allowed on Sundays.

That would be really cool to have an area or room that shows that this nationality or race that lives in the state—what was their contribution? What was it that we do today—all of us, that they brought? What did the Native Americans bring and the African Americans bring?

The thing that intrigues me the most is the amount of documentation that we have available to us. Very few states have records of enslaved Africans and the ships they came on…the lists of passengers, who owned the ships, and that’s available online through the slave database from research. So, that’s really rare.

My great grandparents—I don’t know how many ‘greats’—came from Haiti. One of my ancestors was Alexander Dumont. I would like to know what he did. How did he come about and get all the way up to me?

Interest in political corruption (primarily in response to questions about interest in Louisiana history) We just happen to be different, plus our politics are very colorful here in Louisiana. Some we can be proud of, and some maybe not so much.

Corruption.

That is New Orleans. (others agree)

I’m not a native, so if you’re not from Louisiana and you say, “Louisiana,” you think corruption. Very narrow-minded, I might add.

What you said about corruption is really interesting. I’m doing kind of a project for myself on corruption right now. I’ve found some really interesting articles in the paper the past few months needless to say. I don’t have any knowledge of this, but I think the corruption here is so dramatic right now and in such big numbers—millions of dollars—that I find it repulsive, I guess.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in political corruption (continued) It’s really one of the most interesting things you could ever talk about when it comes to Louisiana because of the sordid past when it comes to politics here. From the time before I moved here, I was always interested in it because what you hear outside of Louisiana—the attitude there, and then you come here, it’s just such a completely different look on things. The way Huey Long is revered here, and the way he is seen everywhere else in the country, it’s so completely different.

I think Louisiana is very unique in the fact that our history is not always nice or pretty, but it’s always been colorful. No matter where you go in this country and other countries, they might not think the way we do about our politics or our history, but they’ve thought about it. It may not be pretty.

The history, I guess, for me then finding it interesting is some of the people in the past, I guess, in the political arena being here in Baton Rouge and just some of the people in the past. I’m going blank right now on the names, but just reading about the Longs and even Landrieus and more trickling in. It will come in all one big swoop.

I think like old time politics. There are a lot of stories there—some crooked. The Longs in general.

Yes, that extreme… just how the seeds were planted and how it resonates because even when I lived in Tennessee and other states, still Louisiana politics comes up in spotlights. Frankly every other state I’ve been in, I can’t tell you as much or say I’ve heard as much.

What you hear about Louisiana and New Orleans is that there’s something crooked going on. There are politicians going to jail and all that sort of thing.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in Acadian/Cajun heritage among people in southern Louisiana It’s not necessarily the tourists. I’m originally from the north shore. We didn’t know Cajuns or Creoles.

I lived an hour from here. Until I moved to that region, then you had the influence from Lafayette and places like that. It happens in Louisiana all the time. It was moving to this area that really made me aware of it all. It depended on the region of Louisiana you come from.

_____ you said you’re originally from northern Louisiana. Do you think people from northern Louisiana have an appreciation of the difference?

None whatsoever; none. There is no difference between a Cajun and Creole in the northeast section.

Historically that’s one of the things I’m proud of. I know that doesn’t always play out in the news, but as far as the Cajuns coming here from exile and melding in with the people here and embracing everybody, that doesn’t get emphasized enough.

The Cajuns that came here were in exile. They didn’t come with a country supporting them.

Discussion in an all-white group in Lafayette

I would say the history of the Cajuns and how they developed with the progression of technology and industry. I think me being a Cajun having a very Cajun background, I think having a very strong sense of pride and heritage we’ve still been able to keep the tradition alive as well as adapting to new surroundings. Being a Cajun, when I was a kid, it wasn’t modern day. Still most of the people out there are not into the big cell phones. Yes, the entire progression.

The thing that has always bothered me—I know you don’t want us to talk about the tourists, but this does bother me. When people come in particularly New Orleans, and I’m sure it is a function of marketing and such, but it really bothers me the difference—how some will call people Cajuns when they’re really Creoles. That bothers me.

Me too. It’s two different groups of people.

Two totally different parts of the world.

The cuisine is different. The dialect is different. The background of where they came from—

Yes.

People who came from Canada compared to Africa. I agree.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest in Acadian/Cajun heritage among people in southern Louisiana (continued) One thing I would say about the Acadians and stuff is that often times it’s over simplified because my family is from _____, but we have no clue where my ancestors came from, and they certainly weren’t Acadian, but we’re Cajun, right? So, a lot of times people say, “Well, this is Cajun country, and Cajuns live here, and they all came from Nova Scotia.” But there are Italian farm laborers all over Louisiana too. There was a lot of stuff that went into the mix that is certainly really significant.

I guess I’m interested in how all these different people came together and made all these different new things in Louisiana. A lot of the stories of them coming here are very similar, so that’s something that interests me. You could compare the expulsion from Nova Scotia to the slave trade. I know it’s not the same, but you could make connections in that people’s land was taken away. I know one was physically stealing people, but it’s all kind of based on making money and empire.

For me, I didn’t really know much at all about Louisiana history until I moved here two years ago. But I think the Cajun and Creole history has been really interesting to me. I didn’t know anything about it.

The migration of Acadian French from Nova Scotia and that area into Louisiana in the early 18th century. They just really found a niche for themselves in the prairies and the bayous of Louisiana, and they’ve been thriving ever since. They’ve been able to retain a lot of their culture traits. I think that’s pretty unique for America.

There is interest in French language among African American and white participants The third thing I thought was the languages. One of the things that fascinated me when I first came was one of my daughter’s friends was complaining that she didn’t understand So-and-So’s French because it was so bad. It was broken French. How is broken French different than stock French.

There are all kinds of French. Tracing those various languages and where they came from—the whole gumbo French that exists.

Of course I’ve been born in this culture, and I didn’t speak the language. My mother, father talk Creole. I understand it. If you take your time, I can understand certain words. But I can’t speak the language. If they are speaking French, I don’t know what they’re talking about.

It’s not just the French.

It was called broken French.

Broken French, we changed so many things in the years.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

There is interest in language among African American and white participants (continued) And the other thing too is the French. There is some broken French that I run into.

Creole.

Is it Creole? OK.

Lafayette and all that area.

I’ve picked up some terms like (speaking French). Terminology even just names like surnames. Mr. Richards. Richards (spoken with French accent).

Even on the dialect, it’s so strange to mention that. I’m trying to pinpoint—the question is so often asked of me even though I’ve lived here eight years. I think every region I’ve been, we can’t even pinpoint it. Where are you from? You’re not a native of Louisiana. That’s like the first thing nine times out of ten people will tell me. You are not from here. Where are you from?

Interest in Louisiana legal system I think the comment about the civil code—in law school, I studied that stuff and the common law, but it’s interesting to see the differences in that.

We have civil law, and they have common law. We have a totally different set of rules that we go by.

I think it’s interesting that Louisiana still follows the civil code when all of the other 49 states still go by common law. So, it’s kind of a unique thing that Louisiana has its own set of rules when it goes around to different statues and laws and things like that.

The law that’s practiced here is different than anywhere else in the United States. They still follow the Napoleonic Code. It’s different because if you go to law school here and take the bar exam, say in Washington, you probably won’t pass it because you need to go to bar review school in Washington to find out more about—our law is called civil law; isn’t it? It’s different.

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A. Interest in Cultural History (continued)

Interest among whites regarding Native American cultures in Louisiana

Discussion in an all-white group One part of that diversity that has not been well represented, I think, is the Native American presence in Louisiana. I never read about that in history when I was in school.

I agree. I’m from north Louisiana originally, and it amazes me how—we have Indian mounds up there. It was something that we grew up with. I don’t see that explored.

As a child in school, I never even knew there was a Native American presence in Louisiana.

Do you think that is a function of when you were in school? I’m pretty sure it was a function of when I was in school. When my kids when to school, I think, there was a lot more discussed about Native American populations.

I think there is more discussion now, but it still is not very well balanced.

I think there was some Native American discussion but not nearly enough. I don’t think it was really explained. It wasn’t an actual subject or topic. It was something that was talked over and kind of mentioned, but not a true focus in any period of time compared to if we were learning about something else. You studied different groups of people. That’s coming from elementary education to high school. Also in history classes at LSU—I was a history major for a long time.

We have a state senator for Terrebonne Parish who married a lady from real south Terrebonne Parish out in some of the places I can’t even pronounce down there. They have like three or four names. I was fortunate enough to take a fishing trip down there a few months ago. It amazed me the different tribes that were down there. I had no earthly idea, and they are still very strong and very segregated as such. If the land had five fingers, this was one tribe, and this tribe never visited. There was water—it just amazed me. You never would have thought you were in the year 2009—never ever.

I mean, I think the Indian culture probably holds the entire state together more than any other element. That’s not really addressed. Is there a museum for the Louisiana Indians?

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B. Regional differences in Louisiana

OVERVIEW: People in Louisiana are very conscious of regional differences in people and their cultures and attitudes. People in northern Louisiana are perceived by those in southern Louisiana as more like another state than like southern Louisiana or New Orleans (which is perceived as unique). Based on a few comments by former residents of northern Louisiana, the feelings of alienation among regions appear to be mutual.

These differences do, however, seem to engender an interest in understanding why the regions are so different from each other.

Interest in learning about Louisiana regions I would like to see—if it’s a museum for the state of Louisiana, then we would need something from each region—

All regions.

Of the state as pertains to leaders from that particular region in the civil rights movement from the Monroe area — northeast, Shreveport— northwest, Alexandra— central, southwest—Lake Charles, Lafayette, southeast—Baton Rouge and all of that including New Orleans. Leaders—their contributions and some of the paraphernalia that we could have as they used to have in museums. If someone was famous like Rev. Jemison for those ten piece suits he always wore, have a bust of him. We can get a suit from him. Just something from each region of the state as it relates to civil rights struggle and movement.

But redneck is Anglo and not at all French, and their lifestyle is different. In a sense we don’t know each other.

Not understanding each other—different way of life.

I think there’s also a great cultural non-mix between people from southern Louisiana, where the Creole culture and the Cajun culture did mix, but then you get up into Shreveport and it’s kind of like, “Well, are they part of Arkansas or are they part of Louisiana?” You go above Baton Rouge, and it’s almost like you’re in a different state. I’m not sure what this museum is about, but it would be really nice if people in southern Louisiana probably knew what people in Shreveport—where they came from.

That’s going to be interesting, probably more so to the people from New Orleans. As you’ve heard, there’s a big difference between north and south Louisiana.

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C. Regional differences in Louisiana (continued)

Interest in learning about Louisiana regions (continued) I think people would because they just think that—I think people think it’s different. A lot of people in north Louisiana often want to know how it became the way it is, and why do you guys do certain things that you do that the way you do. I think in that respect as far as coming to see how it all came together—I think that would be something—I mean, if I was a teacher in north Louisiana, and I had to choose a field trip, and we had this museum, it would probably be something that I think I would want my students to know just to understand the difference. Also, to know how we became so different.

New Orleans is different The difference between when you get out of that [New Orleans] culture into Baton Rouge culture is totally different. Everybody in New Orleans now is extremely liberal and democratic. Baton Rouge is at the—there is almost an animosity that comes back. From the difference, you kind of wonder if you are in the same state. It’s totally different. After Katrina, it’s even more. Why can’t people in New Orleans just get up off their ass and do something and take care of business instead of always waiting for the government to come in? You hear this on the radio. It’s pervasive all over the state. There are very different attitudes towards that.

Piggybacking on what he said there, there was just one little error there. Louisiana is three states. There’s north Louisiana. There’s south Louisiana. Then there’s New Orleans. New Orleans is a whole state.

A whole state, OK. I tip my hat.

It’s kind of overwhelming. Growing up in New Orleans, and then coming to Baton Rouge to study and stay here, and then going to different places—I used to think New Orleans was a large town with a small town attitude. When I got to Baton Rouge and everyone talked different, they were like, “Hi. (Drawl)”

Northern Louisiana is different There is a common sense among people in southern Louisiana that the people in northern Louisiana are very different in ethnicity, religion and racial attitudes. People outside of New Orleans view it as a third region of the state.

Yes, it’s really different in northern Louisiana.

Speaking of north Louisiana which is where I’m actually from. That’s more of a laid back country and not city. I mean, they grow their crops in their back yard. They go hunting for deer. They’re more outdoorsy. They are pretty family oriented, but they’re not as adventurous to go find the big city lights.

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C. Regional differences in Louisiana (continued)

Northern Louisiana is different (continued) That would be a good thing to enlighten the southern Louisiana residents to get familiar with the other Louisianans from the north. It would unite us as Louisiana rather than the southern and the northwest.

I think that it essentially is a question of culture because I think from the north there’s mostly an Anglo Saxon background with the English/Irish/Scottish ancestry where southwest and southeast Louisiana it would be mostly French background with some Spanish and others like the African American community and the Creoles and how that’s a blended community and then the Native American. So, really our ancestry has informed our way of life today. Who we are and not just who our ancestors were, but our—not just our genetic pools, but our countries of origin and our cultures of origin has informed our lifestyle today which is why the lifestyle in north Louisiana is very different. It’s much more redneck.

I think also the state—even having gone to other parts of the state—the northern half of the state, again, it’s like two different states—

Worlds.

In one. It’s two different worlds. I did not realize that. Just from everything about how Mardi Gras is the event of events in the southern part. And then up north it comes. It went. It passed onward. Just a lot of differences yet a lot of similarities.

I was thinking a different influence, I think, on the different personalities of the parts of the state. I think I-10 and the oil and gas industry and the fishing industry on the south has made us more of melted, for lack of a better term more diverse. Up north it’s more rural by design almost. Here we’ve got so many transients who move in and out, but people tend to stay because they like it here. I think the economy and businesses in the area have encouraged the division of the state.

Yes. For me, it’s kind of like he said. It’s a cultural shock. I was born in north Louisiana. To come to New Orleans was, like, “Wow!” It’s like two different parts of the country in the same state. As far as the things people do like the night life. We eat different things in north Louisiana than we eat down here. Basically, the thing I like the most about it is the culture.

Yes, because what I was amazed about moving down here—to go to functions and see Catholic priests drinking. Growing up in Monroe, a religious person would never do that. Bingo was another thing—gambling—they have fundraisers for Catholic schools with gambling. It just totally amazed me. Dancing—Baptist in north Louisiana don’t dance in public. No.

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C. Regional differences in Louisiana (continued)

Northern Louisiana is different (continued) I think it’s interesting. I think it definitely brings up some strong points just from regions. You can compare north Louisiana to Acadia and below. It’s almost like a separate area—two separate states almost especially when you’re looking at religion. It’s separate. It draws a line definitely. I think that’s an interesting—it would be an interesting study just to see the type of people there and the cultures there and who was settled.

North Louisiana is predominantly Protestant. And that was a big difference in my moving down here. Yes, there are Catholic churches in north Louisiana but very, very few. The Protestants were the majority.

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D. Interest in Current and Historical eras

OVERVIEW: Interest in culture is not limited to current or historical Louisiana. Many people expressed an interest in both and when forced to choose, neither was a clear favorite.

But if it was a museum about just Louisiana cultures, is it more interesting to have it about cultures today or culture of the past?

Interest in both Both. (several agree)

From what I was saying though, it can’t just be one group.

Or one period.

Or one period because it all comes together in the end.

I think that if that were hypothetically going to be—I think that the mission would be to clarify misconceptions from the past and identify where we are today because a lot of people don’t have a very good understanding of where we stand right now.

Yes, who we are.

We’re all insulated now in our own little microcosms. Some suggestions and idea on where we want to go—I agree that you don’t want it to just be about the past or present, but it does tie in. I would think that the way you would want to address that is—because we all think we know the past. We all went through school and heard our stories. We’ve got our own stories. We all have an idea of what we think led up to where we are today. A lot of that is based on fantasy. I think that would be an interesting and purposeful approach — misconception from the past and identifying where we are now.

I would say future and present. I mean, past and present.

I don’t think you should have one or the other.

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D. Interest in Current and Historical eras (continued)

Interest in the past I think they are both interesting. I guess for me, I’m more interested in the past like how we made it here. Why do we have all these different cultures here? What brought us all together? What created the culture of today? It all comes from the culture of the past. So if I had to choose one to be more interesting, to me, it would definitely be the past. That makes us what culture we are today.

If you had to choose between modern stories of cultures in Louisiana versus older, you know, 50 years or more, which of those stories would you choose?

Old. (three people agree) If it’s not the same old information that you already have, it’s got to be something a little bit different or some new pieces of information.

I would say past because I haven’t been here that long.

To me, it shocks me. I would say past. I don’t understand the past.

Well, to me, one thing that was interesting was Louisiana was the richest state in the country at one time pre Civil War. All the waterways were like highways, right? You have that whole kind of atmosphere of French versus Cajun pre Civil War type thing.

Interest in recent history Stories about Katrina and thereafter or the current, new. (four people agree)

I’m going to have to say new, but I think the older stuff is just as important.

Yes, I find that Katrina—I forgot to mention that I did visit a museum in the French Quarter that was on Katrina. I found that interesting. I think for us who didn’t experience Katrina first hand—we did experience it second or third hand. We are perhaps interested. I know I would be interested in knowing more about what happened. So, that’s something that happened now in a sense as opposed to hundreds of years ago.

I was thinking about Katrina. There are so many different levels of just the levee system and the dynamics and who is responsible. All those answers—that’s a huge thing that changed our state. When Katrina happened, our populations increased here in Lafayette—a third more people. In Baton Rouge—twice as many people. That changed our whole way of life.

People were welcomed. It’s just—housing shortage, traffic jams—

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D. Interest in Current and Historical eras (continued)

Interest in recent history (continued) The ripple effect of it because I’m in the housing department. It was close to home for me. It bothered me because in the effort to make sure the people had housing and because there was government money involved, people were let out of leases or told to move because they were able to charge more rent. The ripple effect—not only were those people affected, yes, they were.

I think what’s interesting—what I was thinking previously was because of the past, how did we get to where we’re at? Why do we do the things we do today? Why do we have 30,000 festivals in one year? You go to another state, and they don’t have any.

Then, you also have, for example, Katrina, and the effect that that has played on culture and getting rid of a lot of the culture that we did have in New Orleans. That’s probably something that won’t come back because of it. I think we have lost out on that. Maybe we could try and bring that back in a museum setting to kind of take a look at what was going on in the Ninth Ward, you know. A lot of people even in Louisiana didn’t understand the culture and the diversity that was in the Ninth Ward until we heard it washed away in Katrina.

I think it would be pretty interesting to show the recent past because that’s when all the changes occurred. If you go back in Louisiana history, you know, there is a lot of lawlessness that kind of made the city the way it was.

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D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights”

OVERVIEW: Before the term “civil rights” was introduced to the discussion, focus group participants were asked to individually write “words or phrases that you think of when you think of civil rights.” When the phrase “civil rights” is mentioned, most people (regardless of their race) first think of the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th Century. Some people think in more abstract terms that are not limited by a time period (although it is possible they actually have a time period in mind which they expressed in infinitive terms).

For some white and African American participants, thoughts of the Civil Rights Movement are tinged with anger and resentment. A few people associate the Women’s Rights Movement with the Civil Rights Movement, but making connections with other rights movements is not a top-of-mind reaction (although it sometimes arose during discussion).

Few people spontaneously mentioned people (other than Ruby Bridges) and events in Louisiana.

Answers about the Civil Rights Movement

African American participants’ associations with the term ‘civil rights’ civil rights, history, housing, transition from old to new culture no black schools for 30 miles; black schools had books mended that were for parents/grandparents of white church goers; no healthcare voting rights; Jim Crow laws; drop of black blood rule; land ownership; Martin Luther King, Jr. and SNCC; Willie Francis case Black Panthers; Malcolm X; affirmative action the separation between white and blacks at school, home and clubs what past did Louisiana have in the civil rights movement? how long was Louisiana segregated? how did the overall civil rights movement affect Louisianans? what effect did the civil rights movement have on those still residing on plantations/share croppers? slave mentality civil rights movement; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Black Panther Party; “colored enter in rear” signs, negro/white water fountains who were the front runners during the Civil Rights Era in Louisiana; what part did Louisiana play in the Civil Rights Era countrywide; purpose; change separate but equal, KKK, your background i.e. who was your mother/father; what did they do, where and if they were educated equal access for all; non-discriminatory; protesting/marching Jim Crow; misogyny; Ruby Bridges; school desegregation; assimilation/acculturation

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D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights” (continued)

African American participants (continued) school integration; boycotts; marches; police brutality; voter registration drives; freedom of speech; jailings of protestors; job equality and opportunities; sit- ins civil rights, community art; black power/black nationalism; community co-ops (independent teaching/learning intersections); organizing/oppression's intersections connected; womyn’s roles during movement civil rights for who? we are still treated like garbage; interracial allies, equal or unequal, for which cultures?; Brown vs. Board of Topeka civil rights, segregation, how the city is so divided, women’s rights (black women roles); the Indian rights, the music lack of action, still have Kenner, Metairie boycotting Brown v Board in 2007; beginning of segregation in New Orleans; grassroots, community organizing; black resistance; white backlash; unity between races; role of women/youth fight for equality; MLK, Malcolm X; black church; integration; segregation; voting rights act; riots; burning crosses; KKK; I would like to know more about our unsung heroes Ruby Bridges; Mc Donough 13; desegregation of schools; 1964

White/European participants’ associations with the term ‘civil rights’ civil rights; should be addressed as universal - civil rights; predominantly associated currently with mistreatment of black American and the specific movement of the 60s/70s civil rights-racism, hatred, ignorance, confusion, Martin Luther King, Jr., uproar, 1900-1970s; integration, anger, violence civil rights: treated as equals regardless of race or gender, M. L. King, Jr. equivalent treatment; desegregation, blending of cultures, education for all, no allowances for minority cultures, equal opportunity, no cheating of the system Martin Luther King; Rosa Parks, back of bus; blacks not allowed; separate water fountains; Jim Crow laws; segregation of schools; sit-ins; marches 1953 bus boycott; freedoms; equality; 1960s Kresge lunch counter; Martin Luther King; John F. Kennedy black; white; freedom; equality; Martin Luther King, Jr; JFK; 1960s; respect; acceptance; developing 1960s; women's lib.; MLK; Malcolm X; riots; separate water fountains; fighting; voting rights; equality; separation of church and state

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D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights” (continued)

White/European participants (continued) conflict, hate, hope, dreams, right, wrong, voting Montgomery, marches, striving for equality, black vs. white, boycotts and sit-ins, historic turning point, segregation, 'separate but equal' Rosa Parks, segregation, desegregation, progress, MLK Jr., dream, protests, unity, 60s, before I was born, the south, civil unrest segregation, schools, grocery stores; integrated schools; other side of the tracks; work/jobs/education; MLK; back of the bus 1962 civil rights act; Supreme Court Justice T. Marshall; how it is much bigger than a black/white issue; what the phrase 'melting pot' means; that law is to protect and save? sit ins; boycotts; Civil Rights Act of 1964; freedom riders, voter registration; segregation forced school integration; Plessey vs. Fergusson Martin Luther King, struggle, arrest, freedom, the 60s, buses march, fountains, buses, restroom, Ruby Bridges, crosses 1960s, confusion, fear of change by the populace, hate crimes, dogs and water and tear gas, angry people, bigotry

Answers about abstract rights — not bound by events or chronology

African American participants what present challenges in culture-diversity bring to a better understanding peaceful life; would like to learn better of Louisiana in general, good for future children when I think of civil rights, I think of my freedom of speech, my voting rights, freedom of religion (Christianity) civil rights: your rights of what you can do; what is the limit you can go (white and blacks) organized oppression against minorities in past; more acceptance of ethnic diversity now religion, status (position); education; association; perception; verbalization/accent; history; neighborhood seeds to bigger, national exposure; intertwining of races, levels of acceptance and rank as perceived by others; untapped reservoir of history and events that is more vague as you encounter younger generation freedom to exist; legal guarantees; protections; need to protect; rights; human rights; equal opportunities equity; voting; racism; miscarriage of justice; equality education; freedom; respect; justice; language; oppression; aggression; restlessness; violence; laws why are we still trying to become free? why are black still looked upon as ...? racial profiling; educational system; Jerome Smith (activist) historic, delayed, unfinished, long time coming, incomplete, often undermined, uplifting, direction

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 35

D. Top-of-Mind Associations with “Civil Rights” (continued)

Answers about abstract rights — not bound by events or chronology (continued)

White/ European participants challenge, separateness, equality, housing/health, plantations, education how everyone should get along; I would like to know we all got here, education, culture civil rights to me represent basic human rights that all people should be guaranteed. This could mean right to vote, free speech, assembly, basically rights granted to us by U.S. Constitution - golden rule inequality, prejudice, justice, injustice. Civil rights should be for everyone, not just one race. Every time someone thinks of civil rights they think of MLK, race riots...being a descendent of deported Cajuns, I can identify people's rights, not just black/white; freedom communication acceptance; respect idealism; a need to be heard; equal in all aspects on all areas of living for all people; a level playing field equal opportunity; social acceptance; freedom to be all one can be; educational opportunities; job opportunities; respect for all cultures voting equality; educational equality; social equality; career equality/financial; male female race religion race struggle, tension. how far we have come but how far we still have to go, segregation freedom of going anyplace at anytime, the right to go to school with all people without fear civil rights: voting, social justice, housing, educational opportunities of various kinds, knowledge of what civil rights actually are; Driving While Black, etc. jails, health

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 36

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements

OVERVIEW: There were strong feelings about incorporating non-African American stories in a civil rights museum. For most whites, it was a welcome addition which seemed to make the prospect of visiting more appealing and less threatening. African American participants expressed a range of opinions from welcoming a broad spectrum of stories to focusing very narrowly on African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement. For some, these other rights movements are a legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.

Some participants expressed antipathy toward some groups that might conceivably be included: homosexuals and immigrants. A number of vocal participants (primarily in Lafayette and Baton Rouge) said they would avoid any exhibits that addressed “gay rights.” The mention of “gay rights” within a list of possibilities was a lightning rod, drawing almost all attention away from other rights mentioned. While some people linked the Civil Rights Movement with subsequent civil rights efforts, some African American participants bristled at the idea of equating the African American story with that of any other group of people.

A broader conception of civil rights I think the proper way to frame the museum would be human rights instead of looking at it just as civil rights. Most museums have multiple floors and different wings and different things going on in different areas. I’m cool with having everything represented. I think if you call something a civil rights museum, people are going to be thinking one thing because that’s what the civil rights has been broadcasted.

We all have the certain connotation when we think of civil rights. So, I think the best way to frame the museum would probably be human rights so that we could talk about the different struggles that we all face as humans because civil rights weren’t just about black folks getting equality.

I agree with what ____ is saying. Like you say, the core of it being the experience of the African-Americans and then branching out. That’s what comes to mind when you say, “Civil rights”. Then seeing how that led to the other ones—and seeing how the New Orleans movement impacted the nation’s movement. I think that’s very important.

Yes, it goes right back to what made Louisiana, Louisiana. Have it encompass everything.

Again, I was thinking all aspects because you can’t know one part without knowing the rest of the parts. That would be very interesting.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 37

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

A broader conception of civil rights (continued) There were a lot of things going on then. So, have one wing that was about the struggles black folks went through and linked to that was the struggle that specifically black women went through linked to what black men are facing today. We’re all still facing different things. If you kind of frame the conversation in terms the evolution instead of something that’s like—civil rights to me just means 1960s.

I want to know about the black power movement that happened after it because the civil rights led into a lot of different things for black folks, for women, for homosexuals, for immigrants. It led to other countries. I mean it led to world revolution.

Yes, because nobody should be oppressed. Nobody should have to deal with stuff like that. Unfortunately today you have people going around saying that we shouldn’t be existing. Regardless of religious standpoints or whatnot, everybody has their own beliefs, and that’s fine. But if you’re going to have a museum represented—she said it perfectly. Everyone should be represented.

I think it would be good to show how the Civil Rights Movement or era in Louisiana had some similarities to what was happening in other parts of the country and other parts of the world. We don’t just live in this world alone. There are people who will be coming from other parts of the world to look at our museums, whatever they might be. They like to see some of themselves in it. They like to be able to compare what went on here with what might have been happening there.

But, in fact, the Civil Rights Movement begot the women’s rights movement begot the gay rights movement begot the protesting against Vietnam. So, in fact, it did allow the populous to be able to stand up and say, “We want to be heard.” Maybe that was the first time it really got done. I don’t know if I’m off base on that. Maybe it begot people being able to exercise rights that have always sort of been there or not been there.

Well, she said, “Gay rights.” I suddenly went, “If we didn’t have the civil rights, we wouldn’t have had the—we wouldn’t have been burning bras. Some of us were burning flags. Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to do. We were expressing ourselves. I think maybe that is a really very positive thing that came out of all it.

I might be more inclined to go if it was a broader—if I could go wander around and look at something. If it wasn’t just tailored specifically to civil rights, I would think I would be more inclined to go if it was broader.

Well, I like the idea of making all these connections because I feel like it’s all so connected in terms of thinking of the big picture of civil rights especially if it’s something that a lot of school groups would go to. I think that that can be powerful.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 38

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

Interest in gay rights themes I would go into that room especially if it’s a gay rights controversial thing. I would definitely go into that because it has gotten down to a moral thing with the church. And I am of the belief that God loves us all no matter what you are.

Well, that’s part of what civil rights is about— the past, the present the future. You want to have it all.

Yes, because that’s the kind of civil rights that’s going on now.

It’s not about black and white now. It’s about culture.

They’re not going to be labeled as—you should be treated equal because you’re gay, and you should be treated equal because you’re black. People should be treated equally because they’re people.

I just want to know how. How did the civil rights movement affect the gay rights movement and the women’s movement? That’s the big deal for me.

I agree completely with that. I would love to learn how they come together with the oppression—the gay people, black people, women, and all these different characteristics and how they mix together to form another person.

I think there’s a growing awareness of gay issues as a civil rights issue, and being able to talk about gay rights in Louisiana is pretty sure stirring, I think.

There is a new type of civil rights now. It’s more of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual trans- gender. You’re not just talking about race anymore. We’re talking about a whole different set of civil rights. It didn’t dawn on me until you said that that there are other types of civil rights. I guess there is.

There’s a very large gay and lesbian population in Baton Rouge. Again, that is segregated. I think what scares us as human beings are the differences and not being open to different things and ideas. We’re not open to different ideas, people, different religions, different colors of skin or different interests. I think that’s something that should definitely be touched on.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 39

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

Resistance to gay rights themes No, I’m not all for gay rights exhibit in the museum in no form because a person who is gay is against God. That is an abomination against God. I don’t think that that would be the ideal thing to put into this museum.

Right. At the same time there is such a fine line when you start looking at all those political issues and civil rights issues, and you have to tie it into the Word—the Bible. It’s not right to dislike a person because of their orientation or what have you. But at the same time, the Word itself in the Bible gives some guidelines and so forth.

I think there is a platform for gay rights. I don’t think it should be put in the civil rights museum if it’s going to be supposedly bringing the African Americans to find out about it because in my opinion it’s going to water it down and make people choose on their stance on gay rights before they come to the museum and what they have to offer.

Well, I mean, when you start doing broader—to me we’re now redefining what I’m comfortable with saying is “normal.” So, am I interested in going to see a big picture civil rights museum? I’m not sure what I’m going to see, I guess. (referring to homosexuality)

I think it is a civil rights issues just a different level.

Yes, it’s a human rights issue. I personally feel that everybody should be able to live and exist and do whatever they want as long as you’re not hurting someone else. That’s where you should draw the line. That’s the only problem that I have. I’m going to be black every day, all day, until the day that I die. Like all the forms they still have you identify yourself racially. They never ask you to identify your sexual orientation. It’s not something—

So that’s sort of a tough question for me to answer. It’s a civil right if you feel like it should be, but to me, it may not.

Well, you run the risk of offending a big population.

As a Christian, I would not visit that room [part of a museum about gay rights].

That’s not something that I believe personally. I do think there is a segment of the population who would visit that. My only caveat to you is that there is a large Catholic population in New Orleans that would be more respective to a more traditional civil rights racial aspect than they would be to a lifestyle difference aspect.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 40

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

Discussion in a Lafayette group

You mentioned the comparison that some people make between gay rights and civil rights movement. This is open to anybody. Is that a fair comparison?

Yes.

No.

No.

You don’t know necessarily if someone is gay. I don’t think the comparison can be made unless for some reason you’re labeled that this is what you are. Maybe somebody has a suspicion, and they’ll treat you differently, but—

I don’t think it’s even close to a comparison because first of all, you don’t choose what color you’re born.

Right.

Right.

Or what nationality. Whereas you choose to be homosexual, that’s a choice you make. You’re not ostracized from water fountains. You’re not allowed in the front of this restaurant. You’re not at the back of the bus because you are homosexual. Like you said, some people you can’t tell based on just looking at them. So they’re not going to get persecuted. I haven’t seen a gay parade where they let dogs loose on them or where they put fire hoses on them. Whereas I’m sure that some people who are gay that do go through some kind of persecution, but it’s not on the same level as far as what someone might do because of the color of their skin. That’s not even close.

If you’re black and walking into Microsoft for a job interview, you may feel it. If you’re gay, and you’re white walking into a job interview, you don’t have to tell. You can work for years and have your partner. You don’t have to tell them. But, like you said, black is there. It’s an argument that being homosexual may not be a choice.

You weren’t born that way.

But it still doesn’t have to be known until you decide. You know what? I’m going to stand up for the right that I am homosexual. But my daughter doesn’t have that option [because she is black].

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 41

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

Rights of immigrants I think with the increase of the Spanish population in Louisiana now, it’d be important to include different movements in social unrest, such as—I don’t know what the Mexican-American population is in Louisiana, but the Chicano movement, which is very important for the students to learn.

Especially if it’s something that is going to be—if I’m going to go to a thing, like, say it’s something controversial like, “Minute Men,” you know, it’s definitely one-sided. Are we keeping the illegal aliens out? Which, I’m not necessarily going to agree with, but I’m going to go there because it’s an extreme expression that artistically is something of interest to me.

I definitely would want to see that because it deals with moving a population of people mixing into the American society or into Louisiana. I would be definitely interested in that.

I think we’re all immigrants at some point in our lives. None of us are from here except for the Native Americans. It’s a different perspective.

I think that’s [immigrant rights] a really hot topic right now.

Oh, but they take so advantage of those poor illegal immigrants.

Rights regarding religion You also need a room that’s going to concentrate on the different religions.

That’s very hot right now.

Yes, go back into some of that because people don’t understand why you are what you are. And even though it would be nice to have some kind of exhibit about people who are the Catholic faith, where it came from, how they started or the Baptist, Pentecostal because this place is just full of any kind of religion you can name even the Buddhists. We’re here. There’s a big Buddhist chapel right over there on Monterey. They are filling this big thing. It would be nice to know about all these other things because a lot of people don’t know. If the museum was there, and they would go to see something else, or they’re going there for another reason, and these other things were there, that would bring to their attention what they need to know about these different cultures. It might help to understand a little bit better how different people—

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 42

E. “Other” Civil Rights movements (continued)

Rights regarding religion (continued) There is also a big misconception about people who are Muslims. I wouldn’t mind seeing something about that because even I don’t know much about Muslims. We have a lot of them here.

I mean they may not be the kind of Muslims who are in the Middle East, but they call themselves Muslims—black Muslims or whatever it is. There is a lot of misconception about them, their life, and their lifestyle. A lot of people dislike them for various reasons. It might be, which is usually the case, that you don’t really know anything about these people. That’s the reason why you just form your opinion about them.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 43

Principal Results: Challenges

This second section of the qualitative research summary presents comments from focus group participants which led to identifying several challenges and barriers to the public becoming engaged in topics relevant for a civil rights-oriented destination in New Orleans. The principal challenges are:

 LOW FAMILIARITY: Although virtually everyone is at least somewhat familiar with national stories of the Civil Rights Movement, few white participants were able to identify a single person or event of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana. Among African Americans, awareness was very low among people in Lafayette and younger adults who did not live in Louisiana during that era.

 LOW INTEREST IN MUSEUMS: Focus group participants from Lafayette and Baton Rouge indicated that they visit New Orleans for leisure experiences somewhat regularly. While most white participants could identify at least one museum they had visited in New Orleans, African Americans from Lafayette and Baton Rouge rarely visited museums during their visits to New Orleans.

 LOW ENTHUSIASM FOR CIVIL RIGHTS: Almost all of the focus group participants thought the Civil Rights Movement was a positive influence, but almost none thought of it as something to celebrate. For some, the topic is depressing (more so among white participants) while for others it is something to impress upon the children.

 LACK OF AWARENESS OF HISTORICAL CULTURAL CONFLICTS: People indicated very little awareness of historical cultural conflicts. The cultural conflicts most frequently mentioned are modern examples between African Americans and whites in Louisiana: Jena, the infamous Hammond Justice of the Peace, Katrina, economic discrimination and others. Also at the forefront of people’s thinking are Hispanic immigrants, Vietnamese shrimpers and the French language. Some African Americans mentioned colorism among people of African descent. Aside from the Civil Rights Movement, there is almost no awareness of historical examples of cultural conflict.

 DOUBTFUL INTEREST IN VISITING A NEW ORLEANS CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM: Overall interest in visiting a New Orleans museum about Louisiana’s civil rights history (with a broad understanding of civil rights) was moderate among the focus group participants. African Americans expressed moderate-to-high interest and white participants expressed mostly low interest.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 44

F. Awareness of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana

OVERVIEW: Knowledge of the people and events of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana is modest among African Americans in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Knowledge among the whites and African Americans in Lafayette is almost non-existent. A.P. Tureaud and Ruby Bridges are the most often recollected figures from the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana. Older African Americans retain personal memories of the events, but younger Louisianans know very little.

African American participants’ awareness of civil rights expressed in terms of:

Specific people or events A.P. Tureaud Johnnie Jones; Joe Delpit; A.P. Tureaud; Emmett Douglas; Sadie Keel; Israel Augustine; Murphy Bell streetcars; Jefferson Parish issue 2006/7; Ruby Bridges Ruby Bridges; McDonough 13 SNCC, Avery, NAACP, A.P. Tureaud, Taylor (city council woman); Morial 1961 Ruby Bridges goes to school Bogalusa, schools in St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson, Baton Rouge, bigotry Baton Rouge bus boycott, Rev. T.J. Jamison, march on the state capitol Fair Housing Act allowed Black people to move into white subdivisions

General information, national examples Armstrong Park HBCUs, southern education, African American trail heritage, voting rights Huey P Long; soda shop downtown Baton Rouge; Medgar Evers; Dr. King; Jena 6; riot at clothing store Jena - school fight; Metairie - police harassing blacks; Gretna - stopping evacuees from New Orleans during Katrina St. Thomas housing development; how that community was for low income housing and it wasn't frowned upon but we (blacks) are wasting tax dollars Toussaint L'ouverture post civil rights, St. Thomas this comes to mind because of community work, organizing/churches/St. Charles Plessey vs. Ferguson 1870s carpet bag; 1888 white league; 1891 Plessey vs. Ferguson; 1905; 1976 mayoral election first African American Baton Rouge, the state capital Jena, LA (6); Hammond, LA (Justice of Peace); Moon Landrieu, city mayor, Mississippi River bridge killings - Katrina New Orleans in general, schools Plessey vs. Fergusson (but mainly because it was just talked about); I know the history of civil war and LA involvement but don't think that counts

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 45

F. Awareness of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana (continued)

Baton Rouge African Americans (from discussion) Baton Rouge was the first place that had a bus boycott even before Martin Luther King’s thing. Reverend T. J. Jemison and some other people in Baton Rouge arranged it.

Then when I first went to Southern University as a freshman, one of the first things we did was start a march to the state capital. It really made a big turmoil in Baton Rouge. The Caucasians and people in office were really upset that the whole campus marched all the way to Southern University all the way down to the state capital in protest. That was something to see and remember as part of our history. The bus boycott was one of the first things that started things because when black people stopped riding the bus, the bus company almost went out of business because we were the ones that supported it. The wealthier who used maids and workers at their homes—people couldn’t get to work. It created confusion and was very noticeable.

That was the place that when the Fair Housing Act was passed, and black people could move into the white subdivisions, but Denham Springs, Central, Livingstone Parish, and Walker—

Those are the places where white people ran to get away from the black neighborhood. That is why it has that stigma attached to it, it’s the racism.

____, you’re a relatively a young man. Civil rights movement was a long time ago. Tell me what you know about the civil rights movement in Louisiana.

For me in Louisiana, again, it is so strange as much as the politics of Louisiana dominated throughout the civil rights history—I remember the bus boycott was really before Dr. King.

We have enough in ourselves to care about and approach. Civil rights for me—I will say, no, I have not been through what my parents and grandparents and great grandparents have been through. I have reaped some of those rewards.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 46

G. Louisiana Residents as Visitors to New Orleans

OVERVIEW: Interest in visiting museums during a visit to New Orleans (by people living elsewhere in Louisiana) was stronger among white participants than black participants. While inviting people to these focus groups, all potential participants were advised the discussion would be about museums and each indicated that they had visited museums recently. Participants in Lafayette and Baton Rouge were asked about if they go to New Orleans and what they like to see or do there. They all indicated that they sometimes visit New Orleans for things to do and all go to museums at least occasionally. For some this means only visiting local museums, and for others it means visiting museums in New Orleans also.

The most frequently mentioned destinations are the World War II Museum, the Louisiana State Museum properties, NO MA, the Aquarium and the Zoo. African American participants in Lafayette and Baton Rouge rarely visit the museum in New Orleans, while white participants could name one or two that they had visited.

Experience with New Orleans

Summary of African Americans from all groups I have not been to a museum in New Orleans. No. My name is Keya. I’ve never been to a museum in New Orleans. I’ve been to museums in Atlanta and the one in New Orleans (by the cathedral). No. museum of fine arts in New Orleans I’ve never been to any museums in New Orleans the children’s museum I’ve been to museums in New Orleans once I haven’t been to any museums in New Orleans I haven’t been to very many museums in New Orleans Bourbon Street Visit friends and family Sporting events Restaurants Tours U.S. Mint I don’t think that I’ve ever attended any museums in New Orleans. Aquarium, children’s museum, Presbytere

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 47

G. Louisiana Residents as Visitors to New Orleans (continued)

Summary of whites from all groups Contemporary Art Museum NOMA Zoo Mostly visit friends Cabildo the New Orleans Museum of Art the little wax museum Cabildo, the Presbytere, the Cathedral, and those types of museums in history zoo, the aquarium, and the wax museums the Mardi Gras costumes Cabildo and the Pharmacy Museum I have not gone to any of the museums in New Orleans. I have been to the wax museum in New Orleans and a museum in the church. I have probably been to all of the museums. History is really important— architecture. I’ve been to the World War II Museum, the Children’s Museum, aquarium, art museum, the zoo, and the Cabildo. I have also been to all of the old churches. I’ve been to the D-Day Museum and to the Cabildo a very long time ago. I have also been to the aquarium in New Orleans. I went there recently. Also, I went to the Museum of Modern Art in the park area and the Ursuline Convent. WW II, Children’s Museum, Ursuline Convent NOMA

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 48

H. Emotional Perceptions of Civil Rights

OVERVIEW: There is little sense of celebration of civil rights among any of the groups. For most white participants, civil rights was a somewhat depressing topic. Even among African Americans, there was a sense of wanting children to appreciate it, but little sense that an exhibit about it would be a fun experience.

So some people say civil rights is a depressing topic. Others say that there is a lot to celebrate about civil rights progress. What do you think?

Sample comments from an all-white Baton Rouge group It’s both.

I think there are instances within the civil rights movement that are horribly depressing like the church bombings and hosing people down in the street. But overall you can’t deny that—it’s a huge turning point. Without it, I can’t even imagine where we would be.

Yes. It’s extremely depressing, but it can also be very uplifting. If you just present the things that have happened in the past, and you don’t show where we’ve come today while still recognizing that there is room to grow when you try and paint the picture to be a little too rosy, then you kind of discredit it all. If you show where we’ve come, it can be an uplifting thing. You just have to show the positive without discrediting it by saying that we’re a perfect society now. Everybody’s equal. Everybody’s free. It’s not the way it is.

Sample comments from an all-white New Orleans group I don’t think it’s a depressing topic.

It’s not depressing.

I think there’s something in me that—I think it’s wonderful, and I’m fascinated with it all and just the social change that civilization goes through, but something in me says that sometimes it could be divisive. I don’t know why. I know I shouldn’t think like that, but if you focus on that area so much, you know, when the blacks were so suppressed by the whites, will it help the race relations and everything or will it hurt it? I don’t know. That just came into my mind.

I think it is depressing. The reason I say that is because—and don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, but we are nowhere near the end of the road on that thing. I’m not saying that it’s the white person’s fault or the black person’s fault, but there is not a conclusion to that. That’s why I think it’s depressing is because it’s still not over. I don’t know what the solution is either.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 49

H. Emotional Perceptions of Civil Rights

Sample comments from an all-white New Orleans group (continued) I have things to celebrate. I don’t know. I mean, I feel like there are a lot of problems here, but my mom grew up in the 50s and 60s, and they burned down every school in the Parish when they desegregated and, you know, there still are awful tensions, but at the same time, I went to integrated public schools and had black friends too 40 years later. There is definitely way more to go, but I feel like we are moving towards some improvement.

Sample comments from an African American Lafayette group

I think it’s only seen as a depressed topic because of the ignorance about it. It’s only a depressing topic because nobody is there to say what it was 50 years or 15, 20 years ago. I don’t think it’s depressing—I may be in the minority. I don’t think it’s depressing if you look at it the right way if you truly show where they came from like you say. How many of the kids don’t realize that their grandmother or grandfather got hurt for trying to read? If they knew that, if they understood that, I think it would give them the drive they need to value it. I was blessed my grandfather shared with me how they couldn’t go to school. They were looked upon negatively. I had a different belief about school that I preached to my kids. It can be negative. To just see Roots and nothing else behind it, yes. My kids haven’t seen Roots. I saw it, and—

Although it’s negative, it’s something that needs to be known.

Yes, it needs to be known.

You didn’t come from somewhere, but look at the opportunities these people didn’t have, and look at all the opportunities that you have now. That way you can look at—like you said. You have a grandfather that can’t read. This is why he can’t read because of—he’s not stupid. It’s because of the different—but look at all he did get accomplished. He did raise—a lot of our grandparents and great grandparents raised large families—

That they took care of. And they had houses for them even if they had to work in the field. They did a lot and kept the family together. So look at all those positives even though he didn’t get the opportunity to go to school.

I think, a lot of that, if you put that out in a museum, it will show kids that they are very fortunate to have this opportunity and not necessarily take it for granted. Some of them had to quit school to go to work to support the families. Something for them to shoot for to look at. I’m going to graduate. My grandparents didn’t get an opportunity to go to college. When I go to high school, I’m going to make sure that I graduate. You can make it positive because you have to get enlightened.

Research report by People, Places & Design Research Front-end Research about Public Perceptions of a Louisiana Civil Rights Museum 50

I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict”

OVERVIEW: Participants’ awareness of relatively recent cultural conflict in Louisiana was widespread and diverse. The Civil Rights Movement and recent events such as the Jena 6 and the Katrina disaster were close to the surface for African American participants and some non-African American participants. Many people recalled the conflict between Vietnamese and long-established shrimpers as an example of cultural conflict that seems to have been resolved or at least muted. Some resentment of Hispanic immigrants was expressed in the New Orleans African American group.

There is some awareness of cultural conflict in Louisiana history. People who are aware of some Cajun history (came from Canada to escape persecution) are mostly unaware of cultural conflict other than a perception that Cajuns had been thought of as socially inferior. Some African American participants discussed their perception of the relative social status of people with African American, Creole, Haitian heritage and the social impact of skin color among people of African descent.

In Lafayette and Baton Rouge, the story of children’s hands being slapped for speaking French in school is shared by people of Creole and Cajun heritage and frequently known by others.

Some people expressed an interest in learning more about cultural conflict (and cooperation) between Native American peoples and the early European and African immigrants.

Let’s talk about the conflict part of this title. Give me some examples of how different cultures have been in conflict in Louisiana’s history.

Civil Rights Movement/ Black-white conflict I do think if there’s no other exhibit having to do with civil rights, we need to start with that because the kids are not remembering. I had an African American kid in my class the other day, and she couldn’t tell me anything. She didn’t know who wrote the letter from the Birmingham jail. Can you imagine? We have to get back to that. Civil rights in Louisiana came very slowly. And it came in spurts. You and I helped integrate Lafayette High. Remember?

I was part of integration.

Look what happened to Paul Rose. The things that seemed so benign—they were great for the white kids. The black kids—the whole award winning Breaux Bridge High School band was disbanded. And there wasn’t any room in the Lafayette band.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Civil Rights Movement/ Black-white conflict (continued) And certainly we have worked together as races now in a way we didn’t do in those days, but somewhere along the line, that has to be recognized. I think that’s probably the most significant thing to ever happen in this state. And we have an extraordinary group of African Americans who have a different attitude and outlook on life. I think from [the perspective of] a lot of African Americans that we need to recognize, and it’s not just music or food. It’s something else that’s integral to the various African American cultures that exist. It’s not just one. There is no such thing as just one.

Our young kids need to know this. Both—all the races need to know the civil rights.

I think that if anything should be presented—I have two bi-racial children. They are—they do not face any sort of negativity honestly. They know who they are. They know what they are. I want them to learn that people sacrificed so they could have what they have today. I want them to know the people who sacrificed. The Acadians sacrificed. The African Americans sacrificed, and that’s a large part of who they are. Learn from it. Don’t put other people in that position. You don’t want to make other people feel as outcasts. I want them to learn about the people who made the sacrifices and made you who you are. Now you take this, and you bring that forward, and you do something with that.

Well, the Acadians—the Cajuns—they actually were in Canada. They went to Canada for religious freedom and other reasons. And then they were exiled and had to come down here. So, they went through being kicked out of places and looked down on. There is a lot of low self esteem from that. It’s the same thing with African Americans. I see a lot of people with low self esteem who don’t feel capable of accomplishing or doing.

Exactly. And it’s not so much—I mean, here, I don’t necessarily experience it as much in south or southeast Louisiana, southwest Louisiana, as we do in north Louisiana. It’s totally different as far as people—like she said, her son has a best friend that is African American. Here is a prime example. In the city that I live in, the African Americans and Caucasians are separated by water still in 2009. It’s just different things that make a big difference.

Wasn’t there, a couple years ago, a separate prom for schools? There was a white prom and a black prom. Neither of the two should meet.

We’ve come a long way as a state and still have a long way to go because there is still a lot of conflict in this state especially race related conflict. It’s still a very separated place. You have very much a divide in north and south Baton Rouge. There’s a line there, and most people don’t cross it. That’s conflict. It’s still here today. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Civil Rights Movement/ Black-white conflict (continued) So the black American conflict exists in the south. Having lived in the north—up in the north we used to say, “Come on. You’re so racist. You’re so prejudiced. That’s not the way it is.” If you come down here, there’s a whole different culture. Some of the generalizations can be truisms. I think it needs—I think people need to be more aware of how prevalent all of the plantation life was in this area and how they ruled. And then when there was no longer slaves, how Louisiana had to rearrange itself. That’s my polite way of saying, “I think there’s conflict here.”

Yes. I think people should be challenged. I kind of find it interesting that Louisiana with its history through the law with Huey Long and the textbooks, that was like a thing that totally backfired when you think about Plessey v. Ferguson because it started here in New Orleans. The reason why they chose Plessey was because he had passed for white so many times. It was like they were trying to start a civil rights movement there, and they got slammed down. I think because I work with kids and as far as they’re concerned with civil rights, there is Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, and they don’t see that it’s been a whole long struggle. When I spoke to them about Jackie Robinson and the bus incident, they said, “Oh, no! That was Rosa Parks.”

Hate groups Well, there are—there were and still are various hate groups who are living under the radar all the time, but they’re there.

You have the Klan. You also have the militias. There are several different groups who are—they’re there. And they’re just kind of fermenting. You don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a danger, I think, that exists in this state.

In north Louisiana the conflict was between black and white. As Rosemary mentioned earlier, you heard the statement the black man knows to stay in his place. The white people stayed in their place, and we basically all got along. Except during the protests and the civil rights era there was major confrontation almost because we were marching and singing “We Shall Overcome.” On our farm, we had crosses burned three times during that time because my dad was a person who would take people to Vicksburg, Mississippi to buy groceries. That meant A&P and the dollar store—all those stores were losing money simply because they wouldn’t hire a black cashier. They wouldn’t even hire a black person to sweep the store. It was really poor white trash. They did all the menial type things. The whole area was predominately black. In north Louisiana when I was there, the conflict and cultural thing was a black and white thing as opposed to when I came south.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Hammond Justice of the Peace It’s true. There was an example of—what was it—a Justice of the Peace. He wasn’t going to marry a couple because one was Caucasian and the other was African American because then, you’re bi-racial. As far as we’ve come, we’re still that far behind.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not an isolated incident. Quite frankly, the Justice of Peace said it wasn’t the first time he’s done that. It’s just the first one who has complained.

But it was a fantastic story. It was a really, really good story that they could put this on TV, and you’re like, “No way! That’s not right. That’s not right.” But, yeah, it happens. It goes on a lot more than you ever dreamed of. It’s the fact that it became news and not only just local news and state news, but national news. It was a fantastic, wonderful thing from a journalistic point of view. That’s good. I don’t know that that would have happened years ago.

Katrina Well, relating back to Katrina; I would say that would be a good example of cultural conflicts because when the hurricane hit, and you had people trying to get from point A to point B—one of my clients—one of his family members was on that bridge. I don’t know where that bridge is. They were walking trying to get to the other side or try to get to some safety. I guess the people on the other side felt that they were threatening because they did not want them to pass. And I think, unfortunately, someone was shot.

From what I’ve seen—I know Katrina brought out a lot. Just looking at kids, again, being down here is the Creole mix of Caucasian, African American where I noticed some instances a little bit of separation. This clique and then this—the darker skin, the Caucasian, the Creole. Creole I would see a little more interaction shift with the Caucasian on that day to day basis—

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Katrina (continued)

Discussion in white Lafayette group

Hurricane Katrina, I think, is one of the amazing things about how—it seemed like more of a struggle with the black community because they were the lower income, and they couldn’t find a way to get out of the city during the storm. All of the news portrayed that. It was the African American community. In reality you had the St. Bernard Parish. A ton of white people lost their homes.

You have the Gulf Coast that people—mansions along the Gulf Coast that were wiped out. It was always portrayed as the black community that was affected the most by Hurricane Katrina. Across the board it was everyone that was affected by it.

Even Hurricane Rita — the media really didn’t pay any attention to that. You had places out west where entire towns were wiped out.

You didn’t hear anything about that from the national news. Everything was just about that one specific area of New Orleans.

By the way, I just have to add this. The people in that location were not left there to just exist. There were offers. There were opportunities. The National Guard was there. There were buses there.

They wanted to get them out of there, and the people in that community said, “No, we’re not leaving our homes.”

Some said that they stayed because they were waiting on the check. The hurricane came on a Monday. The levees broke on Tuesday. Her check wasn’t going to be in her mailbox until Wednesday.

But that’s one—there are a whole bunch of different reasons. There were some people who said, “We’re not leaving our home because we won’t come back to one. We will lose everything we own from looting or whatever.” There were a whole range of reasons why people would not go. Some of it was riding out many hurricanes before. You’re trying to hype this up into something that it’s not. Calmer heads were prevailing, or so they thought. That is one thing that just draws me out of my mind when it’s the “woe is me” story.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

French Language Children—the kids who are my age were punished for speaking French even on the playground at school. But they were punished for even a single word of French. That whole generation learned to be ashamed of French, and it pretty much killed the French.

My parents spoke French, and I can’t speak a word of French now, and that’s the language they spoke in the household. I’d love to learn to speak French.

I can understand when someone’s talking. I can’t speak it, but I know what they’re saying because you’re around it. You know what they’re talking about.

Then as a Cajun, like you said, the Cajuns were said to be less educated at one time. At one time if you spoke French, you were very uneducated. My dad’s family spoke French, and when they went to school, they made the mistake to speak French instead of English, they’d chop their knuckles with a ruler. Literally with Cajuns I feel the conflict there was Cajuns and whites. Now who the other whites were, I don’t know the history. But even whites—if you were Cajun, and you spoke French, you still had that tongue—they didn’t care for each other either.

It was a problem for me because I’m speaking as they taught me at school. My parents thought I wasn’t saying it right. They would correct me, and I’d go back to school and try to correct the teacher. It was horrible. It was very difficult for me. That was one of the things that I’d like to see and hear more about is the difference in the dialect in the language.

Creole/ colorism/ class distinctions Well, to me what you were saying about Creoles, if you were African American and you were able to say that you were Creole, at one time you could sit in front of church. At one time they would let you sit a certain place on the bus. So to me that could be a conflict because if you were Creole, and the Creoles saw you as black, well, there’s a conflict between those two.

When I was growing up… If your skin was darker than a paper bag, you were not accepted in certain groups of people. Here in Baton Rouge, people who considered themselves French or Creole, and they were predominately Catholic people that really came from the New Orleans area and the South where there is a big mixture of African Americans who are fair skinned, but there was a big ruckus here that they didn’t want to mingle—associate with the dark skin black folks. They wanted certain days to go to the movies. They wanted certain days to go to the swimming pool where they and their children would not have to mingle with the darker skin people. It was a certain class of African Americans that just didn’t want to be associated with darker skin African Americans.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Creole/ colorism/ class distinctions (continued) I participated in an activity as a student in Southern. My roommate invited me to come to Opelousas and at night we would go to the club. We would go to a place where everybody was very fair skinned. There were pretty young girls over there. He told me not to go over there because the club would shut down. It was a black club, but the Creole or whatever—I say want to be white people—they sat there. The dark skin and paper bag sat over here. The guys from over there would come over on our side and mingle and talk to any girl. But I observed that the darker guys didn’t even go over and talk to the other guys over there. If they talked, they would come to our side.

I was in Slidell. In that area they call them Freejacks. And they are white, but the Caucasians know they are black. They have this thing about them. They’ll marry within the family. The club I went to when I was in school—in later years at Southern, I taught a young man whose father ran the club. He came into my class, and he knew a friend of mine. We got to talking. We got very close, and we knew some other people and friends. One day the police stopped him. And he said, “You stopped me because I’m black.” No, he thought you were a young white boy driving fast until you opened your mouth. I told him about how it used to be. He says it’s not like that anymore, but it stills exists.

I would say that the cultural conflict that I see is perception of class or status. And that just kind of ties into what you’re talking about. Perhaps a person has obtained a certain standing in life, and one thing in my business is we’re taught not to judge the way a person looks, but you can sense when you’re being judged or determined that you are not in the same class as the person you’re interacting with.

That’s one thing—I can only speak from an African American standpoint, but I do know that there are certain classes of African Americans. Professional people as opposed to people who are laborers. The professional people stay on one side, and they want to marry into that—They don’t want their children to marry into the blue collar. They set up different clubs and organizations so that children can stay in their class so to speak.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Some whites feel discrimination is much less today I think in general—I don’t know if people are just more PC or if it really is more. I hate to go back to Katrina, but there was this huge influx of people and cultures, and I think people today are just so much more accepting and open to be accepting of different religions, cultures, walks of life. I think in the Louisiana of the past, people just weren’t all that interested in being tolerant of different things. Now even if you don’t necessarily agree, I think people are more willing to listen no matter what the outcome. I just don’t think you saw that even 15, 20 years ago. We’re not talking about back in the day. I mean 10, 15, 20 years ago I don’t think you saw that as much.

I grew up in the very toe of the Louisiana boot in Washington Parish. I grew up during the civil rights movement of the 60s. That area—my family was very tolerant. We were not bigoted, but the majority of our neighbors were. I grew up with the civil rights movement as—Washington Parish was a hotbed of Klan activity—KKK. One of my uncles was in it. Now in our society—my family was not prejudiced, and I can say that because my dad and mom are very loving people. We just grew up having separate schools, separate water fountains, and separate restaurants. That’s the only thing we knew. But as the change came, there is such a difference now. I mean that very same town is just totally—my great nieces and nephews are totally integrated.

I have two boys. They’ve gone through the public school system in Baton Rouge which, of course, you’re not supposed to do to your children. They’ve done it. I think they got a very good education. I’ve seen the change from when my oldest started school to when my youngest started—the change in the feelings of equality in the classroom and on the campus. People are much more accepting because the population in the public school system is roughly 60 percent black African American and 40 percent white which is actually the opposite of what the population of Baton Rouge is. But their closest friends are of all colors and races. I think it’s getting much better. There has been a big change in the 19 years that I’ve lived here.

It’s not—we’ve gotten on the topic of the black and white. It’s not just that. My son is in first grade. There is a Jewish boy and a Muslim girl in his class. I think ten years ago that would be like don’t play with. A couple of weeks ago my son was describing one of the teachers at his school. I was trying to figure out who she was. I had him describe her. She had short brown hair. She wears glasses. She wears khaki pants like our uniform. She has brown skin. It never occurred to him that that was the first—when we grew up, that’s a black lady. He’s very young. I look at that and say that ten years ago that never would have happened. I think we absolutely have a long way to go. In a short amount of time I think we’ve come very far.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Shrimping conflict You might elaborate on the Vietnamese shrimpers. That was a severe conflict.

Wasn’t it some different kind of nets too?

No, they fished in the wrong direction.

Yes, you probably know a little bit more about the process than I would. I just know that when you have one population that pretty much has control of a certain industry and unexpectedly you have another group that come in and competition gets pretty heated up. I’m sure that can create some type of conflict and rivalry.

I have an example of that. I come from a shrimping community. We had one guy on a shrimp boat, and the Vietnamese had just started immigrating. They kept running over his nets. Usually when the shrimpers would go out and fish, you could have a couple of them that could stick together, you know, boats that stick together, but they wouldn’t cross their nets. Everybody had their own spot. If you got there first, that was your shrimping ground. He just got tired of it, and one day he just turned his boat into their boat, and put it full speed ahead and got down on the floor and held on. It sunk their boat. The authorities said that they couldn’t do anything about it because the man was trying to save his livelihood. But the Vietnamese didn’t understand that. They just wanted to fish, and no matter who was in the way, they would fish.

Well, part of it was a culture problem too. The Vietnamese fished north to south when they trolled. And the Cajuns do it east to west because it runs along the coast. When they came here, they still wanted to troll north-south. Well, naturally when they did that, they were cutting across all of the other fishermen. It was part stiff competition and the other was traditional. It got very, very serious.

She just brought up the point of the Vietnamese. When I first moved here, the Vietnamese were starting to set their major foothold here. There were major conflicts down in the bay because the Vietnamese would go out and do fishing their way, which was not the standard norm. Things were not exactly very copasetic with the folks. It was a stomp on the Vietnamese because they’re coming into our playground, and they want to do the stuff their way, and by the way, it’s our balls. So, as current as the 80s we’ve seen that happens here on a large scale.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Native Americans The Indians got the short end of the stick—no pun intended. The Indians getting the raw deal from every one of the cultures that came in and encountered the Indians eventually. It didn’t start that way in the beginning, but eventually their culture was minimized, and they were—

The first conflict was the Native Americans and the French. They were here first, and they’re not here now. Basically, a lot of things happened between then and now. So, even when the first fort was built in the Mississippi Territory, what is now Mississippi, and then when New Orleans was established here, the Native Americans were the ones who assisted the French in surviving.

That’s true.

Actually, they went and lived with the Native Americans many times for food and for shelter.

One conflict that I would like to see is how the conflict between—I don’t know the time period that the Mardi Gras Indians come from, but that was Indians and black folks coming together. So, there had to have been some time of conflict, I’m guessing, with white folks to make them forge that unity. And so that’s something that I would be interested in seeing like how the conflict over an oppressor moving into an area united other cultures that were different but found commonality someplace because they had a common enemy because they had a common oppressor.

Economic inequality Economic status is one. It’s a big part. It’s a very big conflict in New Orleans.

OK. A prime example, I guess I could probably say is the school systems. There are certain areas in parts of town or parts of the state that get more attention than others. There are certain neighborhoods depending on where you are. You know how much money you have. You know, what politician you can buy. They get a little bit more developed than others. Do you want me to name drop?

Again, we’ll try not to talk about New Orleans so much, but in New Orleans east, before Katrina, there was a few big stores in the mall that kind of just took over—a large percentage of African Americans lived in that area. They frequented it and supported it. But over a period of time, you’ll notice that one by one these places started to go out of business over there. And now, they got to the point where you have to go to Metairie to do most of your shopping. That means that the black community is not spending money in their community anymore.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Hispanic immigrants Now post-Katrina, we’ve got the Hispanic walking ATMs. We’re going to have this type of impact on some of the Hispanics because we have a walking ATM.

They’re paid in cash. They’re an easy mark.

They don’t speak English. We know they’re not going to want to report it to the police because they’re afraid of the police. So, now we’re looking at a crime segment, which is having another impact.

They alone have changed the demographics of where we live because you don’t walk into a store now without it being English and Spanish. So, that alone has changed our culture since Katrina.

You’ve seen all these Mercado type stores opening up in various segments of neighborhoods now. We’re having an influence.

Discussion in a New Orleans African American group

From my understanding and from my overall observance of the influence of the Spanish speaking people who are here now, I think the majority of that is because of work related issues. I think there is some kind of conflict of working, and Spanish people taking the jobs.

I always hear about the conflict with the jobs when it comes to Hispanics and African Americans, but I don’t really ever see the conflict. I don’t know if it’s more real than what we think.

It’s real.

Well, I just think it’s the way you look at it. For me from a worker’s perspective, I’m seeing that immigrants come. It has to do with pride because the work that the immigrants do and highly exert themselves. Me, I’m not willing to do that. I’m not willing and ready to perform that. So, when I see someone who is more diligent than I am, he’s going to be more prone to hire this person because he is willing to do what it takes to get a job. I’m not willing to go that far because I don’t feel that I’m getting paid enough to do the same that he’s going to do for less pay.

Back to the immigrants—when you look at your years of experience and your years of putting in work to go to school and master that trade, and you have somebody come fresh from off of a minivan that can come and take your job because they’re willing to work for less pay, yes, I would have a problem with that.

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I. Interest in “Cultural Conflict” (continued)

Hispanic immigrants (continued)

My thing is I don’t necessarily get mad at them, the workers. I get mad at the system for being willing to do that.

Yes, the system because they’re breaking all kinds of laws hiring them because most of them don’t even have the proper documents or paperwork.

All the Spanish people getting food stamps, and I can’t ever get them. I’m a single mama and trying to raise my children, and they keep denying me. But they come and the whole family—men and women—get them.

They’re tax free for two years I think. That’s why most of the Asian people can open up corner stores because—

Five years.

They don’t pay for five years.

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J. Initial Interest in Visiting a Civil Rights Museum

OVERVIEW: Near the end of the discussions, participants were asked to rate their interest in visiting a civil rights museum. Overall interest was moderate, but interest among African American Louisianans was much higher than interest among white Louisianans. These findings are speculative and need to be confirmed using a much larger sample size.

total African Am. white sample Louisianans Louisianans (n=59) (n=31) (n=28) high interest 46% ** 58% 32% medium interest 31% 32% 29% low interest 24% 10% 39%

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K. Sensitivity to Perceptions of Racism

OVERVIEW: Whites sometimes expressed sensitivity to accusations of racism, especially from non-Southerners.

This is something that I experienced when I went up north. I’m a little uncomfortable with northerners who come down here and say these are the issues that you need to focus on. I don’t think that we need to focus on the issues that northerners think we do.

North of the Mason Dixon line where northerners come to the South and say—that happened during Katrina. You down there have all these problems. You need to fix them. You need to do this and that. No, you don’t need to tell me that. We need to fix our own problems. We need to be able to decide what our issues are, and we need to decide how we’re going to deal with them. I think that’s important to say that in this forum in front of the camera.

I mean, there is separateness, but I think it’s also a give and take. I think there is so much emphasis on crime that we forget the rich culture that we have. There is racism, but you know what? Let me tell you something. I lived in New York City, and it’s racist there, so never kid yourself. I mean, I’ve known black people that would not talk to me once they found out I was from the South.

It’s one person [Hammond Justice of the Peace]. We know the backlash against it. But do you think somebody is sitting in California reading our paper saying, “Who are these backwoods people?” It was one man.

We’re being painted with a pretty big brush here. If you take a look at the rest of the country in the same time period, look what happened in the southern part of Boston— the Southie group during school integration. We’re talking about some serious rioting. Those were horrific acts of violence. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and there were horrendous riots in 1966—all kinds of things in other part of the country.

Well, the tolerance thing is not limited to the Louisiana borders. This is a problem that our entire country has. It’s just depends where you are in the country as to what culture group is getting picked on. You go to L.A., and they are racist against the Armenians. From Texas and here we’ve never seen Armenians. I don’t know what an Armenian looks like. That’s the group that they like to bash over there. Every area of the country has its own little group. In New York you have the Irish and the Jews. They get picked on by different groups. There is racism everywhere.

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K. Sensitivity to Perceptions of Racism (continued)

We totally leave it alone. We tiptoe around it. We do not talk about it. And these people in the North they don’t understand it. I went up north this summer. Everybody immediately wanted to talk about that issue. They were calling me a racist. Just because I’m from the South doesn’t mean that I’m a racist. I’m sorry. I don’t think of myself in those terms, but I felt labeled. I felt that that was an issue that the northerners wanted to bring up and wanted to talk about right away. I have a hard time explaining that we don’t talk about it. We’re not ready to talk about it. We need to find a way to talk about it.

On the other hand whenever—we have so much negative publicity because of this violent small group, but there were many more of us who were—my husband’s family out in the country next to a black African American family—they were friends. They played together. That’s not told. All you hear is about the KKK burning crosses and all of this.

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