Newsmaker Two Nights of Soul Jennifer Holiday Kelly Price Page 4
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Lighting The Road To The Future Page 5 DataZone Festival International de Louisiane “The People’s Paper” May 1 - May 7, 2010 44th Year Volume 30 www.ladatanews.com Page 2 Newsmaker Two Nights of Soul Jennifer Holiday Kelly Price Page 4 Page 9 Photos by Victor Holt Page 2 May 1 - May 7, 2010 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com Ray Nagin A Retrospective By Edwin Buggage ience to rebuilding is an everyday Photos by Julie Plonk, episode; and the question becomes City of New Orleans how does one manage such a mon- umental task? Nagin’s New Orleans Ray Nagin and Hurricane Ka- For the last eight years New trina have become synonyms and Orleans has come to know Ray his life and legacy will be defined Nagin as its Commander-in-Chief . by what happened during this time In these years he has become the when a little known mayor was face of the City to the world . The thrust into a whirlwind of the inter- one who through a sea of anony- national spotlight . A man who has mous faces came to embody the come to be known as one who does voice and the spirit of a people in not mince words and have come its most desperate hour; over the to embody how the world views a years his outspokenness has made people; he will forever be etched in him fodder for conversation sur- the minds of people throughout the rounding controversy . Over the annals of history when thinking of years he has become a hot but- the City during a calamity that ex- ton issue of polar opposites . He is posed more than just a breaching loved and embraced by some while of the levees, but a social breach being seen persona non grata and that painted a very different face an ogre by others . But only the evo- of the City of New Orleans . Not lutionary process of time and his- the one of happy smiling faces, but tory will judge this man who is for a City divided fighting for its sur- some a study in contrast and is an vival . And continuing a struggle to enigmatic figure in the cultural and rebuild, renew and revive itself . political landscape of a City that is fighting to rebuild itself . Reflections of Ray Nagin has either fairly or unfair- As the era of Nagin comes to a ly depending on your perspective close, and many will assess his ef- been cast as the star of a real life fectiveness as Mayor, “I think you reality show called ‘Rebuilding 5-0- have to look at what we’ve done in 4 .’ A City where hopefulness and three distinct phases,” says Nagin . hopelessness second-line down “Pre-Katrina, Katrina and Post Ka- the street to mourn and celebrate trina, we came in and we were on a City where decay, debris, deca- the mode of reforming government dence and a dedication and resil- as well as empowering people get- Continued next page. DATA NEWS WEEKLY 616 Barrone Street, Suite 584, New Orleans, LA 70113 INSIDE DATA Phone: (504) 821-7421 | Fax: (504) 821-7622 editorial: [email protected] | advertising: [email protected] Terry B. Jones Contributors CEO/Publisher A. Peter Bailey Edwin Buggage Cover Story . 2 Commentary . 8 Glenn Jones Dionne Character VP Advertising Bill Fletcher, Jr. & Marketing Photographers Cheryl Mainor Julie Plonk City of New Orleans Managing Editor Edwin Buggage Photos Newsmaker . 4 State & Local . 9 Editor Dionne Character Arts & Entertainment Editor Art Direction & Production Melanie Mainor MainorMedia.com Editorial Submissions Copy Editor Intern [email protected] Data Zone . 5 June Hazeur Advertising Inquiries Accounting [email protected] Please call (504) 309-9913 for subscription information. Dated material two weeks in advance. Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story May 1 - May 7, 2010 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from previous page. and Nagin found himself per- bied harder to get the funds sona non grata, “I fell out of we needed to rebuild the City favor with certain segments to flow directly to the City, of the community because I this is something that slowed didn’t think the City needed down the recovery for at two a smaller footprint and I years in my view ”. “And I wanted to build a bigger and would have fought to make better New Orleans .” the Road Home process a One of the most memo- little less complicated for our rable moments that brought citizens .” this to a head was when he New Orleans continues made what has come to be to be a City mired in violent known as the ‘Chocolate City’ crime that gives the City the speech, a story that circulat- infamous distinction of being ed all over the globe shining one of the most violent cit- an unfavorable light on Nag- ies not just in the U S. Nagin in . Although today he has feels he tried to make the some regrets about what was criminal justice system work said he feels the sentiment a bit more effectively, and to- expressed was relevant for day thinks it is in a better po- that moment in the City’s his- sition to fight crime moving tory; A time when many was forward . “Previously the po- unsure if they were on the lice department was not well ting them off the rolls of pov- Nagin is optimistic about Nagin a former corporate agenda of the future vision compensated or did not have erty and creating opportuni- the City’s future, “We have CEO enjoyed more than an of New Orleans . Today much all the tools to fight crime ef- ties for people to prosper in many construction projects the City .” He then says, “Ka- going on and while there is trina came and it disrupted still work to do the City is on the City and all of our lives, I the road to recovery, and I had to use a little aggressive predict that the City will have language during that time, an economic boom for the but I had to do something to next five to seven years cre- get the ball moving and we ating new opportunities for are still seeing much of the the people of the City,” says damage around the City still Nagin . exists even as we rebuild but Nagin in Black and White it is a day to day process .” For future studies in politi- He says of his mission cal science and history Ray post-Katrina, “I wanted to Nagin’s eight years in office try to continue to empower will be a study in how a can- people by giving them a big didate can come to symbolize voice, for some wanted to si- different things to different lence the voice of the people people, and how an external and reconstruct the City in a event can shape what they way that it would lose much mean to the populous . of what made it a special In the first election cycle place ”. “I feel that giving the Nagin became a candidate people a voice was important that in a race without a cred- in the rebuilding process ible white candidate largely amiable relationship with the of the rhetoric of Nagin still fectively, but we have worked and I wanted to give people carried the white vote on a mainstream press and busi- harkens to black economic to remedy that ”. “Also we access to government to em- message with a heavy eco- ness elite . After Hurricane empowerment, “Today one have tried to create a more power themselves .” nomic focus . At the time Katrina much of this changed of the largest problems in the effective way for the D .A . Of- City is the economic divide fice and the N .O .P .D . to work along racial lines, that this is together .” an important piece to making While saying that there the City a better place, that all needs improvements in the the people are able to partici- criminal justice system he pate and be empowered and feels a more multipronged that will heal the wounds of approach is necessary to the racial divide .” fighting crime and violence, “Although I feel we need an If I Could Turn Back effective criminal justice sys- the Hands of Time tem more resources need to The great bluesman Ty- be put into our public school rone Davis recorded a song system, and people in the called if ‘If I Could Turn Back community and parents need the Hands of Time’ and as to be involved their children’s many would say hindsight is lives, this is the best way to always 20/20 a fact not lost combat crime to get to our on Nagin . “If I had to do it all young people before they get over again I would have lob- involved in lives of crime .” Continued page 10. Page 4 May 1 - May 7, 2010 Newsmaker www.ladatanews.com NOSACONN & The New Orleans Arts In Education Initiative Proudly Presents: Two Nights of Soul Jennifer Holiday and Kelly Price Sunday, May 2, 2010 girls . Holliday originated the role hit on Billboard charts . In 1982, Harrah’s Theatre of Effie and remained with the a pop version of the song was 8:00 pm and 11:00 pm show for nearly four years after released as a single . The song Show times its December 20, 1981 opening . became very successful, peaking The lineup includes “The Origi- Her performance in the role was at number-one on the Billboard nal Dream Girl”, Jennifer Holliday, widely acclaimed, particularly in R&B Singles chart, and number and R&B national favorite, Kelly her iconic performance of the mu- 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the Price, with special guest, Shirley sical number that ends Act I, “And United States .