Lighting The Road To The Future Regina King Talks About Data Zone Beale Street Page 6 “The People’s Paper” January 19 - January 25 , 2019 53nd Year Volume 38 www.ladatanews.com A Data News Weekly Exclusive Recalling Dr. King’s Legacy in the Age of Trump Page 2 Newsmaker State & Local Shaun Ferguson Black & Gold Named New NOPD Choppa Superintendent Style Page 4 Page 5 Page 2 January 19 - January 25 , 2019 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com Recalling Dr. King’s Legacy in the Age of Trump The hate that is felt in America today is reminiscent of a time when America was divided racially, socially, culturally and economically between Blacks and Whites. Today that nightmare belongs to another class of brown minorities who strive to obtain the American Dream and the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. By Dr. Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir numb to the outlandish things President Trump is racially, socially, culturally and economically between Data News Weekly Contributor doing with our nation . His promise to “Make America Blacks and Whites . A time when Blacks were the Great Again,” has done nothing of the sort . Instead, stepchildren of America and the struggle to claim the Donald Trump has been president for approximate- most Americans outside of his political base often American Dream was truly a nightmare . Today that ly two years now . Within those two years the White agree that his policies and tactics are “Making Amer- nightmare belongs to another class of brown minori- House has endured controversy after controversy . It ica Hate Again .” The hate that is felt in America today ties who strive to obtain the American Dream and the is almost as though we as Americans are becoming is reminiscent of a time when America was divided dream of Martin Luther King Jr . Cover Story, Continued on page 3. DATA NEWS WEEKLY P.O. 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Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story January 19 - January 25 , 2019 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from page 2. What is stopping the dream of ers or reprobates . My brother is many Hispanic immigrants are now a sergeant in the Los Angeles the policies that Trump has ad- Police Department, my sister an opted since being in office . He educational consultant, traveling has made it increasingly hard for Injustice anywhere is a threat around the country, and I have immigrants from certain parts of served as teacher and campus min- the world to legally enter into the to justice everywhere, we ister in Catholic schools .” Sergio United States, labeling them “un- and his family are examples of what desirables .” President Trump fails are caught in an inescapable immigrants strive to do in America . to remember the history of this Most immigrants are not entering nation and the fact that the United network of mutuality, tied in America to destroy it, they are en- States was created by undesir- tering America for opportunity . Op- ables and immigrants . portunity to be educated, to live free One of Trump’s biggest cam- a single garment of destiny. of harm, and to make something of paign promises to his political base themselves, to be as Trump claims is his vow to build a wall along the Whatever affects one directly, himself to be, “a self-made man .” country’s southernmost border . A 2004 graduation speech given And that promise is now at the affects all indirectly. by Trump at Wagner College in center of the longest government New York has surfaced on social shutdown in the history of our na- — Martin Luther King Jr., 1963 media platforms, in which Trump tion . We have heard the rhetoric tells the graduates, “Never give up, that America is experiencing a hu- don’t allow it to happen, if there is manitarian and national security a concrete wall in front of you, go crisis and that the wall will solve through it, go over it, go around it, but get to the other side of that wall .” Surely these are words of hope and inspiration for anyone wanting to obtain the American Dream . So, will a wall stop immigrants? Will $5 .7 billion in tax money needed to build the wall help or hinder Amer- ica, couldn’t we use those funds for a better cause . Here’s a thought, how about we invest that money back into the American economy, perhaps we pay our educators more these issues . But what is the wall re- or here’s a thought… increase mini- ally about? Here is what one of my mum wage . students had to say, “My thoughts How can we keep Dr . King’s about the wall is that it is a physical 1egacy alive today, according to Dr . representation of White Suprema- Raphael Cassimere Jr ., who served cy, to “keep out” people in pursuit of as the New Orleans NAACP Youth the American Dream . The promise Council President during the Civil of this wall being built was a part of Rights Movement, “People of all Trump’s platform to appease the races who believe in the ideas of poor White working class, who are the nation must continue to protest, so ignorant about so many things… One of Trump’s biggest campaign promises to his political base is his vow to build a wall along the country’s organize, and fight again as we did southernmost border. And that promise is now at the center of the longest government shutdown in the his- actually believing the coal industry tory of our nation. decades earlier?” Dr . King’s legacy is coming back and that the culprit lives as his dream for America is of their demise is the immigrant .” and problematic . Many of the same and some families still suffer the current administration’s attack on renewed in this current national Tiberni Hall, Xavier University of scare tactics were used to dehu- legacy of that loss . immigrants as a threat to American struggle . Louisiana . manize African-Americans during Sergio Vasquez, Assistant Pro- values is problematic at best and Dr. Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir is an President Trump would like the Civil Rights Movement . African- gram Director for Duchesne House dehumanizing at worst . We crossed Associate Professor of History at Xavier University of Louisiana, her Americans to think that all Hispan- Americans were seen as vagrants, for Volunteers, and resident of New without incident and were reunited areas of concentration are in ic immigrants are criminals who rapist, criminals, and a threat to the Orleans who arrived in the United with our family on the other side of American and African- American History with emphasis on the Civil mean us harm . His use of scare “majority” way of life . As a result, States 45 years after crossing the the San Diego border . None of us Rights Movement. tactics is dangerous, demining, many Black people lost their lives border at the age of 6 says, “that the are rapists, drug dealers, murder- Page 4 January 19 - January 25 , 2019 Newsmaker www.ladatanews.com Mayor Cantrell Names Shaun Ferguson As New NOPD Superintendent NEW ORLEANS — Today, into the 21st Century .” Mayor LaToya Cantrell, joined by Ferguson, a 21-year veteran of several public safety leaders, an- the force, is currently serving as nounced her selection for the new the Commander of the Educational superintendent of the New Orleans and Training Division, which over- Police Department: Commander sees the Police Academy . Prior to Shaun Ferguson . overseeing the academy and train- “I understand how consequential ing the next generation of NOPD this decision is, and it’s probably officers, Ferguson served for about the most important decision I will three years as Commander of the make as Mayor of the City of New department’s 2nd District before Orleans, particularly at this time,” moving to the academy in the sum- said Mayor Cantrell . mer of 2018 . Before his assignment “Commander Ferguson is my in the 2nd District, Ferguson com- choice to be the next Superinten- manded NOPD’s 4th District . dent of the New Orleans Police De- “This is indeed an honor and partment . Commander Ferguson privilege to be selected as the new has the criteria that I’ve been look- Chief of the New Orleans Police ing for . I call it the three F’s: fair, Department,” said Commander firm and friendly . (He’s) known by Ferguson . “I have had many as- our community with over 21 years signments in my 21 years with of experience . We would not have Mayor Cantrell (C) introduces her choice for New Orleans Police Superintendent, Shaun Ferguson (L) also the NOPD to prepare me for this made the strides we’ve made with pictured (R) outgoing NOPD Superintendent, Michael Harrison, who retired from NOPD and has accepted a moment, and I would like to thank the consent decree without Com- position as Police Superintendent of Baltimore, Maryland.