African American Leadership Project

THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PROJECT (AALP)

 


THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PROJECT (AALP) OPPOSES THE PROPOSED NAME CHANGES OF THE CONVENTION CENTER WHICH WOULD DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DUTCH MORIAL LEGACY

 By Vincent Sylvain / The New Orleans Agenda

NEW ORLEANS (3/28/08)  – Last year when I received word that officials at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center were considering changing its name I was assured by the communication department that my information was incorrect and was assured that no such discussions were being entertained.  To my disbelief it was announced this week that the “Convention Center has been renamed in promotional and advertising material in an attempt to better market it in an increasingly competitive environment… the center will now be called the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in brochures, pamphlets and on the uniforms and badges of employees, among other places.” 

 The Times-Picayune 3/26/2008 article, Convention Center gets new name for marketing purposes adds “however, the convention center's legal name, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center-New Orleans, which appears on contracts and in audited financial reports, will not change.” 

 Are we to now take solace in that assurance? Do they really expect Blacks to fall for that one?   The audacity of ‘Corporate New Orleans.’

On the eve of the 30th Anniversary of his inauguration as the city’s first African American mayor, removing Morial’s full name from the Convention Center is the ultimate insult to Dutch’s many contributions to New Orleans.  It is a continuation of the 1992 conflict surrounding naming the building in his honor. 

 Robert D. Bullard, the Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University touch upon the importance of culture in his report; KATRINA AND THE SECOND DISASTER:A Twenty-Point Plan to Destroy Black New Orleans with point #16. He suggested that a part of “corporate New Orleans” plan was to “Downplay the Black Cultural Heritage of New Orleans. Promote rebuilding and the vision of a "new" New Orleans as if the rich Black Culture did not matter or act as if it can be replaced or replicated in a "theme park" type redevelopment scenario.”   He argued that developers believed that they could “capture and market the "black essence" of New Orleans without including black people.”

 The Convention Center Authority is composed of a 12-member board of commissioners, nine appointed by the Governor of Louisiana, and three appointed by the Mayor of New Orleans. The gubernatorial appointees serve at the pleasure of the Governor, while the Mayor’s appointees serve four-year terms. According to NOMCC’s website, as one of America’s leading destinations for conventions and tradeshows, NOMCC event activity has produced $37.86 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening, including $2.09 billion in new tax revenue. 

 While recognizing the need to re-establish New Orleans in the market, the success of recent events such as the NBA All-Star Game, the NCAA Football title game, the return of Essence Festival, and a host of other major events at the Center suggest that people are finding their way to New Orleans in spite of the Convention Center’s false claims of being at a competitive disadvantage in trying to promote New Orleans because of the name of the facility. 

 Those very same arguments were advanced by the late Merv Trail on behalf of the business community during the initial debate about naming the building in honor of Dutch.  It was point out then that the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, McCormick Place in Chicago, and the Staples Center in Los Angeles among others all seem to overcome the challenge of not having its facilities after the city in which they are located.

 In 1992 the Louisiana Legislature past legislation which officially authorized the legal named of the Exhibition Hall Authority to honor the memory and contributions of the late Ernest N. “Dutch” Morial, New Orleans’ first African American mayor.  That fact was historic enough, but the legislature believed that this was an appropriate designation particularly because of Dutch’s role is assuring that the Center would be constructed.

 When Dutch campaigned for mayor in 1977, economic development and job creation was the main trust of his platform.  Concerned that the Rivergate which until that date had served as the hub for conventions and conferences had become too small for the growing size of major conventions, Morial and other business leaders believed that the construction of a new and larger facility was paramount to the growth of New Orleans economic development. 

Several potential sites were debated before settling on a 12 acre track owned by the City, but the big question that remained was how such a project would obtain financing.  Many vowed that “the convention center would never be completed.”  One business leader even put his prediction in writing on a yellow slip of paper and handed it to Dutch.  Never to back down from a challenge, Dutch saved that yellow scrap of paper as a reminder of the doubters.

 Dutch focused on the newly created Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) developed by President Jimmy Carter’s Administration.  The City set out to seek $20 million in UDAG funds by using the undeveloped Sheraton Hotel as the local private sector leverage requirements combined with a mix of proposed local taxes.  After several attempts, the project seemed doomed following several rejections of the City’s application. The States-Item, one of New Orleans local newspapers proclaimed that Dutch had put the all of the city’s eggs in the UDAG basket and had failed. Undeterred Dutch remained steadfast.

 He continued to press HUD and then Secretary Moon Landrieu, who had preceded Dutch as mayor of New Orleans.  After gathering a large delegation of local and state leaders, he was successful in lobbying Congress for an increased funding of the UDAG.  Soon all of the stars would line up and New Orleans received a $17.5 million UDAG award, it was at that time the largest UDAG award ever granted.  According to Anthony Mumphrey, “In the meantime, the hotel-motel tax was passed and the state funding was arranged using the 1984 World’s Fair need for a building to house the Louisiana Pavillion as the vehicle for state participation.

 The facility was completed on time to host the Louisiana Pavillion in 1984.  It has since been expanded into today’s configuration and making it one of the most successful convention center in the world. Mayor Sidney Barthelemy led the efforts for the additional expansion.

 A review of recent history reflects that while most community leaders supported the initial efforts to dedicate the facility in honor of Morial, there was some opposition from certain members of corporate New Orleans.  A December 8, 1992 letter written by Warren Reuther to Mrs. Sybil Morial and then Senator Marc Morial seems to document that debate.  He wrote, “When the idea of changing the name first came before the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the Board had discussed how many fine people were involved in making the Hall a reality.

 After looking into and better understanding exactly what Dutch had to personally do in order for the Convention Center to be built, I now realize that the name that is now on the building is the name that should be on the building.  The Convention Center in New Orleans is most deserving of his name.”

 The Louisiana Legislature appropriately recognized his accomplishments and this week’s announcement is a replay of that initial debate under the disguised of marketing and branding the New Orleans name. 

 "For us to get New Orleans into the title is a positive thing," said Melvin Rodrigue, newly named president of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Authority, the board that runs the convention center. "New Orleans is what most people associate with."

 This battle may also be an extension of the battle to re-make New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

 Christopher Cooper, staff report of The Wall Street Journal in his September 8, 2005 article quoted James Reiss, chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority  and a descendent of an old-line Uptown family as saying, “The new city must be something very different, …with better services and fewer poor people. "Those who want to see this city rebuilt want to see it done in a completely different way: demographically, geographically and politically," he says. "I'm not just speaking for myself here. The way we've been living is not going to happen again, or we're out.

 He says he has been in contact with about 40 other New Orleans business leaders since the storm. Tomorrow, he says, he and some of those leaders plan to be in Dallas, meeting with Mr. Nagin (Mayor C. Ray Nagin) to begin mapping out a future for the city.”  To date there has been no public disclosure of what was discussed or of who attended that Dallas meeting, but the implications seems to indicate a reversal of New Orleans racial mix.

 Since the Dallas meeting, New Orleans have witnessed attacks on many fronts to reduce the influence and numbers of Blacks living in its community; creating barriers for Katrina survivors to cast a ballot during election; the attempt to rename schools honoring African Americans heroes; the demolishing of public and affordable housing; the continuing debate over the future of Charity Hospital which served low income citizens; attempts not to rebuild  the city east of the Industrial Canal (Lower 9th Ward and East New Orleans, predominately African American communities) based on the suggestion of  plans proposed by the Urban Land Institute and some members of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission; the firing of 7000 teachers and para-professionals and takeover of the public school system; merging and elimination of offices held by Black officials and the list continues; rumblings of moving to a system of merit appointed judges; and the insensitive design of the Louisiana Road Home program which was created to aid homeowners in the recovery of their homes.

 In the Wall Street interview Mr. Reiss added that “The power elite of New Orleans -- whether they are still in the city or have moved temporarily to enclaves such as Destin, Fla., and Vail, Colo. -- insist the remade city won't simply restore the old order.

 In human rights lawyer and law professor  Bill Quigley’s Lesson From Katrina: How to Destroy an African American City in 33 Steps, he could have added step 34, attack Black New Orleans’s symbol of hope.  Who is next, the Louis Armstrong International Airport?

 On March 27, 2008, newly elected Governor Bobby Jindal announced his new appointments to the Center’s governing board.  They are Melvin Rodrigue, who has served on the Convention Center’s board since 2005, was appointed president. The governor’s appointees also include: Jay H. Banks, James “Jim” Besselman, Klara B. Cvitanovich, Anthony Dileo, J.D., Edward D. Markle, Frederick W. Sawyers III, Carroll Wilson Suggs, and James Bryan Wagner.

 For more information on the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, contact center officials at (504) 582-3027 or E-mail: rmortillaro@mccno.com.

 The AALP is a 5-year-old network of about 50 New Orleans African-American community, business and religious leaders and representatives that focus on Agenda building, policy analysis, strategic dialogue and consensus building. Prior to the Katrina disaster, we had developed an Agenda of common interests to potentially guide future policy choices and community actions.


 

The State of Black New Orleans . . .

The 3rd RECONSTRUCTION
We regard the rebuilding and reconstruction of the city of New Orleans to be an important historical, practical, and cultural imperative for the US today. New Orleans ( a.k.a. African Orleans) is arguably the US city that most displays African cultural retention and traditions, effortlessly blended into everyday life. It is also a city that evidences how a diversity of human cultures blends into a mosaic that demonstrates the essence of the multicultural idea that America still dreams of. The Crescent city is one of the world's great "Cultural cities," with a grand musical, culinary, architectural, religious, life rhythmic, folk, artistic and literary tradition comparable to any in the world. Indeed, New Orleans represents an indigenous people's "way of life," and an extraordinarily unique human civilization.

Yet despite its great cultural assets, it is also a city with deep racial and class divisions rooted in the history of slavery, racial segregation and socioeconomic disparities and inequalities. The faces of Katrina gave living expression to the numbing statistics on the quality of life for a significant number of African Americans (that most social observers already knew). In our city;

  • 35-40% of African-American are in poverty
  • 40 to 50% are underemployed
  • 62% of Black households earn less than $25,000 per year
  • 31,000 children are undereducated each year
  • less than 20% own their homes in some neighborhoods
  • only 14% of the businesses are owned by African- Americans
  • we die from every type of illness earlier than others, our homicide and imprisonment rates are disproportionately high, and the overall quality of life is among the worst in the US.

Perhaps rebuilding the city offers a unique historical and practical opportunity to promote racial justice, equity and healing resulting from the centuries of racial oppression and exploitation, i.e., to "humanize" the city. The displaced African-American community and low income households of all races can be integrated into the "new" Orleanean economy in ways never imagined in the past. If the city is rebuilt, it must address such inequities so that the displaced population perceives New Orleans as a city of quality, opportunity, and justice with a dramatically improved quality of life.

We suggest that the hundreds of billions in state, federal and private resources be targeted to:

  1. improving human development and capacity such as literacy, social entrepreneurship, job skills, cultural history and traditions, multiculturalism etc.
  2. rebuilding the physical infrastructure such as roads, power, levees, flood barriers, bridges etc. and
  3. rebuilding quality, affordable institutional services and systems such as health care, education, housing enterprises, the cultural economy etc.

New Orleans could then become a model of the sustainable and just city in the global era. We suggest the following principles and Citizen Bill of Rights' as the framework and values orientation that should guide the Rebuilding, Reconstruction and Recovery process. We call on the Millions More Movement, the Congressional Black Caucus, Local and state officials and the displaced citizens of New Orleans to consider and include the Bill of Rights and these principles in the legislation and programs to rebuild the city.

We also respectfully request that the CBC initiate its own Commission to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the physical and human dimensions of the Katrina disaster. The AALP, NOLOC and other groups call on all displaced New Orleaneans to unite behind these principles and Bill of Rights as we proceed to rebuild and reconstruct our homeland. We invite city and state officials and all Orleaneans to join us in this 3rd RECONSTRUCTION"

We thank you for your attention and support,

Mtangulizi Sanyika, Spokesperson

More About Us . . .
African American Leadership Project
The AALP is a 5-year-old network of about 50 New Orleans African-American community, business and religious leaders and representatives that focus on Agenda building, policy analysis, strategic dialogue and consensus building. Prior to the Katrina disaster, we had developed an Agenda of common interests to potentially guide future policy choices and community actions.

Since Katrina, we have all been scattered to many locations, but through phone discussions, policy summits, e-mails, and other gatherings the broad outline of our response to the disaster has emerged. We wish to convey our position as a part of both the national and local debate on the Katrina disaster and the recovery efforts.

We are available for further discussion of the points in this document with the New Orleans City Council, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, the United States Congress and to offer testimony to any policy forum or Committee hearings that may ensue. We believe that the AALP, and numerous other groups are articulating the same position: Rebuild a New Orleans that is more just and equitable for the citizens who were displaced, and eliminate racial and class inequities.

Website Address: http://www.aalp.org/
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