Here in Atlanta, when I say I’m from New Orleans to the bartender, the person I’m asking for directions, the checkout woman at IKEA – they all ask about New Orleans – and I say – some good, some not so good. We’re coming back, better, but it is going to take time – we still have wide swaths of our land, culture, community that is blighted or laid to waste.
I saw a billboard on the road here that said New Orleans is Coming Back, and we want you to come back too – with a website and number to call. That woman at La Vita the other night – the idiot who said we didn’t want “that” part of our population to come back (read: the poor black people) didn’t know jack about what we want – poor black, rich white – we don’t discriminate – we want our people back – everyone who contributed to making New Orleans great.