10 years of resilience, innovation and civic engagement by Neighborhoods Partnership Network

January/February 2016 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Issue 10 Volume 1

Celebrating 10 Years of Resilience, Innovation and the Spirit of Civic Engagement

Happy Birthday NPN!

Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process.

Letter From The Executive Director Photo: Kevin Griffin/2Kphoto

Timolynn Sams Sumter

The Spirit of a Resilience City and the People who Love Her.

lot can happen in ten years… 3 mayoral elections, a BILLION dollar oil spill crippling the largest revenue generator, shrinking jails, city charter changes, closing and opening of schools, passages of ordinance that spark debate and places your loyalty to friends and family into question, marriages, births, graduations, loss and gains, and of course our New Orleans Saints returning home and winning the SUPERBOWL, all proving that the spirit of New Orleans was built to rise and be great. The resilience and spirit of civic engagement of New Orleanians is something that has amazed in these ten years. How people withstand multiple crisis or illnesses and got back up with a fighting spirit? How do we come back to the resiliency of the human spirit? I often think that the most important step is realizing we need to. We don’t want to be broken, of course, but we often seem to not want to focus on our own healing or happiness -- it seems selfish, unnecessary. But actually our own happiness and healing are what remind us of change and possibility, and form our resiliency, our sustained ability to flourish ourselves and to give to others. I’ve witnessed residents who have endured extreme, and multiple losses and traumas, people who could well choose to stay ‘broken’, but who never cease to astound me with their resilience spirit and, their willingness to work hard as individuals to overcome their situations. These are the lessons that I’ve learned while serving the neighborhoods of New Orleans. The issue of “resilience” comes up powerfully when we are faced with extreme situations, situations for which we have had little or no occasion to develop adaptive mechanisms, but New Orleanians have done more than just adapt. Residents have become inventors and social change agents serving as a social laboratory for the nation to learn about citizen-led social innovation that is critical in every American city. We have learned a tremendous amount about what is important in communities and cities and we have an obligation to share it with other cities that will no doubt face similar circumstances in the future. NPN through the Trumpet has provided the vehicle to collect and share the stories of grass roots and citizen led recovery. We hope to continue this story telling as we venture into the next decade of resilience and innovation, harnessing this dynamic energy and exporting it to other cities throughout the country that will benefit from the depth and breadth of solutions developed and tested here since 2006.

NEIGHBORHOODS PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans.

Find Out More at NPNnola.com

NPN Board Members Victor Gordon (Board Chair) Ryan Albrigh Carolynn Carter Karen Chabert Catherine Flowers Alonzo Knox Wendy Laker Sylvia Scineaux-Richard Katherine Prevost Third Party Submission Issues Physical submissions on paper, CD, etc. cannot be returned unless an arrangement is made. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. By submitting any notes, information or material, or otherwise providing any material for publication in the newspaper, you are representing that you are the owner of the material, or are making your submission with the consent of the owner of the material, all information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete. Non-Liability Disclaimers The Trumpet may contain facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party individuals and organizations. The Trumpet does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information in the publication and use of or reliance on such advice, opinion, statement or other information is at your own risk. Copyright © 2016 Neighborhoods Partnership Network. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Neighborhoods Partnership Network is expressly prohibited.

Timolynn Sams Sumter

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

N E I G H B O R H O O D S

P A R T N E R S H I P

N E T W O R K

Contents

The Trumpet

4 Neighborhood Development Foundation Celebrating 30 Years of Serving Homeowners in Greater New Orleans 7 Put Our Men to Work 16 The Trumpet Turns 10 Years Old 20 CSED Energy Efficiency Center Opening in 2016 24 The National WWII Museum’s Special Exhibit African American Experiences in World War II 26 Need Transparent Plans For CBD Transit Hub

HousingNOLA Unveils Official 10-Year Housing Implementation Plan

a Black Male 15 Being Educator in New Orleans

Resilient New Orleans

Transparent Plans 26 Need For CBD Transit Hub

The Trumpet Editorial Board David Baker Louisiana Weekly Rachel Graham Neighborhood Development Foundation (NDF) consultant Christy Chapman Author Kevin Griffin Clark 2k Photo NOLA & Graphics Matt Hendricks Ride NOLA Linedda McIver AARP Louisiana

Julia Ramsey Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN) Gretchen Zalkind NOLA Timebank Keith Holt Bike Easy Ashley Thomas Total Community Action (TCA) Ethan Ashley Urban League of Greater New Orleans Geoffrey Brien Louisiana Public Health Institute/ TFL

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

NEIGHBORHOODS PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com 3

Neighborhood Development Foundation

Celebrating 30 Years of Serving Homeowners in Greater New Orleans

2016

ment od Develop o rh o b h ig e N Foundation

NDF will launch campaigns to both pay off the mortgage on its offices in Central City as well as the mortgage of one lucky homeowner, making 2016 truly a year to celebrate the freedom that come from ownership.

his year, the Neighborhood Development Foundation (NDF New Orleans) will celebrate 30 years of educating the residents of Greater New Orleans on the importance of homeownership done the right way. Born of the same concepts that underpinned the civil rights movement, the organization’s work was and remains grounded in the belief that owning a home is the most attainable pathway to acquiring and passing on wealth, particularly in the African-American community. Its founding was the result of extensive data collection during the 1986 mayoral campaign of co-founder Dr. Rudy Lombard. Campaign staff member – and one of NDF’s first employees – Tim Will amassed an entire roomful of data that uncovered the building of slums on the backs of New Orleanians who were unversed in the concept of homeownership and who had considered no other options other than to pay rents to landlords for substandard dwellings from which they could be evicted should the owner

choose or if the building were sold. Rooted in an understanding that those who own have greater access to independence and self-determination, NDF’s work was born of the reality that these residents were marginalized and positioned in a perpetual state of insecurity and that homebuyer education could provide a pathway out of this inequity. Through the support of its first board member John M. Deblois who approached the Enterprise Foundation for initial funding and Dr. Lombard’s intuition to reach out to his mentee and former campaign driver, Fred J. Johnson, Jr., to join the fledgling staff to lead outreach and to shape the education framework, NDF New Orleans created a one-of-a-kind training program that taught the value of homeownership to attendees. “It was on the job training. We were building this thing as we went along,” says Johnson, who now serves as the organization’s CEO. “We had never done anything like this before.” As an example of the systemic disconnect in the community, he shares, “I didn’t know anything about mortgages.” Paying rent was equated with adulthood and freedom in his family and others like his. However, he did understand the blow the lack of homeownership dealt to his community. “Kids in the neighborhood got dislocated when their parents had to move because the landlord would sell the property from under them,” he remembers. In many case, these youth were key influencers, even at a young age, to whom others looked up. This left neighborhoods with a huge void that had lasting implications. An understanding of community impact drove Johnson to learn as much as he could about the mortgage process. Tim Will worked with him to help him understand the importance of “crunching the numbers.” He spent three hours a day for six to eight weeks in the offices of underwriters from two of the city’s major lenders to gain an understanding of the decision making process that went into granting – or denying – a loan application. He was to pass this knowledge on to class attendees to help them do the work on the front end to secure a mortgage. He also reached out to local businesses and offered to provide the training to employees with the idea that it would be seen as an act of goodwill on the part of the employer by showing care for them not just during the work day but after work as well. Soon, NDF was boasting 100 new homeowners a year, a trend it maintained until being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

As NDF is poised to celebrate its 30th Year with its Annual House Party Fundraiser on March 19th and the release of a special edition of the NPN Trumpet at its birthday party on October 15th, it remains true to its early beginnings. To date, it has trained more than 3,000 homeowners. Asset Building Classes are offered each month and includes a 9-hour Financial Fitness Course, a 12-hour Homebuyers Education Course, and an 8-hour Landlord Education course. Prior to course attendance, all participants are required to attend a personal financial and goal setting review appointment, during which they will receive a personal financial assessment and action plan that if followed will lead them on the path to building assets that can be passed on to the next generation. The organization also played a key role in the recently released affordable housing plan from HousingNOLA and worked with city council to introduce an ordinance to make the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal of an additional 5,000 affordable units by 2025 a reality. And in one of its most ambitious moves, NDF will launch campaigns to both pay off the mortgage on its offices in Central City as well as the mortgage of one lucky homeowner, making 2016 truly a year to celebrate the freedom that come from ownership.

To learn more, visit www.NDF-NewOrleans.org or their offices at 1429 Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA 70113. You can also call 504-488-0155 to make an appointment to participate in the asset building through program and enroll in one of the following classes during the month of January or February.

Neighborhood Development Foundation Education Calendar Landlord Education January 20th 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Homebuyer Education January 25th through 28th 5:30 to 8:30 pm February 22nd through 25th 5:30 to 8:30 pm

Financial Fitness Education February 15th through 17th 5:30 to 8:30 pm The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

THINK504 Goals and Plans for

the State, City and Us! By Jeff Thomas

e all want a better New Orleans. The biggest and single most critical factor preventing NOLA from being as great as it can be is the 52% unemployment of African American men. This translates to crime, blight, and poor education outcomes. Changing this one statistic will transform NOLA into a progressive city with a huge tax base that can make the city an urban model of economic prosperity for all people. Hence the following Goals to make NOLA great this year.

Goals for New Orleans 1. Reduce African American male unemployment by 20%. An immediate jobs program to coincide with the Sewerage and Water Board’s planned $150 million spending. In fact, if more spending goes to African American male employment initially, then long term increased tax collection will result in more repair projects. 2. Restructure and strengthen the DBE program to REQUIRE contractors to give 35% of all city contracts to African American companies from Orleans Parish. Also, as part of DBE program provide contractor training and increase African American licensed contractors by 15% EVERY QUARTER. 3. Begin analysis to restructure tax collections in New Orleans. Should we really fund Audubon Park and the Aquarium of the Americas at the expense of seniors – who need more meals on wheels and children who need better parks and recreation? 4. Restructure NOPD to put more boots on the ground and out from behind desks. Better deployment of experienced officers in the streets will put our most experienced and effective officers on the front lines.

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Train and hire citizens to accomplish clerical work that many brass do on a daily basis. 5. Pressure charter schools that can return to return to local control of Orleans Parish School Board. Charters can maintain their current structures but receive funding from local Board. New Orleans citizens should completely control schools and not have influence of Monroe or Alexandria politicians.

Goals for State 1. Restructure New Orleans Hotel Motel tax and permanently fund a police district in French Quarter and Downtown. Require a new hire program from 52% unemployment pool and train new hires at NOPD facilities. 2. Reduce size of Recovery School District (RSD) across the state. Local parents and their elected leaders should lead local schools. 3. The Jindal jumble has to be straightened out. Taxes will need to be increased and needed services restored. Currently the state offers only minimal services and still faces a massive budget deficit. Long term progressive tax measures must be implemented as well as short term sales tax increases. 4. Reduce biggest prison industrial complex in the world! Savings of over $3 billion annually are available if the entire structure is changed. Instead of a focus on punishment, crime prevention through jobs, property ownership and a raised statewide minimum wage will improve the quality of life for us all!

The Trumpet is New Orleans’ only community newspaper written by neighborhood residents for neighborhoods about New Orleans neighborhoods.

Email thetrumpet@npnnola to advertise. The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

The 53% unemployment rate amongst African American men is not only beyond recession levels but has created a permanent underclass that perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty.

If the council creates jobs for black men, we can expect an 80% reduction in blight, increased city tax revenue by millions and New Orleans becoming a model urban center in the world.

53%

Of black men who actually have jobs 47% are locked in an economy that is tourism based and provides mainly menial jobs.

47%

HOTELS IN NEW ORLEANS ARE THE MOST PROFITABLE IN THE WORLD!

If the council creates jobs for black men, we can expect a 60% reduction in violent crime.

65,000 families that earn less than $17,500 for full time work. In New Orleans, there are

Put Our Men to Work M By Jeff Thomas

ost politicians wish to rise up the ranks and ascend to the highest office possible. In theory, the pol who has aspirations to be mayor might start in the state legislature, and move to a city council district seat and then get elected to an at large city council seat. The pol would have then finally have the name recognition and experience to run for mayor. In the interim, the pol should offer meaningful or transformative legislation that moves the city forward. Political leadership means risking re-election or political promotion to promote the common good. Political leadership means doing what is best for the city despite the latest fad concept. Only some of the greatest in recent history have achieved such status. If Mayor Moon Landrieu had listened to conventional ideas, New Orleans would have taken years longer to integrate city government at the highest levels. If Mayor Dutch Morial had been persuaded by the prevailing wisdom, the New Orleans market would not have the largest economic engine in the city’s history, the convention center, and would not be the international visitors’ center it is today. Currently, New Orleans is suffering from a dearth of leadership. The notion that we need our elected officials to work together has morphed into a homogenous back-room form of government that has resulted in little progress for the city. We see back-room planned legislation that does nothing to fix the major problems facing the city. The most significant recent legislation, introduced by a city council person Latoya Cantrelle, was the smoke-free ordinance which recently passed with much fanfare. And while a smoke- free New Orleans is a noble advancement, there are other more important matters that have seen no effort and little mention. The biggest problem New Orleans faces is a lack of economic opportunity for African American men. This jobs privation is the driving force behind crime, blight, city budget shortfalls, failing schools. And far too many of those 47% of black men who actually have jobs are locked in an economy that is tourism based and provides mainly menial jobs. The 53% unemployment rate amongst African American men is not only beyond recession levels but has created a permanent underclass that perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty. If the council creates jobs for black men, we can expect a 60% reduction in violent crime, an 80% reduction in blight,

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

increased city tax revenue by millions and New Orleans becoming a model urban center in the world. We need leadership from our council members. Instead, we have a city council that seems aspirational rather than progressive. When politicians act in politically motivated ways, we are left the Louisiana mess. Governor Bobby Jindal, who has resorted to bleaching his skin in an effort to attract more voters, guided the state on the political expediency du jure. Common core great. Common core communist plot. Tax revenues shrinking – cut taxes. Now the state is facing drastic budget cuts because the governor led with an eye on the Presidency instead of the good of Louisiana. And for too long the problems of the now entrenched black male underclass in New Orleans is a permanent anchor on the city’s budget. Progressive legislation from the city council can change that. Instead of governing with an eye on the mayor’s seat or an at large position, we need meaningful jobs creation legislation and investment in the city. HOTELS IN NEW ORLEANS ARE THE MOST PROFITABLE IN THE WORLD! High rates and occupancy coupled with low wages create extreme profit for corporations that send these profits out of state. Yet in New Orleans, there are 65,000 families that earn less than $17,500 for full time work. The city council can raise the minimum wage in this city for all major employers! Why not create a jobs program with the tax increases from the Sewerage and Water Board to hire black men to fix the crumbling infrastructure. Invest 4 million of CDBG blight reduction money into a training and hiring black from men New Orleans to repair houses and eliminate blight. Instead of meaningful and transformative legislation, personal ambition has relegated laws offered by the city council to the mundane and popular. Change requires courage, vision and leadership. Putting African American men to work in New Orleans is good government and makes sense for all of us. Increased revenues, lower costs, reductions in crime and blight are just some of the byproducts of meaningful legislation from city hall. Remarkably, governing for these outcomes will generate the benefits of ascendency to higher office. And the costs to invest in African American men is cheaper than the status quo.

Wealth Matter$

We’re so excited to kick off a new year with our newest partner Wealth Matter$, professional insurance advisors dedicated to educating individuals on insurance and financial services to secure peace of mind. Financial Educator Ben Guillory through his workshops and seminars will engage residents in interactive discussions about financial matters relevant to people of all ages and income levels. Learn practical strategies for maximizing your money and moving toward more financial freedom.

Become a part of the Wealth Matter$ community by visiting http://www.mywealthmatters.net/

Upcoming Events Preparing for Property Taxes: Learn strategies for saving so this expense does not sneak up on you. January 9, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Keller Library When is Reverse Mortgage Right for You?: What is it? Who’s Eligible? What are the Requirements? February 13, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m Keller Library Suspended File & Suspend: Learn how recent changes to social security and Medicare law affect you and your spouse. Who’s grandfathered in? Why is the April 30, 2016 deadline important? March 12, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Keller Library Listen to Wealth Matter$ every 2nd Friday at 1:00PM on WBOK1230AM and discover valuable Financial Resources

If you are serious about your financial future you should know the ANSWERS to these four questions ... 8

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Small Business Resilience Program will pilot on six commercial corridors around New Orleans

Major projects focused on innovative urban water management will get underway in 2016 across New Orleans

Addressing Our Future Resilience in The Face of Environmental, Social, Economic, and Organizational Challenges

Resilient New Orleans

2015

was a landmark year for the City of New Orleans—particularly in building a resilient future. New Orleans is pivoting from longterm recovery to proactively addressing the threats and opportunities of the future. For the City of New Orleans, city resilience goes beyond just infrastructure, encompassing the social, economic, and health dimensions of life in our coastal city, and we all need to work together to ensure that we can continue to thrive no matter what shocks or stresses we face. 2015 started by kicking off the development of an action-oriented strategy to address our future resilience in the face of environmental, social, economic, and organizational challenges. With the help of 100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, this quickly became an in-depth stakeholder engagement process involving more than 350 individuals from across New Orleans who represented public, private, nonprofit, and community-based organizations and offered their expertise and time to crafting an actionable strategy for the future of the city. Out of that process came the world’s first dedicated city resilience strategy on August 25th—only days before the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Resilient New Orleans now outlines our overarching goals and a working agenda through the description of 41 ongoing and proposed actions. The release of the strategy was only the beginning, however. We will be continuing our work by collaborating with community partners, neighborhood leaders, private businesses, and non-profit organizations. As we begin 2016, the resilience team is already actively engaged in realizing the initiatives of Resilient New Orleans and ensuring that the great work of 2015 in building coalitions and developing best practices continues! A few projects and initiatives to look out for include: • New Orleans will be one of 10 cities from around the country to participate in the Resilience Americorps program, which includes two Americorps VISTA volunteers dedicated to community outreach and development throughout 2016. These full-time staff members

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

will be working directly with community members and neighborhood organizations, with the aim of developing creative programming to celebrate our neighborhoods and further develop their capacity and resilience. • Recognizing that New Orleans is a city that is driven by the success of our small businesses, the Small Business Resilience Program will pilot on six commercial corridors around New Orleans, focused on measuring current disaster preparedness and identifying simple ways to improve it in the face of threats and business interruptions. • The Citywide Economic Opportunity Strategy will continue collaboration with some of the region’s largest employers and anchor institutions of the healthcare, infrastructure, and information technology industries. In 2016, the collaboration will expand to the hospitality and tourism industry. • Major projects focused on innovative urban water management and funded through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will get underway in 2016 across New Orleans. These projects are crucial to our ability to manage one of our biggest threats—water—and create spaces that can provide neighborhood benefits for everyone. The continuing resilience of New Orleans is made possible by the commitment of our countless partners and friends across the city and world—from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Thank you for all your hard work—we look forward to collaborating more in 2016!

To learn more about Resilient New Orleans and to download the strategy, visit our website: resilientnola.org. If you have any questions or collaboration ideas, please contact Jared Genova, Resilience Project Manager at jmgenova@nola.gov. 9

Ellen Lee addresses the expected impact of the plan on residents.

Following the HousingNOLA Press Conference was a question and answer session with the audience and featured panelists.

HousingNOLA Unveils Official 10-Year Housing Implementation Plan

Plan to Create 3,000 Affordable Housing Opportunities by 2018 HousingNOLA, a program of the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA), unveiled its official strategy and implementation plan to increase access to affordable housing over the next decade at a press conference and panel on Thursday, December 11 at the Myrtle Banks Building on OC Haley.

he plan was developed over the last year by a Leadership Board comprised of citizen planners, civic leaders, and representatives from a number of housing advocates and developers including the city’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the Foundation for Louisiana, the Louisiana Housing Corporation and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA).

“HousingNOLA is the result of several entities partnering to develop a blueprint to address the city’s affordable housing challenge,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “Affordable housing is one of the top priorities of my administration, and we are pleased that many of the City’s initiatives are reflected in HousingNOLA. We look forward to continuing to develop solutions that make New Orleans a place that everyone can call home.”

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

The plan offers solutions and implementation strategies to address the ongoing city-wide struggle of residents to find affordable housing as median incomes fall and rent, home prices and insurance costs rise. The plan outlines a process to create 3,000 affordable housing opportunities by 2018, for a total of 5,000 housing opportunities by 2021. “We’ve reached a turning point in this city where we see residents being priced out of neighborhoods they’ve grown up in,” Flozell Daniels, CEO and President of the Foundation for Louisiana said. “We need to create a community that supports a mix of incomes throughout New Orleans.” In addition to the increase in affordable housing opportunities over the next decade, HousingNOLA also addresses partnerships between the public and private sectors to increase funding and civic engagement to meet projected needs and prevent future displacement. “This is a problem that truly effects everyone in this city. More than 70 percent of all households pay one-third or more of their income towards housing costs,” GNOHA’s Chair of the Board of Governors Andreanecia Morris said, “We’re really proud of the strategy behind this plan because everyone has an opportunity to be a part of the solution.” The Ford Foundation served as a major sponsor of the plan as a continuation of its involvement in rebuilding the city post-Katrina. “A decade since Katrina, New Orleans has rebounded in ways once thought unimaginable by some. Our challenge now is to harness that growth in a way that advances equitable development and protects communities and culture bearers from being squeezed out by the very same progress they’ve worked so hard to achieve,” says Jerry Maldonado, Senior Program Officer at the Ford Foundation.

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Photo: (left to right) Flozell Daniels, Council member Latoya Cantrell, Andreaneacia Morris, Dolores Perkins, and Council member Jared Brossett at the HousingNOLA Press Conference and Launch. Inset Photo: (left to right) Panelists Brenda Breaux, Jonathan Leit, Michelle Thomas, Maxwell Ciardullo,Michelle Whetton, and Harold Brooks discuss the HousingNOLA 10-year plan.

HousingNOLA, is the result of New Orleanians coming together to create a visionary document that reflects upon housing in the past, analyzes our present state of housing, and recommends strategies for making better housingpolicy decisions in the future. Read the full plan online at HousingNOLA.org

CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY AT CRYSTAL’S COMEDY CORNER

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Email thetrumpet@npnnola to advertise. 12

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

What is Working?

Come share your ideas on getting around in The Claiborne Corridor

What ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES?

HOW CAN TRANSPORTATION BE IMPROVED?

You are invited to the

Community Listening Session on Walking, Biking & Taking Transit In The Claiborne Corridor Monday•January 18th•12:30—2pm Central City Renaissance Alliance 1631 O. C. Haley Blvd.•Fourth Floor

The Claiborne Corridor Ambassador Program is hosting this community listening session to gain community perception on walking, biking, transit and street design. The insights shared will help The Claiborne Corridor Ambassadors develop and implement a community solution to promote better transportation options & a more livable community in The Claiborne Corridor. For more information contact Keith Holt at Bike Easy • email keith@bikeeasy.org or call 504.861.4022

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Tremé Art Teacher, Charlie Vaughn, Jr. on

Being a Black Male Educator in New Orleans By Lamont Douglas

xhibit the likeness. Provoke imagination. Instill into minds. Establish perception. The seeds of change are planted with intention. They are nutured, watered, and cultivated with love. Then the results are set free to flourish and plants seeds of their own. In a city with unemployment for black males at 50 percent, according to a recent study by the Urban League of New Orleans, black youth need positive role models in all professions. Black male teachers are especially scarce. WDSU New Orleans called black male teachers “a vanishing phenomenon.” But of course there are still black males who choose to teach in New Orleans. With this series I hope to shine a light on some of these local heroes-to examine their motivations and explore their experiences in the classroom. Three years ago, Charlie Vaughn, Jr. began teaching art at Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School in Tremé, a historic black high school now a part of the First Line charter network. First Line has a rep for mingling first-rate academics with creative freedom, and though Vaughn, aka UptownzIllest, hadn’t taught in a formal setting before, he’d been making art ever since he was inspired by hip hop back in the 1980s. Growing up in Uptown, Hollygrove to be exact, Vaughn was surrounded by family. Along with his parents and brother, he spent weekends with his grandmother, aunts, and many cousins. He graduated from Warren Easton Fundamental School and received an associate’s degree in commercial art from Delgado Community College. Displaced by Katrina, Vaughn returned to New Orleans, set up shop as Uptown Artwerx, and has been teaching there in addition to at Clark.

Charlie Vaughn discusses T-Shirt art with his students at Joseph S. Clark High School Lamont Douglas is a dedicated parent advocate, PLTI Cohort and an Education blogger for the Secondlineblog.org Lamont Douglas: What was your first experience as a high school teacher? Charlie Vaughn: Initially I was a part-time teacher. I came in and when I started they were saying, “Yeah, just go show them some art.” I felt I could do that, show them some art, discuss a few pieces and the class will be over, it’s only 40 minutes. They neglected to tell me about the discipline and the kids wilding out. We were having a protest when I first got the job. They were supposed to be shutting Clark down. The students were really on some anything-goes stuff. The kids thought I was a substitute, so they weren’t taking the class for real, they weren’t respecting my mind, and I was like, “Why is this job making me so tired?” I would come home and my wife would ask me how was my day. I said, “Ahh fights, they had to hold somebody down, a girl pulled out another girl’s hair, it was so much trauma and drama.” I felt like I was wearing my wife and family down and felt funny talking about it. I finally made it to the last day of school. Lamont Douglas: Three years later you’re still teaching. What made you come back? Charlie Vaughn: I’m packing my stuff at the end of the last day, and I hear a knock at the door. I think, Who wants something now?” When I open the door, one of my students comes in and says, “I just want to say I’m sorry. I apologize for the whole class because they were wild. I couldn’t do what you do.” I told him thanks just for being on some grown-up action and coming speak to me on this level. I told him that’s respect and that’s what I’ve been looking for from day one. If I can throw that back at you and you throw that out to them, that’s how it spreads out. From then on, the respect started bouncing from him and then to another one and then another.

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Mr. Vaughn celebrates the end of a successful school year with his beloved students. Lamont Douglas: What have you discovered is important to these young adults?

I feel like I’m privileged in certain ways because the structure in my class is loose enough to talk about all kinds of stuff, so while we’re drawing and being creative, we can chop it up. I simply ask them, What’s the problem? Holla at me. You would be amazed at how many young adults don’t ever get to have a real conversation or someone just listening to them.

Charlie Vaughn: Trust and consistency. Almost every holiday break they would ask, “You coming back?” I wondered why they kept asking that. But that’s exactly what happens—when they come off of any holiday break, they are looking around to see who’s back. When my students saw me for orientation for my second year everybody got hyped. But here’s the tricky part of that: 90 percent of the staff either were cut or quit after my first year.

Lamont Douglas: What value has teaching brought to you and to these students’ lives? Charlie Vaughn: It broke me down and it rebuilt me. Gave me a new perspective and new creativity. As far as my students go, you know, it’s an interesting dynamic when you can get something out of these children and make them be creative.

Lamont Douglas: That would make you a veteran teacher in your second year. Charlie Vaughn: I’m one of the few things they remember. That year, my second year, we would get more black teachers and male teachers, but then the staff flips again. Coming into this school year, we would have more new staff and teachers. That makes it hard for young adults to trust, open up or relate to teachers. That’s a lot of turnover in their lives.

I tell them that creativity can turn into commerce. It can turn into a good release, so I try to encourage these kids that if you feelin’ it, run it. If it’s a way to get something out of your system and off of your chest, do it. It beats them saying, “Forget this, I’m about to pop somebody.” No, that is not an option.

Lamont Douglas: Why did you decide to work with high school students? Charlie Vaughn: Because I know they know right from wrong. Most of them have and are taking care of younger siblings that they have to teach what’s right and wrong. You are supposed to be smarter than younger children, but you have to prove it, show me. I let them know that time is ticking. It’s all on them.

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The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Charlie Vaughn congratulates a student as he accomplishes a very cool goal.

Get your dance on, your write on, or your draw on. Do whatever you need to do to use that energy and creativity to do something positive. And that’s the part I try to give to these kids while I’m teaching them. I don’t know if it’s professional, but I tell my kids I love them. I may not love what you’re saying or I may not love what you’re doing, but I love you. I will give you the jewels that you need, but ultimately it’s all on you.

The Trumpet is New Orleans’ only community newspaper written by neighborhood residents for neighborhoods about New Orleans neighborhoods.

Email thetrumpet@npnnola to advertise. 15

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IN Congratulations to the Trumpet on TEN great years! You truly are the voice of the people and work tirelessly with, and for, our communities. We are so proud to partner with you to improve public transit & we will continue to do so for the next nine years and beyond. With much love and gratitude, Happy Birthday Trumpet! — RIDE New Orleans

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Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process.

One Billion Rising Revolution is an escalation of the First three stages of the global One Billion Rising campaign – One Billion Rising (2013), One Billion Rising for Justice (2014), and One Billion Rising: Revolution (2015). One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women in human history.

IN FEBRUARY, 2016 ONE BILLION + people will listen, act and rise.

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Welcome Women & Girls Pampering Sessions • Story Circles Massages & More! • All Under The Red Tent

FEBRUARY 13, 2016 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Ashé Cultural Arts Center 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. 504-569-9070 18

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

The 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – César Chavez Commemorative Luncheon

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

CSED Energy Efficiency Center Opening in 2016

he Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) is working towards the sustainable restoration of the Lower Ninth Ward. We advocate for and work to improve food security for L9 residents. This includes development of urban agriculture initiatives, support of community gardens & the replanting of our tree canopy. The recovery of our built environment is supported by CSED’s weatherization and radiant barrier program. We work to help residents sustainably recover their homes, address blight issues, abandoned properties & advocate for deconstruction rather than demolition so that our valuable building materials are recycled. We advocate for coastal resiliency, the restoration of L9’s natural defense system wetlands and the reconnection of residents to our waterways and bayous. CSED’ mission and purpose is to stimulate civic engagement and restorative rebuilding, repopulate, sustain natural systems, assist community leadership and preserve resources in New Orleans ’ Lower Ninth Ward neighborhoods. The CSED provides community-based support to residents of the Lower 9th Ward from “River to Bayou” in all aspects of sustainability for area neighborhoods as part of long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. CSED’s goal is re-creation and repopulation of a strong community mindful of its history, resources and vulnerabilities [and to make the neighborhood] as active, engaged, resilient, prosperous, energy independent and beautiful as possible. With the donation of 5227 Chartres, the CSED took this unique opportunity to remodel a 150 yr. old historic barge board house into an Energy Efficiency (EE) Educational Center and CSED office. This idea was initiated because

of the need to address energy efficiency and housing renovation requests from residents that we served. The space showcase’s energy efficiency upgrades and serves as an educational center for the community. The house was remodeled, mostly with volunteer labor, keeping with its original barge board design. The EE Center is equipped with truth windows giving guest the ability to ‘peak through’ the construction and see the types of EE upgrades that have been made to the house. Placards will accompany the truth windows explaining the EE upgrades, their benefits, and amount of savings as a result of the upgrade. Finally, the EE Educational Center will have a room dedicated to teaching classes and DIY workshops to the community.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades Showcased in Chartres House:

• Polyiso Insulation at ceiling, walls and floors • House Perimeter Shading or Awnings to Keep Heat Out • Rain Catchment • Energy Efficient Lighting • Energy Efficient Appliances • Low Flow Faucets • Mini-split Small Super-Efficient HVAC System • Back Yard Gardening - Citrus Food Production for Consumption (canning)

The center continues to be used as a space of engagement and learning. We are in the process of planning courses that focus on energy use and saving, including some classes for kids on building Wind Turbines and Solar Race Cars.

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Potential Classes to be taught: • • • •

DIY Energy Upgrades That Will Save You Money How To Use Energy Wisely Why Does Saving Energy Matter Embodied Energy: How Much Energy Does it Take (for A Gallon of Gas)

Potential Fun Classes for Children: • Building Solar Race Cars • Building Solar Water Pumps • Building Wind Turbines

CSED is using its marketing and communication efforts to increase awareness about climate change, climate resiliency and environmental impact of climate on vulnerable and underserved communities like the Lower 9th Ward and other neighborhoods in the greater New Orleans area. Local residents are becoming more interested and knowledgeable about the importance of climate as it relates to their neighborhoods, communities and quality of life. This education spills out to every area important to the wellbeing of a residential community such as, education, economic development, recreation, housing and sustainability. CSED continues to advocate about

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how climate affects the impact of underserved life styles even at a greater level because of the lack of financial and economic resources in these communities as compared to more affluent areas. For example, being on a fixed income limits the capability of making major life-style changes or recovering from unexpected developments. CSED always looks to review community models that are significant to addressing the needs and issues in the New Orleans areas. However, many national groups have looked at us to provide them with models and examples of sustainability. From our experiences, we like to link our experiences and their interest together as a unit to address the needs in our communities. We are just beginning to make many of these connections, regionally and nationally. The best is yet to come as we see it! Water management, coastal restoration and development are a few of the areas picking up momentum in the last several years. We are starting to gain respect and are being taken seriously in the climate and environmental arenas. A significant indicator has been gaining the interest of Local and State government agencies and task forces to visit the Lower Ninth Ward coastal wetland (Bayou Bienvenue) in an effort to learn more about coastal needs in an urban community. I attribute their interest and movement to ono-on-one dialogue and educated residents making an appeal. However, more needs to happen!

The 2015 OPEN Public Education Awardees Distinguished Product of New Orleans Public Schools Award Dr. Calvin Mackie, Founder, STEM NOLA Enduring Impact Award Mr. Jay Altman and Dr. Anthony Recasner Co-Founders, New Orleans Charter Middle School Innovative Approaches to School Design & Delivery Award Morris Jeff Community School Innovative Approaches to Early Childhood Integration Award Mahalia Jackson Elementary School Exemplary Arts Education Award New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Excellence in High School Achievement Award Benjamin Franklin High School Outstanding Community Partner Award The Silverback Society Exemplary Language Immersion Education Award International School of Louisiana Adult & Opportunity Youth Education Award New Orleans Job Corps Center and Youth Empowerment Project L-R: Timolynn Sams Sumter, Executive Director of Neighborhoods Partnership Network; Deirdre Johnson Burel, OPEN Executive Director; Michael Stone, Co-CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. PHOTOS TO RIGHT: TOP: Emcee Camille Whitworth, WDSU News Co-Anchor, introducing the event. MIDDLE: Youth Empowerment Project Deputy Director Jerome Jupiter (foreground) accepting the Adult and Opportunity Youth Education Award, presented by Silverback Society Executive Director Lloyd Dennis (background, L) and Urban League of Greater New Orleans Executive Director Erika McConduit (background, R). BOTTOM: Dr. Calvin Mackie, founder of STEM NOLA, accepting his 2015 Distinguished Product of New Orleans Public Schools Award.

2015 OPEN Public Education Awards

Honoring Innovators and Exemplars

n November 14th, 2015, the New Orleans education community came together to applaud the shining lights of New Orleans’ school landscape. During this beautiful evening, featuring a showstopping performance by Tank and the Bangas, over 300 civic, education, business and community leaders celebrated the unsung heroes and tell the untold stories of those making a difference for the city’s children. As our state makes the pivot to new assessments and in the absence of trend data on student achievement, OPEN thought this ten-year mark after Hurricane Katrina was a great juncture to examine innovation and exemplary practices.

We know innovation and sterling examples of excellence — even in selective environments — offer invaluable insights on the path forward. So this year, OPEN was honored to highlight the work of those that have been willing to deviate from the path to explore new terrain. The 2015 OPEAs were about showcasing their work, sharing their stories, and highlighting the lessons that can be garnered from their achievements. Special thanks to Signature Sponsor Harrah’s New Orleans, as well as Gold sponsors New Schools for New Orleans and Stephen & Sandy Rosenthal, for making this inspiring evening possible.

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2015 OPEN Public Education Awards 1

1: L-R: Flozell Daniels, Jr., Foundation for Louisiana Executive Director and OPEN Board Chairman; OPEN Executive Director Deirdre Johnson Burel; Sarah Usdin, New Schools for New Orleans founder and OPSB District 3 Representative. 2: L-R: Dr. Calvin Mackie, recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Product of New Orleans Public Schools Award and founder of STEM NOLA; Dr. Norman Johnson, retired Senior Executive in the Office of the President at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Representative Cedric Richmond, Louisiana 2nd Congressional District. 3: L-R: Shirley Trusty Corey, founder of New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA); OPEN Executive Director Deirdre Johnson Burel; NOCCA CEO Kyle Wedberg. NOCCA was awarded the Exemplary Arts Education Award. 4: International School of Louisiana principal Melanie Tennyson (center) raises a glass in toast to the educators in the room, along with Times-Picayune/NOLA.com arts & culture writer Doug MacCash (L) and Karla Marie Cochran, ISL Director of Institutional Development (R). 5: Ms. Jolene Jeff (center), daughter of Morris Jeff, with Florence Jeff (L) and Constance Jeff Goldsby (R). The trio attended to accept Morris Jeff Community Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award for Innovative Approaches to School Design and Delivery.

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6: L-R: Dr. Wilmer Cody, former State Superintendent, Louisiana and Kentucky; Jay Altman, New Orleans Charter Middle School co-founder and co-recipient of the 2015 Enduring Impact Award; Robert Reily, OPEN Board Vice-Chairman.

From Parents to Families — PLTI NOLA Adds Children’s Leadership Component

he 2015— 16 Parent Leadership Training Institute New Orleans (PLTI NOLA) cohort is here and ready for action — but that’s not all. This year, the program doubles down with the creation of a twogeneration pipeline for the Children’s Leadership Training Institute, a parallel program for the children of parent leaders. PLTI and CLTI are designed to improve outcomes for the city’s children, particularly those who live in poverty and are the most vulnerable. Through the program’s public advocacy, governmental relations, media and leadership training, families develop together as civic leaders and champions for change. CLTI uses literacy as a base, creating a full spectrum of activities that parallel the PLTI course and encompass multiple intelligences. Multiple intelligence is a new name for an old theory. Each community has niches and roles for the storyteller, the healer, the bean counter, the singer, the diplomat,

the builder, the poet, the problem solver. CLTI’s model relies on recognizing and developing the unique intelligence in every child. This is what makes groups work, what enriches and strengthens them: valuing the multiple dimensions and strengths of each member.

PLTI and CLTI have three goals: • To increase civic leadership among families: Developing a network of parents and young people who have the skills, networks and ability to translate their concern for the issues in their community into leadership that improves educational, health and environmental outcomes for all of the city’s children. • To strengthen familial relationships: Supporting parent and child’s healthy mutual development through connections between their programs. • To improve child-serving institutions and programs: Facilitating participants’ improvement of policies and practices in child-serving organizations to better incorporate the interests and concerns of families into everything that they do. • At a time when New Orleans grapples with persistent child poverty rates, violence and economic contention, PLTI is turning the tide at the anchor institution – the family.

Learn more about the OPEN Public Education Awards and PLTI/CLTI at www.opennola.org

The National WWII Museum’s Special Exhibit — On View Through Memorial Day

Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II

n July 4, 2015, The National WWII Museum opened a new special exhibit called Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II. The exhibit features artifacts, photographs, oral histories and associated educational programming to highlight some of the extraordinary achievements and challenges of African Americans during World War II, both overseas and on the Home Front. On display through May 30, 2016, Fighting for the Right to Fight explores how World War II became a major catalyst in the twentieth century for African Americans seeking comprehensive social change. The special exhibit illustrates how hopes for securing equality inspired many to enlist, the discouraging reality of the segregated non-combat roles given to black recruits, and the continuing fight for “Double Victory” that laid the groundwork for the modern Civil Rights Movement. A national advisory committee, including the late Dr. Clement Alexander Price of Rutgers University, was commissioned to help frame the exhibition. The committee, led by co-chairs Dr. John Morrow of the University of Georgia and Claudine Brown of the Smithsonian Institution, helped advise on the exhibition’s narrative arc and content. Through a myriad of interactive experiences, visitors will discover the wartime stories of individual servicemembers who took part in this journey of extraordinary challenge, from unheralded heroes to famous names, including Alex Haley (US Coast Guard);

Sammy Davis Jr. (US Army); Benjamin Davis, Jr. (US Army Air Forces); Medgar Evers (US Army) and more. In September 2015, The Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust (CBCVB), an advisory group to members of Congress on issues related to African Americans and veterans affairs, awarded its 2015 Veterans Braintrust Award to The National WWII Museum in recognition of work on behalf of African American veterans in World War II. The exhibit has also been recognized by media across the country, including People Magazine, Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. Following Memorial Day 2016, the exhibit will go on a two-year national tour, expanding access and educational opportunities across the country as part of a robust exhibit touring program sponsored by the New Orleans-based Museum and its partners.

For more information about the exhibit, please visit www.righttofightexhibit.org. For information about the Museum’s group rates and specials, please contact Lisa Ochomogo at 504-528-1944 ext.459, or lisa.ochomogo@nationalww2museum.org The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

You’ll feel like you’re talking to VIRTUALLY every neighbor in New Orleans ... and beyond. The new NPNnola.com The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Need Transparent Plans For CBD Transit Hub By Matthew Hendrickson

ew Orleanians have no problem connecting with others; we are genuine, open, and welcoming to each other and to people from around the world. This spirit of openness and desire for human connection should be reflected in our public transit system especially when it comes to a centralized location for a downtown transit hub. Currently, our regional transit system is designed so that all passengers – whether travelling from New Orleans East, Metairie, Avondale or Algiers – end their trips in the Central Business District. If the CBD is not their final destination, riders must transfer to another bus or streetcar line to complete their trip. These transfers take place at one of several street corners at or near the intersection of Elk Place and Tulane Avenue where more than twenty Regional Transit Authority, Jefferson Transit and LA Swift bus and streetcar lines come together. According to RTA estimates, between 5,000 and 7,000 transit riders pass through this intersection on a daily basis.

Despite being the busiest point in our regional transit system, there are no dedicated kiosks or vending machines to purchase a fare card before boarding a bus or streetcar. There are no system maps or schedules posted, leaving riders with no on-site options to learn about the transit system or plan their trip. There’s very little seating, shaded areas, and wayfinding signage leaving transit riders woefully underserved in this area. People also feel unsafe in these areas with several recent incidents RIDE New Orleans has long advocated for a downtown transit center and the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, working with the city, RIDE and community members, has responded by installing benches and commissioning a planning study of various sites that can accommodate the CBD Transit Hub. The study has identified four locations that are the appropriate size to house 10—12 buses and are within walking distance to transfer with the canal streetcar line. These locations included Duncan Plaza near City Hall, Basin

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All major investments to improve our transit infrastructure must include meaningful community engagement.

Street at Canal, Elk Place at S. Rampart and at the foot of Canal Street near the river. The Regional Transit Authority has been open to the public throughout with two public meetings in July, very early in the analysis, to understand what riders and community members feel are important characteristics of a world class transit hub. A second and final round of public meetings was to include a more detailed and comparative look at the pros and cons of each of the sites while incorporating previous public input. These meetings were scheduled to occur in November 2015, unfortunately one day prior to the meetings they were mysteriously postponed to a date unknown. RIDE understands the importance of this project and we support the RTA in, not only this analysis to find the best location for a transit hub but also to pursue federal funding for its development. The CBD Transit Hub should also be incorporated into the new strategic transit planning process, preparing for the transit needs of the region for the next 10 years and beyond. Most importantly, all major investments to improve our transit infrastructure must include meaningful community engagement. That includes a transparent process that is not altered at the 11th hour with no explanation leaving a project in perpetual limbo. There is a major disconnect if community is not involved in a genuine, open, and welcoming way. The CBD Transit Hub should be a place of civic pride that reflects who we are as New Orleanians, how we live our lives, and how we connect with each other.

If you would like to know more about the CBD Transit Hub or anything transit related you can contact the author at matt@rideneworleans.org or 504-249-8419. The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

CeeCe Gives

thoughts about

2015

2015 for some was a year of ; recover, triumphs, success and even a year of pain. I experienced them all in my own way. Some people believe in New Year’s Resolutions. In a way I do as well. The 1st of the year gives you a “fresh start”, but sometimes change is mandatory without a “1st of a new year”. So I decided to platform 20 Memorable Thoughts from 2015 that you may even relate to or remember. You may not even knew some happened in our great city New Orleans we call home. Kudos to you and your 2016.

Smoochies

1. January 2015 Rita Benson LeBlanc files lawsuit against her father Tom Benson. This was a result of Tom Benson firing his daughter and grandchildren. Tom Benson sent a letter saying he would have “no further contact with his daughter or grandchildren or would they be allowed to enter the Saint’s facilities or games, the Basketball facilities or Pelicans game, the Benson Towers, the T.V. facilities or automotive facilities in New Orleans and will have no right to hire or fire personnel. The letter was addressed to Renee, Rita and Ryan. Tom Benson also expressed in this severance letter that “ he worked hard to leave things to them all but since he remarried , their behavior and words have became offensive “. The letter also stated that he would not stand for such unpleasant behavior and the behavior of the Rita, Renee and Ryan has made it a very unhappy uncomfortable situation that he can not stand at his age. 2. February 2015 The 2015 Mardi Gras season was the busiest to date for New Orleans. EMS, and Endymion Saturday was the busiest day ever recorded for the department. New Orleans EMS responded to 2,367 emergency service calls in a 10-day period — a 10 percent increase compared to 2014, according to statistics released February by EMS spokeswoman Liz Belcher. That breaks down to one call every six minutes. Last year, the department responded to 2,149 calls, and in 2013 responded to 2,108 calls. In the 8th District alone,

which includes the French Quarter, Marigny and Central Business District, the NOPD made 366 arrests and responded to 3,250 calls for service, statistics show. In 2014 in the same area, police made 421 arrests and responded to 2,900 calls for service. Police made 16 gun arrests and seized 14 guns, statistics show. Throughout the 12-day Mardi Gras season, NOPD officers put in 58,090 manpower hours compared to 55,700 hours in 2014, statistics show. “New Orleans police were assisted by 150 Louisiana state troopers who were in town from Feb. 6 through Mardi Gras Day. Troopers responded to more than 350 calls for service and made more than 180 arrests, according to spokeswoman Trooper Melissa Matey,59 were felony arrests. State police also seized 15 illegal weapons, and more than $375,350 worth of narcotics, she said. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, UNO and Tulane University police, St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Department of Corrections, U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration also assisted NOPD throughout Mardi Gras. Bacchus Sunday was the second busiest day of the Mardi Gras season, and the busiest Bacchus Sunday to date. Belcher said the department responded to 336 calls for service in 2015, compared to 308 calls in 2014. The number of Mardi Gras passengers traveling through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reached a six-year high in 2015, city officials said. I think it is fair to say 2015 was a HIGH !

man, eCe” Chap By Christy “C e book, f th the author o hts Ever y 20 Thoug ve. hould Ha Woman S native s n w Orlea She is a Ne something years nty who is “twe itter w her on Tw llo of age.” Fo r. eAutho at @CeCeth

3. March 2015 Buku Festival. Something new to try was the Buku Music & Arts Exhibit. The 2 day festival has been around since 2012 when it first planted foot in the Big Easy. Now, four years later, it has grown into something massive, selling OUT completely 2015 for the first time. Riddled with delicious food, art, and scenery, BUKU has more to offer than just a star studded lineup. With artists like Porter Robinson, Odessa, Eats Everything, Zomboy, Borgore, Justin Martin and Empire of the Sun popping up on the lineup this year, people flocked down to New Orleans to get a taste of this festival. So if you’re like me and looking to step out of your bubble and break the cycle take a look at BUKU for 2016. I can only imagine what they have in store. 4. April 2015 Jazz Fest was extraordinary. From Jimmy Cliff to Wilco, from Lady Gaga to Bonerama hit the stages. The 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival had it all: iconic performers including The Who, Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tony Bennett; student prodigies from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA); a slew of up and coming country acts including Sturgill Simpson and Kacey Musgraves; thunder and lightning closing the first Friday early. The festival celebrated NOCCA’s 40th anniversary at the NOCCA Pavilion at the center of the infield, near the Congo Square area. Alumnus Jason Marsalis paid tribute to one of the school’s first jazz teachers, his father Ellis Marsalis. Marsalis highlighted some of his father’s lesser-known tunes, including “The Garden” and “Tell Me” from the 1985 album Syndrome, and “Nostalgic Impressions” from Wynton Marsalis’ 1982 album Fathers and Sons. 5. May 2015 Big Easy Music Awards. Alynda Lee Segarra’s Hurray for the Riff Raff was named Entertainer of the Year at the Big Easy Music Awards at Harrah’s New Orleans, and she collected trophies for Best Female Performer of 2014 and Best Country/Folk Band and Album of the Year for Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Small Town Heroes.”This album is a love letter to New Orleans, because New Orleans taught me to love music,” Segarra said when she accepted the award. “I came here when I was 17. I didn’t have any money — I had a washboard. Because of the people of New Orleans, I learned how to play music.”

6. June 2015 Black Workers Matter. This rally urged city council man to allocate airport jobs to local residents. About 2 dozen demonstrators gathered on the steps of City Hall for a rally called “Black Workers Matter”. The demonstrators urged that council ensure that jobs tied to a new $546 million terminal at Armstrong International Airport are allocated to local residents. 7. July 2015 Essence Festival brought the electrifying Missy Elliot to the stage. Not seeing Missy in a while surface made it “more”. She made an appearance and left her mark on New Orleans. The Grammy Award winning icon clamored for more. She decimated the Superdome stage on the 4th of July. Missy and her crew of back up dancers infused every second of their time on stage. 8. President Barack Obama visits New Orleans. Mayor Mitch Landrieu was at the president’s side from the moment he kicked off his tour of New Orleans on the tarmac of the cargo facility for Louis Armstrong International Airport. After shaking the hands of Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican presidential candidate, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La, Obama swung his hand back, coming in fast to clasp the mayor’s hand and pull him in for a hug. Landrieu was with the president as he shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at almost every porch and front walk in the 2300 block of Magic Street. And the mayor stood just off to the side as Obama discussed his last stop at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant with famed chef Leah Chase, flanked by her daughter Stella Chase Reese and her husband, Edgar Chase Jr.”We had the gumbo,” Obama said, before sounding regretful he had not tried the fried chicken. “Your mayor’s doing a great job,” Obama told Chase. “She keeps me straight,” Landrieu interjected. The president’s motorcade swung around from the Lafitte neighborhood to stop at Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a venerated New Orleans neighborhood eatery devastated in the great flood of 2005. He spoke with students whom he later held up as models who had overcome adversity in the past decade during his speech later in the newly finished, $20 million Andrew P. Sanchez Community Center close to the heart of the still-battered Lower 9th Ward. “The people of New Orleans, there is something in you guys that’s just irrepressible,” Obama said from the lectern. “You guys have a way of making a way out of nowhere. You know the sun comes out after every storm. You’ve got hope.”

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9. August 2015 “Morris Bart presents Lil’ WeezyAna Fest: Lil Wayne and Friends.” Lil Wayne’s homecoming concert was held at the Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square. The lawyer even joined popular Q93 deejay Wild Wayne onstage as an emcee. As it turns out, Bart and Wayne are acquainted, having crossed paths at courtside at an NBA game. Morris Bart remembers asking Wayne a question “And he gave me one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard. His teeth are all encrusted with pave diamonds, both his upper and lower teeth. I asked him once, ‘Lil Wayne, why do you got all your teeth covered with diamonds like that?’ And he goes, ‘Man, I don’t believe in cheap talk.”Their shared enthusiasm for basketball aside, Bart wanted to be involved with Lil WeezyAna Fest because of the shows symbolism, falling on Hurricane Katrina’s 10th Anniversary. “I know there are a lot of serious events going on,” Bart said. “But this is New Orleans, and we survived. I had a desire to do something New Orleans-style that is a celebration of our survival.”I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people in the audience at Champions Square were fighting for their survival right next door in the Superdome 10 years ago. And now they’re here to celebrate one of the local guys who has gone out in the near-impossible music industry and made it. “For him to come back home, and for New Orleanians to have a true celebration of their survival over the Katrina weekend, was my motivation” for sponsoring the concert. In addition to performing his own set, Lil Wayne reunited with two of the three other Hot Boys, Cash Money Records’ all-star team of the late 1990s. Other surprises also entertained the crowd of 8,500. 10. September 2015 Willie Mae Seaton of Willie Mae’s Scotch House died at 99. Willie Mae who for decades ran Willie Mae’s Scotch House on St. Ann Street in New Orleans, died September 18. The restaurant was, for decades, a neighborhood favorite famous for its fried chicken. The business and its signature dish became nationally famous in the years following Hurricane Katrina. The death was confirmed by Ms. Seaton’s great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton-Stewart, who now runs the restaurant. Ms. Seaton was born in a Crystal Springs, Miss., and moved to New Orleans during World War II so her husband could work at the Higgins Shipyard. She drove a taxi for five years, worked at a dry cleaners for several more and was a licensed beautician. What she wanted, though, was to run a bar. In 1957, Ms. Seaton turned her beauty shop on the corner of St. Ann and North Tonti streets into a bar, where the house drink was a mix of Scotch and milk. From a small kitchen at the bar, Ms. Seaton would cook. Her customers smelled the food and told her that she should open a restaurant. So Willie Mae’s Scotch House became a neighborhood restaurant serving smothered veal, white beans and pork chops.”You couldn’t tell where the skin ended and fried part started,” said John Currence, the New Orleans-born chef who runs the restaurant City Grocery in Oxford, Miss. “It was weirdly complex in its simplicity.” Willie Mae’s Scotch House remained largely a neighborhood secret. In 1999, when The Times-Picyaune wrote about the restaurant, Ms. Seaton would not allow the address to be printed or her photo to be taken.”She aspired to nothing but to be herself. That came through in her food,” Currence said. “She got up every morning at 4 a.m. to start cooking her beans, getting her chicken ready.”By 2005, Ms. Seaton’s attitude had changed. She was named an America’s Classic by the James Beard Foundation. She flew to New York that May to accept the award at a ceremony filled with celebrity chefs and food journalists. The floods that followed the post-Katrina levee failures destroyed Willie Mae’s Scotch House and Ms. Seaton’s home next door. In 2014, Seaton-Stewart opened a second Uptown location. The Tremé restaurant, has become a destination for culinary tourists. President Barack had lunch at Willie Mae’s on August 27, while in town for the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina .”The fried chicken I think is the best fried chicken,” said New Orleans restaurateur and chef John Besh, who met Ms. Seaton before the storm and helped with the rebuilding effort. “But it was really the way she made us all feel. She brought people together through food. She didn’t care who you were.”

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11. October 2015 Candice Rene King got married in New Orleans. The actress, singer and songwriter, known for portraying the role of Caroline Forbes on The CW’s The Vampire Dairies married Joe King. The 27-year-old Vampire Diaries actress got married on Saturday October 18 in New Orleans with many of her co-stars in attendance. While this is the first marriage for Candice, it is the second for Joe, 34, who is a member of the band The Fray and has two daughters from his previous marriage. Paul Wesley, Kat Graham, Michael Trevino, Claire Holt and Kayla Ewell were all in attendance. Talk about not knowing who comes in and out your city right! 12. November 2015 Allen Toussaint dies at age 77. One of New Orleans most legendary artist, Allen Toussaint, the versatile producer, songwriter, pianist and singer who was a fixture of New Orleans R&B, died after appearing in concert in Madrid on Monday night. He was 77. Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux, his daughter, confirmed his death. Javier Ayuso, a spokesman for Madrid emergency services, told The Associated Press that rescue workers had been called to Mr. Toussaint’s hotel early Tuesday and were able to revive him after a heart attack, but that Mr. Toussaint later stopped breathing en route to a hospital. During the ’70s Mr. Toussaint recorded three albums for labels under the Warner Bros. umbrella, but the popularity of his style of R&B waned with the rise of disco. He continued to write and record for independent labels, and in 1998 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was a devastating one for the music industry all over the world and us a city. 13. November 2015 Saints fire Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan. Rob Ryan was hired prior to the 2013 season. Coach Sean Payton said “ I am disappointed for Rob it didn’t work out. He is fantastic staff guy, respected greatly . The direction we were heading in wasn’t good. We struggled with substitutions, getting lined up, getting guys on the field and being able to function”. Ryan, 52, had immediate success when he was hired as the Saints’ defensive coordinator in 2013. He lifted the Saints to fourth in the NFL in total defense that year as they went 11-5 and won a playoff game. But the Saints’ defense fell back to 31st in 2014, and the team went 7–9. It was almost a surprise when Payton didn’t fire Ryan after the season. Instead of firing Ryan, Payton demanded the defensive coordinator simplify his complex play book and weekly schemes. Also, Payton brought in Allen to help lead the secondary. Feeling exhausted, Ryan is the 1st coach that Sean Payton has ever fired in the middle of the season. 14. November 2015 9 Times Social & Pleasure Club Secondline to be the biggest of 2015. 9 Times Secondline was a very memorable one yet. Rolling through downtown’s 9th ward, this second line attracted people from all walks of life and areas. This years King : Mr. Woodrow “Woody” Randall from the 9th w/d and Queen: Ms. Cecile“ Ms. Seal” Dalton of the well-known Seal’s Class Bar. The King’s theme of “Woody the Woodpecker” adorned himself in bright colored feathers of red, blue, yellow , gems and stones on his customized suit and head piece. The Queen and her court show stopped with eggshell white and aqua turquoise authentic feather head pieces with gorgeous lace and ruffled dresses. Along with their royal court, other second line groups and second line bands 9 Times Secondline started at 3626 Desire St. traveling up to Franklin Avenue ending on Louisa at Sampson Park. This was one of the most elegant, entertaining memorable second lines of second line history ever and 2015.

and enjoy the French Quarter.” Enjoying the Quarter is exactly what he did before the Allstate Fan Fest show. Usher shopped and spent time munching on beignets, shrimp po-boys and gumbo. His show was exactly what he promised...”awesome”. 16. December 2015 The New Orleans City Council votes to remove 4 monuments to the Confederacy from prominent places in the city. Statues of Gens. Robert E. Lee, P. G. T. Beauregard and Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. An obelisk dedicated to the Battle of Liberty Place will also go. 17. December 2015 Diva Talk Power Luncheon held at The Historic Carver Theater was a success. With an influential panel of business women from New Orleans; topics of education, business do & don’ts, finances, empowerment and marketing strategies were discussed. With attendees traveling from all over to New Orleans, more than 40 Divas united and empowered each other enjoying cocktails provided from Divatenders and a delightful luncheon by Chef Natasha Butler of Seasons of Louisiana Catering. What a empowering , educating and encouraging to motivate women in business.

The last 3 thoughts are from you know who yours truly, ME! 18. What was a goal that I reached in 2015? One of my goals was to lose 20 pounds. Did I reach it, yes! With regular weekly excerise , water and taking starches and sugar from my diet, I achieved it. I did and now I maintain my weight. 19. Describe a memorable event in 2015. One of my most memorable events was to be apart of 9 Times Social & Pleasure Club’s Secondline Court. This was something on my bucket list. It meant a lot because I am from the 9 th ward and for years as a little girl, I would see such an event pass down Desire St. It is something that will always keep me connected to where I am from and who I am no matter where my roads take me. It is apart of my culture , apart of New Orleans. 20. Who left a lasting impression on me for 2015? Nicole Stewart , the grandmother and mother of murder victims ; Breon M. Stewart and Lionel Delpit IV along with boyfriend Lionel Delpit III who were gunned downed in New Orleans east December 16, 2015. With this story reaching CNN headlines, trending on all social medias along with celebrities, this lady remained so strong. She lost a part of her life, her heart and soul. This single mother raised 6 children with Breon being Valedictorian and her twin Brittney; Salutatorian from Carver High School along with 4 other ambitious, determined kids. Being from the 7th ward she instilled compassion, values, respect and love into her children. Even with the death of her daughter and grand daughter, she still made sure her children were assisted to by herself. She made sure everyone else was okay. She refused to break down to keep family and friends that visited with her lifted. So in memory of Breon M. Stewart, Lionel Delpit III, Lionel Delpit IV, I dedicate this article to the Stewart Family.

15. December 2015 Usher Raymond performs for Allstate Sugar Bowl Concert. The singer sends New Orleans love from the stage. For Usher, the draw of New Orleans as a place to celebrate life, in addition to talking about the difficulties of it, is a palpable thing. “My godfather, Quincy Jones, he talks about the incredible times he had when he was young and when the city was just alive,” Usher said. “It still is, even though they’ve had some hard times. It is the energy of the people who come from all around the world and all around the United States to bring that energy and keep it going

Neighborhood Meetings

Algiers Point Association 1st Thursday of the month – 7 p.m. Visit www.algierspoint.org for location. Algiers Presidents’ Council 4th Tuesday of the month 7 p.m. Woldenberg Village - 3701 Behrman Place www.anpcnola.org Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other month 7 p.m. Andrew H. Wilson Charter School Cafeteria 3617 General Pershing Street www.broadmoorimprovement.com Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association 3rd Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N. Claiborne Avenue bunnyfriendassoc@gmail.com BywaterNeighborhoodAssociation 2nd Tuesday of the month 7 p.m. Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Avenue www.bywaterneighbors.com CarrolltonRiverbendNeighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month Central St. Matthew United Church of Christ 1333 S. Carrollton Avenue Carrollton United 2nd Monday of the month – 5 p.m. St. John Missionary Baptist Church Leonidas Avenue and Hickory Street www.healthyneworleans.org Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA) 3rd Tuesday of each month 6:00pm Mahalia Jackson Early Childhood & Family Learning Center 2405 Jackson Avenue www.myccra.org Chapel of the Holy Comforter 4th Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m. 2200 Lakeshore Drive

Neighborhood Meetings

Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association Quarterly meetings (Date and time TBA) Jewish Community Center 5342 St. Charles Avenue Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association (DNIA) Last Tuesday of each month 7 p.m. Joan Mitchell Center 2275 Bayou Road

Filmore Gardens Neighborhood Association 4th Thursday of the month (no meetings in November and December) 6:30 p.m. Project Home Again 5506 Wickfield Street

Holy Cross Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month 5:30 p.m. Center for Sustainability Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres Street

Garden District Association Visit www.gardendistrictassociation. com for annual meeting information.

Irish Channel Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month 7 p.m. Irish Channel Christian Fellowship 819 First Street www.irishchannel.org

DeSaix Neighborhood Association 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m. Langston Hughes Academy 3519 Trafalgar Street danadesaix.org

Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA) 3rd Saturday of the month 6:30 p.m. Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Avenue www.facebook.com/gentillycivic

East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee 2nd Tuesday of the month 6 p.m. St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church 7300 Crowder Boulevard www.enonac.org

Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association 3rd Monday of the month 6 p.m. Dillard University, Dent Hall – Room 104

Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association 1st Saturday of the month 10 a.m. New Hope Community Church 3708 Gentilly Blvd. FaubourgDelachaiseNeighborhood Association Quarterly meetings Visit http://fdna-nola.org for details. Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association Board Meeting – 2nd Monday of the month 7 p.m. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cafeteria 1368 Moss Street http://www.fsjna.org Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association 2nd Thursday of the month 6 p.m. True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny Street

Gentilly Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association 3rd Monday of the month 6:30 p.m. Volunteers of America 2929 St. Anthony Avenue Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association 2nd Wednesday of the month 7 p.m. Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters Street www.gentillyterrace.org Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association 2nd Tuesday of the month 5:30 p.m. Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church 3327 Toledano Street hoffmantriangle.org Hollygrove Neighbors Association Quarterly on Saturdays 12 p.m. St. Peter AME Church 3424 Eagle Street Email hollygroveneighbors@yahoo.com for dates

Lake Bullard Home Owners Association Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Avenue Visit lakebullard.org for meeting schedule Lake Catherine Civic Association 2nd Tuesday of the month 7 p.m. Email lakecatherineassociation@yahoo. com for location information Lake Willow Neighborhood 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m. St. Maria Goretti Church Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood EmpowermentNetworkAssociation 2nd Saturday of the month 12 p.m. 1120 Lamanche Street www.9thwardnena.org Lower Ward Ninth Ward Stakeholders Coalition 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 5:30 p.m. 1800 Deslonde Street Melia Subdivision 2nd Saturday of the month

5 p.m. Anchored in Christ Church 4334 Stemway

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

Neighborhood Meetings

Mid-City Neighborhood Organization 2nd Monday of the month 6 p.m. – meet & greet 6:30 p.m. – neighborhood meeting Warren Easton High School 3019 Canal Street www.mcno.org Milneburg Neighborhood Association 4th Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m. Chapel of the Holy Comforter 2200 Lakeshore Drive The New St. Claude Association of Neighbors 1st Thursday of the month 7 p.m. Pierre’s Hall 4138 St. Claude Avenue www.newstclaude.assocn.nscan.com New Zion City Preservation Association 1st Monday of the month 7 p.m. APEX Youth Center 4360 Washington Ave. Oak Park Civic Association 3rd Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m. Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Avenue www.facebook.com/ OakParkNewOrleans

Paris Oaks/Bayou Vista Neighborhood Association Last Saturday of the month 4 p.m. Third District Police Station 4650 Paris Avenue Pensiontown of Carrollton Neighborhood Association 1st Saturday of the month 2 p.m. Leonidas House Community Center 1407 Leonidas Street Pilotland Neighborhood Association 3rd Saturday of the month 3 p.m. Pentecost Baptist Church Fellowship Hall 1510 Harrison Avenue Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative - 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting 2nd Saturday of the month 3869 Gentilly Blvd., Suite C Rosedale Subdivision Last Friday of the month 5:30 p.m. Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church 4253 Dale Street

Ask City Hall Seventh Ward Neighborhood Association Every other month, on the third Saturday, at the Dillard University Community Resource Center, 33012 Annette Street (at Humanity), NOLA 70119. Mail us at: P.O. Box 8591, NOLA 70182 Seabrook Neighborhood Association 2nd Monday on the month Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painter Street Email seabrookassociation@yahoo.com for times Tall Timbers Owners Association 2nd Wednesday in April & October 7 p.m. Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. 2nd Monday of the month 6:30 p.m. Visit tunisburg.org for location information Village de L’Est Improvement Association 1st Tuesday of every other month 7 p.m. Einstein Charter School 5100 Cannes Street

West Barrington Association 1st Tuesday of the month 6 p.m. Holiday Inn Express 7049 Bullard Avenue

Send your neighborhood meeting details to: info@npnnola.com

Neighborhoods Partnership Network 3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016

District A Susan G. Guidry City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 Email: sgguidry@nola.gov District B LaToya Cantrell City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 lcantrell@nola.gov District C Nadine M. Ramsey City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: nramsey@nola.gov District D Jared C. Brossett City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: jcbrossett@nola.gov District E James Austin Gray II City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 Email: jagray@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: shead@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Jason Rogers Williams City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077 Email:jarwilliams@nola.gov

Would like to THANK all of our members, financial supporters, and sponsors in 2015 Suzy & Gary Lazarus in honor of Freddie and Sue Preis Rebecca Ripley Christy Slater Danielle Perry Lakshim Sridaran Katherine Robinson Kelly Hill Steven Bingler (Concordia LLC) Andreanecia Morris Ryan & Madison Albright Happy Johnson Carolyn Carter Joy Bruce Hamilton Simons-Jones Lucas Diaz Bev Nichols Victor Robinson Destiny Hinson Editha & Victor Amacker Carolyn Love Gretchen & David Zalkind Gary &Suzy Lazarus Jonathan Sumter Danielle Wright Gill Benedek Sarah Fridley Jaime Wright Ed Vail Anne Gates Linetta Gilbert Erica Buher Kevin Griffin Wendy Laker Angela Kyle Victor Gordon Jacqueline Blossom Nathan Rothstein Aaron Greenbaum Alonzo Knox

Kevin Wilkins Uche Okpalobi Bunny Friends Neighborhood Housing Services Historic 7th Ward Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Development Foundation Pontilly Neighborhood Association Lower 9th Ward NENA Milneburg Neighborhood Association Ronald McClain Theodore Quant Prospect New Orleans Ride New Orleans DeSaix Area Neighborhood Association Valerie Robinson Junebug Productions, Inc Birthmark Doula Collective, LLC Liberty Rashad The 1881 Research Institute Orleans Public Education Network Total Community Action Urban League of Greater New Orleans RapJap Bee Legacy PlayBuild NOLA NOLA TimeBank Algiers Folk Diversity Divas Uncommon Construction Douglas A. Finley NOLA Vibe Confront and Conquer, Inc Son of a Saint Character Beyond the Classroom Young Professionals Non-Profit Brothers Empowered to Teach Watermark Institute

The Trumpet | January/February | 2016