Author:
Pamela Nath with European Dissent
Date Published:
September 25, 2007
Recommendations for an Antiracist Approach to New Orleans
Tips on being a culturally-sensitive visitor/volunteer
• Avoid making demands on the places and people you visit.
Efforts to rebuild the city, address the many injustices that impact
people’s lives, and respond to the many visitors flooding the city
post-Katrina consume lots of time and energy. People may not be set
up to drop everything to give you a tour or answer your
questions.
• Be aware that a more humane pace and laid-back approach to life
is part of the culture of the city. Accept that spontaneity and
waiting can likely both play important roles in your visit to the
city.
• Whenever possible, make donations to the people and places that
you visit
• Some excerpts from Catherine Jones’ “What I Wish I Knew: My Own
Goals for Anti-Racist Practice” (entire document available on the
web—see web resources below)
o Don't expect people or organizations of color to tell you how
to be in solidarity with them, but be willing to modify or toss out
any of your ideas if they think there's a better way for you to
support them. Have a very rough plan that you can be flexible with
and that's based on an authentic and accountable understanding--not
just your own thoughts--of where people and organizations of color
can use your support.
o Build accountable relationships with other white anti-racists
who can both support you and call you on your shit when it's
necessary.
o Give Practical Support!!!!! What are your resources that you
can share with organizations of color? Maybe you can provide food or
childcare or translation at meetings, maybe you can help phonebank
for specific events, maybe you can volunteer to work at the front
desk, give people rides, find out where a group can get donated
computer equipment, or throw a fundraising party at your house.
There are tons of ways for white folks to give necessary
behind-the-scenes support to organizations of color. Be willing to
do what's needed. Maybe you really want to be working with some
amazing and popular organization of color that doesn't actually have
a whole lot of opportunities for you to plug in, while another
organization down the street is doing less high-profile work but
really needs some folks to help them with fundraising. Take the
opportunity to be of use.
o Be conscious about how you prioritize your work- spend a
significant chunk of your time doing the stuff that really is unsexy
and be conscious about what you do and don't commit your time to.
o Take care of yourself but be real about it. Figure out the
things that rejuvenate you and do them; take breaks when you need
them, but don't use the excuse of "self-care" to get out
of doing the work. Set realistic boundaries for yourself and stick
to them
o Don't abandon the work if it makes you feel
"uncomfortable." This is a pretty common feeling when
white folks are actually working with people of color. Acknowledge
that you feel this way, try and figure out why, get support from
other white anti-racists who you respect, and keep going. Most of us
have been there.
o Take criticism from people of color for what it is--a gift.
o If you have political disagreements with a person or
organization of color that you're doing political work with, think
critically about what your issues are and where they're coming from.
Don't abandon your principles simply because a person of color may
have a different take on a certain idea, but don't be afraid to
challenge some of your deeply-held beliefs if you find that they
don't hold up when you look at them with an anti-racist framework.
Be open to criticism, even criticism of your politics, if it comes
from an anti-racist perspective.
o You're gonna make mistakes. You're gonna feel embarrassed when
you do. This is not a reason to stop doing the work! In my
experience, if people know that you're a generally accountable
person who shows up and kicks ass when you're needed, they won't
take it nearly as hard if you say or do the wrong thing every now
and then. But learn from your mistake, don't make it again, and do
what you can to smooth things over in a principled way.
o Build authentic and good personal, as well as political,
relationships with people of color.
o This is my motto--say less, think less, do more. Remember that
you're not a whole lot of use to the movement if you're sitting in a
workshop. Put your knowledge to use. The struggle needs you!
Places to Visit
• Backstreet Cultural Museum, 1116 St. Claude Ave.
http://www.backstreetmuseum.org/
• Congo Square—Located in Louis Armstrong Park along the block of
Rampart St. For info, see
http://www.jass.com/congo.html
• African-American History Museum 1418 Gov. Nicholls St. (504)
586-1919
http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1243
• Ashe Cultural Arts Center 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
(504) 569-9070. For more about the center, see
http://www.ashecac.org/ For listing of events, see
http://acabnola.blogspot.com/
• St Augustine’s Catholic Church of New Orleans – 1210 Governor
Nicholls St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504-525-5934 See
http://www.staugustinecatholicchurch-neworleans.org/
• Some “street” sites worth seeing:
o Statue commemorating white citizen’s league behind Canal street
center
o Historical lightposts along Rampart St. that commemorate
Spanish/French/US occupation
o Insert ideas from monument tour that Freedom School ran; Pam
will contact David Billings and ask about monuments.
o Monument on Decatur Street across from Virgin records
commemorating the “founding” of New Orleans
Recommendations of Grassroots Groups to support with time, money,
etc.
• People’s Hurricane Relief Fund -- See
http://www.peopleshurricane.org/
For volunteer registration form, go to:
http://www.peopleshurricane.org/volunteer/
To donate online, go to:
https://www.vanguardsf.org/index.php?s=40
and choose PHRF from the
drop down menu
To donate by check, make your check out to People's Hurricane Relief
Fund and mail to: Vanguard Public Foundation
383 Rhode Island Street
Suite 301
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 487-2111
Fax: (415) 487-2124
E-mail:
vpf [at]
vanguardsf [dot] org
• Safe Streets/Strong Communities -- See
http://www.safestreetsnola.org/
1600 Oretha Castle Haley
Blvd. 504-522-3949 To donate, see
http://www.safestreetsnola.org/donate/
• NENA – grassroots group working in the Lower 9th ward --
Contact: Linda Jackson 504-451-9871
• Agenda for Children – See
http://www.agendaforchildren.org/home.htm For ways to get
involved, see:
http://www.agendaforchildren.org/afc_getinvolved.htm
1720 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 586-8509 or Toll free: 1-800-486-1712
• Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana and FFLIC (Families and
Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Youth) – See
http://www.jjpl.org/ and
http://www.jjpl.org/FamilyAndCommunityResources/FamiliesAndFriends/famil...
1600 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113 504-522-5437
email:
info [at]
jjpl [dot] org
For information on donating or helping in other ways, see
http://www.jjpl.org/HowYouCanHelp/Help/help.html
• Neighborhood Storybook Project – See
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org/about.html
To donate, see
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org/donate.html
Purchase books at:
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org/books.html
• Critical Resistance – for info on the national organization,
see http://www.criticalresistance.org/ To contact the New Orleans
chapter: 504-304-3784 e-mail:
crsouth [at]
criticalresistance [dot] org
• Innocence Project – See
http://www.ip-no.org/
636 Baronne St., New
Orleans, LA 70113 (504) 522-4766 or 522-4767 e-mail:
info [at]
ip-no [dot] org
To donate, see
http://www.ip-no.org/donate.htm
• INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence – For info about the
national organization, see http://www.incite-national.org/ New
Orleans chapter: 1362 Constance St
New Orleans, LA 70130 504-524-8255 e-mail: at
whji_info [at]
yahoo [dot] com
• Hope House – See http://www.hopehouseneworleans.org/ 919 Saint
Andrew St, New Orleans (504) 524-7353 or 525-2561 e-mail:
• YA/YA, Inc. (Young Aspirations/Young Artists) – See
http://www.yayainc.com/
601 Baronne St. New Orleans, LA 70113 504-529-3306 E-mail:
info [at]
yayainc [dot] com
For info on how to volunteer or to donate, see
http://www.yayainc.com/get_involved.html
Meetings to Consider Attending
• European Dissent—meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays—begin gathering
at 6:30 pm in Agenda for Children building 1720 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
• Neighborhoods Partnership Network—neighborhood forums Wednesday
evenings at 6 pm. For more info on topics, see:
http://www.npnnola.com/ Also check out the calendar link on their
website
Local places to stay, eat and patronize
• Find locally owned businesses at
http://www.staylocal.org/
• Farmers markets:
o Crescent City Farmers Market—Tuesdays 9 am-1 pm &
Saturdays 8 am-12 noon
http://www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org/
o Upper Ninth Saturdays from 1-4 pm at 3500 St. Claude Ave.
• Marquette House Hostel (504) 523-3014 2249 Carondelet St,
New Orleans, LA 70130
• Community Book Center 252 Bayou Rd New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 948-7323
Additional Web Resources
• Antiracism packet available on Common Ground’s website:
http://www.commongroundrelief.org/node/145 (Includes Catherine
Jones’ “What I Wish I Knew: My Own Goals for Anti-Racist Practice”)