Freedom

The history of New Orleans, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is as colorful as any in the country. Founded by the Spanish, turned over to the French, and ultimately sold to the Americans, New Orleans created a great blend of nationalities and races.

Prior to the Civil War, New Orleans was one of the largest slave trade centers in the country. Once war began in 1861, it took a year before Admiral Farragut sailed up the Mississippi river, pass two confederate forts, and take the city, thereby blocking off the Mississippi river from the south. General Butler placed the city under federal control for the remainder of the war.

Emancipation failed to resolve the differences between the races, but the civil rights era in the 1960s did much to alleviate the tension. New Orleans continued to prosper in the interim, but Hurricane Katrina imposed terrible destruction in 2005. The city struggled to get back on her feet. Federal money assisted with infrastructure development, but poor education and inadequate federal programs did little to alleviate the plight of the poor. Homelessness and crime accelerated, and central planning ideas failed at every level.

The city attempted to remove any vestige of history during and prior to the Civil War by taking down confederate statues, most visibly the statue of Robert E Lee on Lee Circle. Many in Louisiana were not in favor of removing symbols of our history, but what is done is done and we must move on.

The time has come to put the mistakes of the past behind us. We cannot prosper, we cannot learn, we cannot move forward without a vision for the future.

We have a vision of a united city, determined to be the most culturally inclusive, happiest and vibrant city in the United States. We cannot continue to dwell on the past. That means we must accept where we are and strive to do better. The old Lee Circle, now called “Harmony Circle,” is currently an underutilized tower of nothing. It represents no ideas, no vision, and no future for New Orleans.

Our vision for moving forward proposes a monument to inspire people to learn, to work, to strive for happier families in a more unified city. We envision placing on the vacant pedestal centering the now “Harmony Circle” a statue which we propose simply to call “Freedom.”

It shall be a statue of a young Black woman in a simple smock with her right hand raised over her shoulders. That hand holds a thick book, a Bible, signifying devotion to God and to learning. Faith and education are the only things that will move us forward.

In her left hand trailing behind her left hip are broken chains signifying her emergence from the tragedies of the past. Draped over her left shoulder is an American flag to show the world that she and we all are Americans and proud of it.

Her right foot should lead her left as if she were prepared to run, run to the future, run for happiness, run for prosperity, and run for all of the people of New Orleans. May God bless us one and all!

– Don C. Hubbard
Civil Rights Activist

– Robert L. “Bob” Livingston
Member of Congress (1977-’99)

This article originally published in the June 19, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.