Yes, kudos to Mama Hester
20th August 2012 · 0 Comments
By Edmund W. Lewis
Editor
How do you know the difference between community activist Sandra “18 Wheeler” Hester and our beloved mayor? She’s the brave, principled one, the one who has never been afraid to publicly speak her mind and has refused to hide behind her staff, the police or do the bidding of the powers that be while pretending to be a man of the people.
He’s the one who paid fitting tribute to Groundhog Day (usually a winter ritual) by pulling his head out of his you-know-what long enough to make a rare public appearance in this fair city last week. He’s also the one who has often gone into hiding when the grits hit the fan and the public is looking for rational, credible answers.
This mayor was supposed to be the bright-eyed golden boy. The one who would undo all of the things his predecessor was blamed for. Mitch was supposed to be the “saver,” the one who came into the game in the ninth inning and shut down the opponent’s top sluggers. Johnny in the clutch. So much for that.
We should be very concerned by what we’re seeing on the news and reading in the paper these days. Cops who think it’s perfectly normal to kill unarmed Black men. An unrepentant police department fighting to remain corrupt and abusive for as long as is possible. A self-absorbed mayor.
Let’s just keep it “one hundred” for a minute: We know what we know.
We know that Hurricane Katrina provided the golden opportunity to rob the Black masses in New Orleans of their future that the powers that be had been waiting for for a very, very long time. We know that the last seven years have been characterized by land grabs, school takeovers, political crusades and power moves. We know that every possible effort is being made to prevent displaced Black residents from returning to the city. We know that some of the city’s nonprofit groups are being run by the spouses of members of the ruling minority group who created some of the conditions these nonprofits were formed to address.
We know that local elected officials couldn’t give the go-ahead to turn down the city’s housing projects fast enough after Katrina.
We know that despite the commercials and testimonies of those who are happy with charter schools, there are still a significant number of parents and students who have been victimized or marginalized by charter schools. We know that city and state elected officials are allowing folks from all over the U.S. to come in and raid funds earmarked for educating public school children in the name of education reform? We know that Black businesses are NOT getting a fair share of the contracts being awarded by the Recovery School District or City Hall. We know that the same elite ruling class that ran a number of corporate bigwigs out of this town over the past few decades for daring to seek inclusion in exclusive Carnival krewes has no interest in sharing decision-making power with Black residents. We know that the powers that be are constantly recruiting and identifying Black professionals and administrators that have no problem with ignoring the needs, concerns and grievances of the Black masses in New Orleans.
We know that the mayor is a control freak who can’t allow himself to give anybody else credit for solving a local problem and would rather bring in experts from other cities who know very little about New Orleans’ history and culture. We know that somebody somewhere got to Attorney General Eric Holder and convinced him to handle the NOPD with kid gloves rather than root out the systemic problems that plague it.
We know that the governor and the mayor lost very little precious sleep over the destruction of a historic, Black Mid-City neighborhood to make way for the creation of a biomedical district. We know that the mayor has been using conferences attended by successful Black people from across the United States to talk ad nauseum about Black-on-Black crime in New Orleans like he is some kind of savior of Black folks but has said very little about the systemic racism and white supremacy that have always plagued this city and region and impacts every aspect of life in the Big Uneasy.
There are a lot of successful Black people in this city who see what is going on but do and say absolutely nothing. Some of them talk about what is going on with their friends behind closed doors but do nothing to improve conditions for those who are struggling every day to survive.
Some of the city’s Black “leaders” and professionals are too worried about losing the few crumbs the mayor magnanimously distributes to the colored folks to even think about rocking the boat or fighting for human rights, racial justice and equal protection. Others simply crave the acceptance and approval of the ruling minority class above all else and refuse to do anything that might risk them losing their station in life. So instead or standing up for what they know is right and just, they opt instead to do whatever they need to do to cover their asses and hold onto their standard of living. What a waste of talent and potential.
Mama Hester is not one of these people. You always know where you stand with her and she is willing to lay it all on the line. Hate it or love it, you have to respect the fact that she never backs down from a fight and knows that she must speak loudly to be heard above the cries and moans of all of the people in New Orleans who are drowning in poverty, despair, oppression and hopelessness.
She and a handful of others in the community are voices crying out in the wilderness, waiting to be joined by others who are also sick and tired of being sick and tired. The oppressors who hear those desperate cries today would be well-reminded to consider that today’s harmless outburst might soon return as an explosion that rocks the foundation of this city. Proceed with caution.
Black folks need to understand that fear is not the enemy. Everybody feels afraid at one time or another. The trick, and it is quite a feat, is to not let fear control your actions and aspirations. That’s what taking a stand is all about.
Say whatever you wish to say about Mama Hester — “She’s unpredictable,” “a loose cannon” or “abrasive” — but one thing about her is undebatable: She has the courage of her convictions. Can you say the same about the mayor?
This article was originally published in the August 20, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper
