(ThySistas.com) There is a theory that I heard being discussed on the porch as I was growing up. The elders would say, New Orleans is so different the sun rises in the West and sets in the East. They would continue saying, this is not a city that can be governed properly from outside. There is too much involved in the culture and tradition of New Orleans and it’s in the ground and the water. As a teenager, hearing this I was not sure if I agreed or not but it is a thought that crossed my mind often when thinking about the city in various situations. When Latoya Cantrell was elected Mayor, I wanted to believe in her, and I appreciated the way she handled Covid. However, a part of me would remember what those long gone elders used to say, and I wondered if maybe for once they had gotten it wrong. As the administration went on, I remembered she was not from New Orleans and eventually I conceded to myself that those ancestors might have had a point. Some of the policies she protected or championed might have been great in a different city but not New Orleans. Now here we are again with a new mayor that is not from New Orleans, and so much about her as a native gives me pause. I wish I could be excited about the election of Helena Moreno, but I cannot. During the campaign she showed she does not represent me.
There should be solidarity amongst People of Color as there is usually a history that can be understood, and there are experiences that forge understanding. Helena Morena was born in Mexico and raised in Houston. When she reached New Orleans in 2001 she was a working adult. This is important because this is a culture that is not a part of her upbringing, as it was not for the previous mayor. There was a time when I would have said, maybe Moreno was for us after how well she covered Katrina as a journalist. There were times when I disagreed with her positions on city council, but no politician is perfect.
However, I felt there was work being done for a greater purpose. I didn’t feel like her voice was loud enough in opposition to the current administration and seeing that she is Mexican that matters. I also had to consider that the exchange between Black Native New Orleanians and the Mexicans that have become transplants have not always been the most respectful. Far too often, they looked down on the natives here and have taken many white adjacent positions. We knew it would not favor them eventually, but they chose that path instead standing with us. How would that increase now that she is mayor? She showed up in New Orleans East and it seemed like she would stand for all the people…but one could say finally she appeared because our vote was the goal.
As the campaign season was underway, I noticed signs for her posted all over the metropolitan area…in parishes that are not Orleans parish. That made no sense to me and others, and it was a red flag. However, what stood out the most is the double standards for the candidates. Helena Moreno did not feel it necessary to show up at forums held by the Black leaders in New Orleans. If the Black candidates would have done that they would have been drugged. But she was able to get away with not showing up in all the spaces that represented the city of New Orleans.
She was able to minimize the importance of our voice and concerns, and at that moment, I realized yes, she might win but she does not represent me. It was a slap in the face, and one that we must live with because she did win. We will as a people have to come together to help out city and each other from the grass roots level. We will have to advocate for ourselves, yet again because we have a mayor that will not prioritize our culture properly because she is not one of us in that way. There is a part of me that hopes the ancestors were wrong. I hope I am wrong. However, the sinking feeling in my gut says New Orleans will have to fight for itself despite the incoming administration. We do not know how she will align herself now that she has won, and that is the issue. However, we won’t assume that she will fully align with New Orleans and what it needs.
Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James
May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.