The bottom line is this “doing you’ without consequence is nonexistent for our people. That is like playing Russian roulette with life. Some young people began to understand the lesson I was trying to impart. The problem is too many of them learned the lesson, as my grandfather used to say, in blood. They saw their friends killed, experienced wrongful arrest, experienced assault, and very other kinds of trauma. This was heartbreaking as they were just teenagers.  The problem is why are we fighting with adults now over the same thing?

This idea of I’m going to “do me” is running rampant in our community. As with the young people I understand the sentiment, but the problem is the ones leading the cry now are adults. They have some experience, some understanding, and they know the price that is on the line…or they should. The time we are living in is just as perilous, some would argue, as those that came before us and we are getting closer to their reality. This is not a history book, this is 2026, and the evil in power is trying to turn back time to redefine our understanding of oppression. When some of us think of ICE we think of our brothers and sisters from different places, but do we not understand our people have been harassed, and unlawfully detained too? As adults, how we process the world around us, and how we respond to it will affect our children. We can’t tell them to practice caution in what they wear and where they go, and we can’t do the same. Disciple and control will have to come together in us so that we are not impulsive, and so that we don’t become so fed up with everything we are seeing that we just say to heck with it, I’m “doing me”.

The truth is there are events we may get a gut feeling it won’t be wise to attend. There are times we might decide it is best to stay home. Sometimes the small family gathering will have to be enough. We might not want to venture out into places we don’t know in our state and in various parts of the country. Many of us may have unplugged after the elections not caring about being bothered by the stress of knowing specifically what’s going on in the country. We may be telling ourselves we will just rest for the rest of this admiration’s term. However, the truth is any of these positions at this time might be the ultimate undoing of our people. We want to rest, live, breath, and “do us”. This has a price, and it’s not one we want to endure.

We are an innovative people. We can find ways to express ourselves, be ourselves, have out balance of peace and still be mindful of the reality around us. We may have to redefine what it means to “do you”, so that it doesn’t get us killed. Teaching the youth will mean checking back in. I’m not saying we must march and be everywhere, as I truly believe we will need to find a different way to protect ourselves and our future. But we can’t just walk around like madness is not happening and move haphazardly in spite. As I stated, I have the saying “ignorance is bliss”. In these times I’d prefer, “Just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should”.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

The problem of racism in Mardi Gras run deep. Long before the parades became tourist attractions, the city’s krewes were exclusive social clubs that openly excluded Black people from membership. Some of the oldest krewes refused to integrate well into the 1990s, choosing to stop parading rather than accept Black riders. In 2026 the hierarchy of who gets to ride, who gets to lead, and who gets to be celebrated still reflects old lines of racist power. At the same time, Black New Orleanians have always shaped Mardi Gras—from the Baby Dolls to the Skull and Bone Gangs to the Mardi Gras Indians—yet our contributions were historically dismissed or treated as exotic side attractions rather than central pillars of the culture.

This year, those tensions resurfaced in ways that felt both familiar and exhausting. One of the most disturbing incidents happened during the Krewe of Tucks parade; photos circulated showing Black dolls hanging by their necks from bead ropes attached to a float. The images spread quickly and sparked outrage across the city. Officials, including Mayor Helena Moreno, condemned the display as deeply offensive and demanded accountability from the krewe’s leadership. The Louisiana Attorney General even launched a state-level investigation into how such imagery made it onto the parade route at all, and whether any civil rights violations were involved. The problem is those in leadership know how the imagery made it to the parade route. They know the history of the hatred on those routes, and the sad part is we do not expect the matter to be handled. We hear the words, but we have been hearing them forever without adequate change.

Seeing those photos hit me harder than I expected. It wasn’t just the dolls—it was the reminder that even in 2026, even in a city where Black culture defines the rhythm of daily life, someone still thought that kind of imagery was funny, or edgy, or acceptable. It made me think about how often Black people in New Orleans are expected to perform joy while swallowing disrespect.

Hanging Black dolls is not ambiguous. It’s not a misunderstanding. It’s a reminder of lynching, of dehumanization, of the violence that Black communities have endured for generations. And to see it rolling down St. Charles Avenue, in broad daylight, during a celebration that claims to represent the whole city, felt like a slap. Many of us understand the old ways…we don’t need to be on St, Charles. It is sad that we must feel that way, but to truly enjoy Mardi Gra may of us stick to spaces that have always been for us. No one is saying any one has to stick to a certain part of New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but natives know some spaces are uncomfortable for us.

Still, I can’t help but feel conflicted. I love Mardi Gras. I love the music, the food, and the way the city feels alive in a way no other place can match. But I also carry the knowledge that the celebration has always been layered joy on top of struggle, tradition on top of exclusion. This year just made those layers more visible.

Maybe that visibility is a step forward. Maybe calling out these incidents, loudly and publicly, is part of how the city grows. But it’s hard not to wish that the burden didn’t always fall on Black people to explain why something is hurtful, or to push for accountability, or to remind others that Mardi Gras belongs to us too. There is a part of me that wants the change to truly begin.

As the season wrapped up, the parades still rolled, the beads still flew, and the crowds still danced. But for many of us, the celebration came with a heaviness that’s hard to shake. Mardi Gras will always be a mix of beauty and contradiction. This year just reminded me that the work of confronting its past—and its present—is far from over.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

After Katrina, as we struggled to come home, we watched a real time gentrification begin to happen in the city at a rapid rate, and our leadership was complicit. People of varying races moved to New Orleans and looked down on the Black native. They wanted to change a culture that had been here long before them. They wanted noise ordinances to silence the music that never stopped. They wanted to block streets that you could not, while being salty when a Second Line happened in their neighborhood. They didn’t realize the New Orleans you visit is not seasonal…that is life for us.

We watched the price of homes, rentals, insurance, everything skyrocketed while short-term leases were allowed to thrive in residential areas where families should have been able to live. Police began to see some and ignored others. Some native street vendors would be shut down, or they would have to jump through hoops to work, while other ethnicities were allowed to thrive, breaking rules they set for us. Yet in all of this were still expected to maintain the culture that keeps people coming to New Orleans all year long. This is exhausting, but more importantly it is heartbreaking.

How the homeless have been dealt with, and the issue of addicts that are not Black citizens further establishes the disenfranchised we experience in out own home. Our children don’t get the schools they deserve because our schools housed a good part of our culture, and it is being systemically destroyed. The culture we hold dear and have passed down for generations does not mean the same to the transplants. Some might disagree, but the truth is in how the natives of this city are treated. This is not Houston or Atlanta or another city in the US…the culture here is different and New Orleans can not survive without it.

We woke up one morning and realized our governor had invited the National Guard to New Orleans. In addition, our outgoing mayor is in turmoil, and we look at incoming leadership that still won’t center the deep needs for this city so that we all can thrive. New Orleans is, again, in a fight to survive and continue the culture we all know and love. What we create in our city happens to make money, but it is for soul first. The music that flows here is sourced from the depths of our being and it deserves to continue. We need to be able to have our soul respected in our place of origin. If you move to New Orleans please respect the culture and natives that are already here, if you can’t do so just visit or leave us in peace. Many of us will have to fight for our city the old fashion way…through the culture in the streets.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

One thing Black Americans have always had to do was keep watch. Even if we decided not to speak to matters immediately, we saw them; at the very least we began preparing mentally. What some may see as our ingenious brand of comedy is usually a way to begin vetting how we feel about things happening, or what we see is about to happen. Because of this we can begin to face what could be serious issues while maintaining some level of peace because we are not caught off guard. There is not a storm that just shows up that we are absolutely unprepared to address. Due to this, many might say we are prophetic…maybe, but its more so our people have been through enough to anticipate what those around us will do should hell break loose. Unfortunately, this means protecting ourselves from others, and each those of us within our “community” that don’t move like us. This quiet laidback observation with stealth movement has kept us through every major issue this country has faced, and that our people have faced. The important thing is we always saw the storm coming.

Today we are possibly at a disadvantage. Too many of us may be misunderstanding the concept of “protecting peace” and wanting a “soft life”. As stated, these are not bad, with that in mind one must understand it doesn’t look the same for our people as it may for other groups. We can’t shut out the world around us under the guise of peace. We can not misunderstand the true meaning of strength and surrender our greatest personal advantage for a “soft” that will betray us in the future. One of our greatest strengths was seeing hell and being absolutely unbothered because as a people we have seen worse. Our peace was not dictated by the world around us; it was a decision made in spite of the world. This allows us to maintain joy, thrive in various endeavors, build family and community, and move our people forward. Access can be a tool, but not one that should be internalized. None of what we see around us is new…it’s repackaged hatred, confusion, evil, and chaos. We can’t afford to ignore all of it, or to simply pretend the madness in the world is either not happening or won’t affect us.

When ICE began its rampage of violating human rights by pulling immigrants off the streets our people, for the most part, felt this is not our fight. We had every right to be angry and feel betrayed after the election. We knew people in this country voted for their own demise…we warned them, but no one listened. We said it was not our fight, but we didn’t say we wouldn’t observe the situation. Black America had to know they could not afford to go into a bubble whereby they did not pay attention. Sisters we had to know we could not just ignore what was about to happen…and did happen. Some of us tried to say it’s not my business; turn the TV off, turn the phone off, and disengage completely because it is not our fight and we are tired. The sentiment was understandable, but we should also know that is not the America WE live in. It is unsafe for us to completely disengage. The reason we were able to give the warning is because we currently live in the reality that was coming for others. Knowing that, we should also know we would be in the line of fire. We can disengage from the discussion while actively paying attention so that we move in a manner that protects our safety and peace. To ignore everything completely is to get blind-sided. This is not new…it’s always been our reality. Protect your peace by being aware and prepared. Ignorance is not bliss…it’s deadly.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

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.

People from across the state & nation had their view of New Orleans; Katrina them the right to feel they could speak on a culture they did not know. After that hurricane Black people from New Orleans were branded as refugees, backwards, slow, and more importantly violent. We were blamed for violence in various cities that had nothing to do with us. We became the scapegoat people used and are still using to justify why there is crime surges in their cities. If they looked at how crime happens in New Orleans they would know what they are seeing has nothing to do with New Orleanians. This matters because even though crime has not surged in the city, and we have seen patterns of violence from outsiders in our city, it’s blasted all over the news as though we are acting foolish. Many governors have come with the agenda to “tame” New Orleans, they use the excuse of violent crimes as a reason to “step in”. Governor Landry called the President and offered up New Orleans for federal policing. In doing this what did he hope to gain? He wants to seize the resources of New Orleans and further disenfranchise the city to kill its voice…as he sees it as an opposition to the current administration. This governor has sold out the state to bow to the current administration and he has offered New Orleans.

We do not need the National Guard we need our elected officials to do their job. We need to see the state work with our city to actually fix the levee issues, and problems that still stem from Katrina. We need the state not to take more fiscally than they should and stop trying to police New Orleans in a manner by which they don’t with the rest of the state. It is unfair and creates further division within Louisiana. If the state wanted to help with something they could have worked with the city verses bringing in the National Guard which will not fix crime. It will only create further resistance and violence. Maybe the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina needs to be re-visited. New Orleanians, especially Blacks citizens of the city, were traumatized further. We were depicted as violent thieves, while our white counterparts were seen as trying to survive.

Those in authority were given the authority to kill us. Racists hunted us like animals, and many were killed. This is a history that is deeply rooted here now, and it’s clear the state doesn’t care about the city that brings millions of tourists a year to this state. Bringing the National Guard to New Orleans is like telling the Black citizens there who contribute to a large part of the culture people come to enjoy…they are bring death to our doorstep. We deserve better than this from our governor and state. We should have to remember the title, “The City That Care Forgot”. This is what I think of when I’m reading about our own governor choosing to request military presence in my city, and throughout the state of Louisiana. Rest assured history never forgets, and neither does New Orleans.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

Watching people lose everything they have as they are on the run trying to survive feels too personal to us. Yet, we have to remember how we got here. It is important that we are never the priority in terms of equality and safety…we are expected to fight and bleed for the benefit of others. Because this is the reality…New Orleans Blacks will have to find a way to sit down. There are enough battles that we have to fight.

New Orleanian natives are fighting to keep our culture intact. Moreso since Hurricane Katrina, we have seen people that do not look like us move in and attack our culture directly while benefiting from it. We were put under noise ordinances, have had our cultural practices attacked, and continue to have access to resources stifled but given to others. There are POCs that could have been working with us to better the city, but they chose to align themselves with those that govern systemic oppression. They looked down on us while invading spaces that never belonged to them. Twenty years after Katrina Black New Orleanians are still fighting for the city, and many are still fighting to come home. So much is happening here and in addition we see others that we could work together with demand us to prioritize their needs and fears. This should not be expected of us. We don’t face the “it will happen to you next”, the oppression never stopped happening to us. New Orleans has always been a laid-back open city…arms open to whoever would receive her. However, Katrina and the response to our devastation changed that some. Our hospitality is still intact, but it is not the same.

Black New Orleanians must center ourselves. We know how to fight for our city, and that has to be our focus. So much is happening, and our city is hurting on every level. Yes, we see the pain of others, especially regarding immigration. However, we must remain honest about why that pain exists as it does. There has to be a call to accountability in other groups, and we cannot absolve it. The days of us taking a stand in the city centering everyone has to be paused. We are in need of too much, and no one is going to come to our aid. We must reserve the energy and resources we share for the advancement and survival of our children. New Orleans is out home, our culture…it’s who we are and we need our children to have the opportunity to partake of said culture. We can’t take to the street in defense of anyone but ourselves right now. We have already been shown when the time comes to make the decision for solidarity where it will matter the most, in a voting booth, we are all we got. This will not be easy.

Some of the POCs we see suffering are neighbors and co-workers, but some of them also made it clear that they would center themselves no matter the cost. They are now realizing things like Project 2025 were not just propaganda created by liberals to trick them.  This was real, and what we see happening on the streets in many cities is real. No one listened to us, and now it’s too late to appeal to us about it. We must focus on our community. We have to sit down and let other groups organize and fight for themselves. We have our hands full with our people and the preservation of our culture.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

If you think this is an exaggeration it is time you look at what is rapidly happening in healthcare. Millions are being kicked off their Medicaid. The healthcare of the disabled, elderly, and children are being played with as we speak. Right here in Louisiana urgent cares are closing all over the state and in rural areas. This matters because in some rural places it can take over an hour for those residents to get to an emergency room, or to a doctor’s office. This is serious and it can cause delays in care which for some can be life threatening. The stress of physical health conditions exacerbates mental health conditions that already exist and can create new ones. This is not a joke nor is it the voices of people that are just upset their candidate lost. You know this to be true by the degree of voter remorse that is running rampant. The hatred of some, and lack of care for others has literally led to behaviors that has cause a national healthcare crisis.

I admit I became depressed after the election. I sat back and watched my Medicaid be threatened. I have sat on the phone for countless hours trying to manage how to afford medications and have had to have some of them changed or adjusted. This took a toll on me physically leading to brief hospitalizations as my doctors find alternatives to the medications I was previously on. Unfortunately, I am not the only one…and I’m not the worst case. There are countless horror stories of patients trying to figure out how to stay alive under this administration. Think about it, we are not trying to figure out how to manage…no it’s how are we going to keep breathing. Check on your friends with health challenges because we are not ok. It is hard enough feeling like a burden due to being ill and or disabled.

Yes, family will tell you they love you and you are valued, but you see the strain your condition causes. Many of us wish we could just get up and work, but physically we are unable, and this adds to the feeling of worthlessness. Now we have added pressure from an administration that does not care about its citizens to the point where we are not only being targeted on the streets, but in healthcare as well. Many of us are distanced from family because everything just became more expensive. Unfortunately, some citizens will choose to leave this earth verses fighting for help. They are tired.

The reality is too any Americans were selfish and hateful during this last election. Too many were racist to the point they finally did cut off their own nose despite their face. Unfortunately, the nation is paying the price…not just the people that voted for this madness. Though it is ridiculously hard, we must come together as a community and care for our sick, disabled, elders, and children. Those of us with health issues must fight to remember our life has value. We are worth fighting for, and we must continue to show up for ourselves. Though I found myself in a dark space…I had to get up and get back out into creation. I deserve the right to continue living my life like many others challenges with health issues. Illness under Trump is frightening and difficult, but we can survive.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

At the same time feeling that just logic, ethic, and philosophy from a system not created by us will be our weapon is a delusion. We must have the knowledge, wisdom, gut instinct, and calculate moment to make it through whatever is ahead of us. Patience alone is something that can prove to be a problem because too many of us don’t have it. Too many of us are emotional to the degree it can render us unable to function and that is dangerous. Many of us are feeling a deep-seated fear that is justified. Where some felt we had some allies we found out on election day all we have is each other. Though we have fought for the rights of others, our lives were not important enough for any POC group to truly align themselves with us for whatever reason. This is enough to cause an anxiety attack, but I remember this was also the position of our ancestors. Black women have spoken on behave of themselves and the Black delegation that as a people we are checked out. We cannot afford to center any other group…oneself. With that established and agreed with…how to manage the fear and concern we feel is important.

While grocery shopping last week, I noticed an old white man with a MAGA hate on with a gun on his side [I live in an open carry state] and I watch a young Black woman lock eyes with her and she froze. As I was preparing to pass them, I heard him tell her she would be a cute item. Her eyes were wide as were mine, but before she could answer him I was walking away with the sistah. She was ready to go off, and rightfully so, but I don’t believe she was paying attention to the weapon on his person.  She and I talked a bit as she was calming down. I explained that her feelings were valid, but she confirmed for me that she didn’t notice his firearm. This allowed us to just bond a moment over the experience as well as how to manage the fear that the election outcome has caused. We exchanged numbers since we live in the same city. We’ll shop together so that we feel a bit safer. How we move will have to be more strategic, and we can’t have a “you can’t tell me anything” attitude. It would be unwise to move about with our ears plugged unaware of our surroundings. This has always been dangerous, but even more so now. It is important to know where our children and family members are. Some of this might seem overwhelming, and I agree…but we truly do not know what is ahead of us. We could be about to meet the past through various parts of Project 2025 being implemented, or it could upset White America so much that they actually fight back. Either way we deal with the aftermath of whatever with chosen.

Knowing history in this time is a great help. We don’t need to re-invent the wheel in terms of surviving and thriving under directly hostile administrations. Our ancestors left us the blueprint, and unity is heavily involved. At some point we will have to learn to love self fully in all of ones blackness, and them love each other just the same. We have more access to information then those that can before us, and more access to finance; if we work together we can move the blueprint forward. We must look out for each other, and all our people to look out for us.  This also means dealing with those in our community that clearly do not understand the assignment. That can  be difficult, but we can’t act like they don’t exist nor should we trust them when they are throw out by those they chose to align themselves with. Uncertain times are ahead of us. Managing stress, fear, anxiety, and other spaces will be vital to surviving so that we also enable our children to manage. Our ancestors survived and thrived…so can we.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

In other words, why are so called feminist having the conversation with Black women…that is preaching to the choir. To actually do the work they would have to confront their family, friends, co-workers, and other White women in their village. Throughout the conversation one thing that became clear was the speech was not truly understood, and Black women are a source of strength, brains, and energy for the feminist movement to our detriment.  Sojourner Truth gave a description of what the treatment of a “woman” should be, and then question whether she too is a woman because none of the things that a woman is said to deserve applied to her. Yes, she was concerned about women’s rights, but it was centered along side race.

Black women need to deeply understand what happened. We have been used to advance the fight of White women against their men, and each other…while being betrayed at the same time. When it’s time to vote the betrayal happens, and we are left to ponder why this continues to happen. Our community dynamic, soul spaces, how we see the world, and how we engage with our men & children is different.  The risks we face every day when our family leaves the home is not the same. Feminism was never for us as it was not created by us, nor does it best serve us when interacting with those in our community. Feminist saw great strength, heart, and loyalty in us…they saw how we navigated our oppression and how we fought back. They had to get us away from our men because the relationship issues are not the same.

We couldn’t be allowed to heal and bond with Black men because that would make our community to high powered. We were set apart to fight for women’s rights as if that is the first thing Black women must center. No, we are Black, and this truth fuels the majority of the hate and suffering we have experienced in this nation. This was never respected by White women. They needed feminism to “protect” their interest and children and yes, their sons…while our interests fell on deaf ears, and our children were murdered in the streets. While trying to make us all believe we are feminists together we mourned our children and the implication of their deaths alone.

Black women have never been truly accepted as feminists, hence why some of us identify as womanists, though we showed up to every fight; we used our voices and resources to try to progress the movement of women’s rights through feminism only to be reminded of what we’re losing.

Race for us must come first…clearly because we are not equally respected as women. The truth is Black women are not seen on equal footing with White women, and our causes are not seen as on par with those of said White women. What the election has taught us through this deep rooted betrayal is we were wrong to trust White feminists. We were wrong to believe they would ever truly align with our needs and concerns as Black women. In the voting booth they choose race over gender. They chose their husbands and sons over the movement they yelled in the street about. The problem is the choice meant damnation for women, and Black women directly.

I know it is hard for many of us to understand why we must divorce feminism instead of just walking away from the causes of White women. The answer can be found in listening to our ancestors. Sojourner Truth spoke about her womanhood being stripped which in turn stripped her humanity. She called on men to let women fix what was wrong with the world know that “women” did not include her by the standard of others…White women included. We can embrace womanism and continue OUR movement in a way that fights for our rights, builds sisterhood, invokes healing, and even help to rebuild the relationship with Black men. It is important to acknowledge the systemic hands involved in the battle between Black men and Black women. A hard truth is a White woman’s feminism is a part of that system. This feminism has betrayed us countless times, and it is time to walk away from it. We can no longer allow ourselves to be a weapon in their battle with White men…especially since it benefits us nothing. We must forge a different path that allows us to center ourselves and our people.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.