Recipe for Racism?
filed in Nonsensical Ramblings on Jan.18, 2006
“Do you know anything about chocolate?” the mayor said. “How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That’s the chocolate I’m talking about.”
This was the defense New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin made when asked if his comments from earlier in the day could be considered “devisive.”
What were those comments?
Well, Mayor Nagin spoke with the theological authority of an apostle as he proposed that God must be angry at America – and especially black people. Why else would he send “hurricane after hurricane after hurricane.” He then went on to explain his desires for New Orleans to once again become a “chocolate city.” A CHOCOLATE CITY?? Some have said that this was in reference to the racially-charged 1970’s Funk song “Chocolate City” by Parliament. Frankly, I think that’s giving Mayor Nagin too much credit. Nagin has shown the national media on more than one occasion since the Katrina disaster that he speaks off the cuff and rarely will apologize later.
When were those comments said?
Monday, January 16th – Martin Luthor King, Jr. Day
Let’s put his point of view in perspective. There is a lot of talk about the rebuilding of New Orleans. So many of the poorest black residents have been displaced all over the country and the reality is that most will probably settle where they landed on a permanent basis. This idea, combined with the idea of new residential development being completely out of the price range of the majority of New Orlean’s displaced residents, has caused politicians, city planners and the general public to wonder what the NEW New Orleans will look like racially – compared to the pre-Katrina New Orleans. It was this worry, I believe, that N.O. would become a white playground that fueled Mayor Nagin’s comments on MLK Day.
So my question to you is: Were his comments racist? Were they simply inappropriate? Or, do you agree with him? Please tell me why you think so.
References:
LA Times Article [link]
CNN Article [link]
January 18th, 2006 on 1:27 pm
I dunno if they were racist or not, but they certainly were idiotic and inappropriate.
Personally, I think his recipe for chocolate milk sucks. My recipe usually calls for a glass full of milk, and a tablespoon or two of chocolate syrup. In order to have his “delicious drink” city, is he really calling for a massive influx of rich, frothy whites, so that they can mingle with the dark, flavorful chocolate in the proper ratio?
Other than that, he’s an idiot who has no business being on t.v. at all. But, at least Nancy Grace and Greta have dropped the Aruba mess for a few hours!
January 18th, 2006 on 2:57 pm
The only description that I think is fair is “DUMB-ASS”. I’m sorry if I offend, but really, it’s the only thing that I feel accurately describes this guy.
The rebuilding of NO could be so wonderful. Sociologists, civil engineers, businesses, government, churches, etc. could work together to make a better system – from the start. Previous residents may want to return if they feel that there is something for them to do (job) and somewhere to go (housing). Better economic and social systems need to be created within the city. This is the perfect time to use all the studies that have been done on what programs work…so many times it’s harder to change an existing and failing system – in this case they can start the system from scratch so that the community can thrive in it’s diversity.
However, no one is going to want to move to a rebuilt city where this “DUMB-ASS” still has any say. Was he always like this or is he in shock from what all has happened? He certainly isn’t helping his city.
January 18th, 2006 on 8:10 pm
ahhhh boy am I proud.
January 18th, 2006 on 10:00 pm
Put a white mayor in the mix spouting “Vanilla City”, and “God intended it to be a White City”- and the NAACP and Jesse Jackson and Farrakan would be down faster than you could take a sip!! And they wouldn’t be buying the whole “milkshake recipe” idea either… Admit it, you said what you meant, otherwise you’re not a very intelligent person. Nagin- the duty of a mayor is to be a leader of a city, to represent a city. A city- more important, YOUR city, is made up of more than just Chocolate! And P.S., you should save the dreamy conversations with Dr. King, and your opinions of what God thinks for your Sunday sermons, not your public addresses. An old saying comes to mind “Better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
January 20th, 2006 on 3:13 pm
After reading this post the other day, I sat down to write my own thoughts and it literally turned into a 5 page diatribe. I’ll spare you the bulk of the monstrosity and just add this:
I don’t claim to be an authority on New Orleans; I lived there less than a year. But I did happen to live there during the time that Nagin was elected and inaugurated so I got to see his local politics style up close and personal (so up close, in fact, that I got smacked in the face by a horse’s tail during his inauguration parade but that’s another story). Nagin was a perfect choice for mayor in New Orleans because he is one of them: quirky, fighting for everything he has, bawdy and brash. Pre-Katrina, he worked some minor miracles – or rather some brilliant & creative political maneuvers – to start pulling New Orleans out of a deep impoverished and scandalized hole. He left his very successful business career to run for mayor (his first political office) for many reasons, one of which has always struck me with awe: his son told him that he would never stay in New Orleans because there were no opportunities and too much racial and social division. Nagin ran for office so that his children and grandchildren would still consider New Orleans their Home and not just a place to run from at the first opportunity. When Nagin was elected, he quickly put into place broad anti-corruption task forces (even his own cousin was arrested in the crackdown), he re-appropriated funds to the most needed areas of the budget, and he started dealing with the huge gaps in the public school system. Nagin was always very informal and outspoken but that is what New Orleans is. Mayor Nagin is not a national leader but he has been thrust into that role. He was not ready for it and perhaps, all mayors of major cities should be. This most certainly will be addressed in the upcoming mayoral elections as soon as they are rescheduled.
As Kate said, this is a huge opportunity that has been given to New Orleans: a change to start again and to tackle the problems that divided and oppressed the city for so long. It is a chance at a rebirth after, not only a horrific tragedy but also decades of spiraling out of control due to massive corruption and racially-divided poverty. But I have a problem with another part of her comment, “Previous residents may want to return if they feel that there is something for them to do (job) and somewhere to go (housing).” This is the great fear that Nagin was addressing in his very misguided words. The worries that the poor (and black) majority of pre-Katrina New Orleans will be priced out of their own city is a real threat. There needs to be a massive effort to make sure there IS something for them to do and there IS somewhere to go. Pre-Katrina, their jobs may have been considered menial and their houses may have only been a shack, but they made do, they worked hard and they made New Orleans the vital and richly cultured city that it was. This will be a tragedy that I believe no one who hasn’t lived there can understand. Without the diverse mix of cultures and races and socioeconomic backgrounds, there will be no Trolley Stop Cafe. The Trolley Stop was an all night diner that served a melted stick of butter with every item on the menu. On Friday nights at midnight, it would be crowded beyond belief, with people standing at eating in the corners. There would be Tulane graduate students debating great literature, drunken Garden District socialites trying to sober up over a plate of biscuits and gravy, tables of Black Pentecostals still murmuring their “Lord, Have Mercies” left over from their Friday night revival, three year old toddlers (White, Black, Asian, Latino) weaving among all the tables and eating off everyone’s plates, and a group of jazz musicians coming down off the high of their last set. I would never refer to it as “Chocolate” but it was a mix I have never witnessed before, not even in New York City.
New Orleans needs a leader who can lead the city through these precarious decisions that will affect its immediate and long term future. The struggle between all of the vested interests will certainly be hard fought, and at times bitter and painful. Just look at the battles over the rebuilding of the World Trade Center in New York City. Everyone involved in the process has an ulterior motive and none of them are necessarily bad, or even less important than the others. But as decisions are made, people are offended, battles are lost, and wounds are reopened. And (not to trivialize the WTC!), that is just one small section of a large city. We’re talking about rebuilding the entire city of New Orleans! No one is going to please everyone and there is great risk that those with money and political clout will be able to push their agendas much more successfully than the disenfranchised and the displaced. The rebuilding of New Orleans has the potential for greatness; it also has the potential to be a far greater disaster than Katrina was in the long run. Although I do admire Mayor Ray Nagin for many reasons, I do not believe he is the leader to help mold New Orleans’ vision for the future. The new mayor needs to be prepared for the international spotlight ann all that brings with it, including the ability to think before speaking. But, I do hope, that whoever is elected will bring to his work the same passion that Nagin has. I’d take passion over polish any day.
(Now aren’t you glad I only posted the edited version? Thanks for inspiring me to sit down and have a serious conversation with myself.)
January 20th, 2006 on 3:32 pm
Rai, thanks so much for the comment. It really is refreshing to hear another – and generally positive – point of view on Mayor Nagin. As you know, our media outlets are not generally well-rounded in their coverage.
I think you have probably hit the nail on the head with your surmise. New Orleans, though a legitimate city, is not a MAJOR U.S. city. It is not a NYC. It is not a Chicago or Atlanta or Los Angeles. The politicians in NOLA are not accustomed to the national media spotlight pointed at them and they don’t have the experience – or polish – to handle it carefully. I think Mayor Nagin is the epitomy of this idea. He speaks off the cuff, and if he employs a speech writer he doesn’t use them. 🙂