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Parading in Inequality

By Enigma E

Mardi Gras is a Billion-dollar busine$$, but who’s benefiting from it? It’s not the Flambeaux walkers, High school marching bands or Black Mardi Gras Indians. Nor is it any of the working class people that are the lifeblood of the city and the creators of the unique culture that makes New Orleans so desirable. The people that make the big $$ during MG are the big hotel chains, advertisement industry, beer/liquor companies and police/security forces. Progress has been made in the sense we’ve went from Quadroon balls to the modern-day festiveness, but the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I must say that this Mardi Gras season I really learned a lot. It was my first go around marching with my high school’s band & performance groups. The volume of lucid drunken people that’s out in the streets of New Orleans is crazy. I always knew it was bad, but once you out hitting ‘dem streets with yo Squad and all eyes on y’all, then you really feel and take on that “Us against the world” mentality. People tell ‘ya all kind of dumb reckless shit as you diligently pace that pavement, you gotta put in your head that they just full of that liquid courage and don’t respond to the bullshit they say.

There were people that would try and cut through the band, just for their own childish giggles, there were people that would throw those dam beads and trinkets over our heads, which a few hit us, and I would then have to restrain myself from going after them as I saw our students upset by this buffoonery. There is a lot of overt racism during Mardi Gras as well, such as the Krewe of Chaos having anti-Black Lives Matter floats, Endymion handing out sambo dolls to Black kids, and Rex masking in their Klanish masks, robes and horses.

There is a lot of drunken white privilege out there too. The people entertaining and cleaning was Black & Latino, while majority of the people reveling in the festivities was white. This was especially evident as we went into the Convention Center after the Bacchus parade, for their grandiose ball. It costs thousands of dollars to ride on the floats and thousands of dollars to be a tourist down here during MG.

I did love seeing my beautiful Black folk out there and getting some daps & hugs from them. I’m just glad I was able to be out there, because I mean it when I say the Assata Shakur chant and the part about “It is OUR duty to love & protect each other”. The students work hard at their craft and I felt proud to make sure nothing happened to any of them as we marched in them streets.

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Teachers and Staff Across the Country Prove that Getting Organized and Going on Strike Works!

Business as usual in this country has been disrupted as a historic teacher strike wave has spread from West Virginia to Oklahoma. Teachers have gone on strike (all in supposedly-conservative states).

Teachers demonstrate in W. Virginia
It began in West Virginia on February 22, after Governor Justice signed legislation giving teachers a 2% pay increase. Teachers knew that this was inadequate to cover living costs and did not address other concerns, such as the long-time, intentional underfunding of public schools. With the support of parents and students, teachers and school staff shut down schools in all 55 counties for nine days. The teachers reached an agreement with the state, resulting in a 5% raise for all state workers and a freeze on raising health insurance costs.

Similar strikes have occurred in Kentucky, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Colorado. In most of these states, it is “illegal” for public sector workers to go on strike. These teachers, are setting an incredible example of courage and determination. All workers—the poor, the oppressed, the unemployed, and imprisoned—can learn from this struggle. When the people get organized and act in unison, major change is possible.

The Latest on Oklahoma
The Oklahoma strike ended on April 11, after nearly two weeks. Oklahoma has been undergoing a crisis of education, as teachers have left the state in recent years due to low wages and underfunded schools where students have been forced to use battered, outdated textbooks and only attend school four days out of the week. The strike has forced the state legislature to raise oil taxes, bringing in $450 million for education. On average, teachers will receive a raise of $6,100 per year as a result of the new funding.

Teachers in Louisiana resist, too
Educators, school staff, students and families face terrible conditions in Louisiana–both in New Orleans and throughout the state. In January, Deyshia Hargrave, a middle school teacher in Vermillion Parish, made national news.
Hargrave stood up at a school board meeting and asked about teacher salaries, saying “I have a serious issue with a superintendent or any person in a position of leadership getting any type of raise. It’s a slap in the face to all the teachers, cafeteria workers, or any other support staff we have. We work very hard with very little to maintain the salaries that we have…We’re doing the work. The students are doing the work. At the top, that’s not where kids learn. It’s in the classroom.”

As a result, Hargrave was handcuffed and removed. Hargrave was not charged, and because of her courage, she received massive support online. A mass rally of educators and supporters was also held in Abbeville. Hargrave was one of the main speakers.

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Hospitality Workers Commitee Demands Health Insurance, Clinic, Livable Scheduling and Sick Pay

The New Orleans Hospitality Workers Committee met with a fellow worker named Laura, a mother, and a long-time, hospitality worker. At age 43, Laura hasn’t had insurance for about 2 years. Why? She couldn’t afford it. This year, she finally went to the hospital to find that she had a severe heart infection that must have been brewing for 5 months to a year, and what happened? She almost got kicked out of the hospital! By action on behalf of community members and doctors such as Mark-Alain Dery, she was able to stay. However, Laura’s life is in critical condition, and should she survive, she or her family will likely face medical debt. Her case is an example for thousands of workers and their families every year. Is this acceptable?

The New Orleans Hospitality Workers Committee thinks not. We know that the Tourism Marketing Corporation has the capacity to pay for Laura’s insurance, as well as all the hospitality workers of New Orleans. With over $140 Million per year, it is entirely possible that the city provides workers with a full service medical clinic. We, the workers must stand up together, with our families and communities, against the rich making decisions at the expense of our lives! We can no longer work day-in and day-out with a smile on our face while corporations and politicians steal our money.