How My Chocolate Got Bitter

I hate to say this about a fellow brotha' man (I know, I normally don't stoop down to using Ebonics, despite the fact that I'm African-American, but I couldn't pass this opportunity up...anyway...), but New Orleans mayor C. Ray Nagin made a major boo-boo when he said that he wanted New Orleans to be a 'chocolate city'. As we well know, New Orleans was over 66% black before Katrina decided to work for the Ku Klux Klan, and run a lot of the black population out- if the bitch hasn't already killed it first. Since then, most of the returning residents are white, so apparently the Klan hurricane machine did its' job (tounge in cheek comments mine, kids...).



Clarence, Clarence, oh, Clarence. Why must you do this to us?

Yesterday, on Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Nagin made the comment that New Orleans will be a 'chocolate city' again. Of course, he said this in front of a majority black crowd, making one wonder if this was a Nation of Islam rally, as opposed to a political rally.

Nagin later apologized for the comment, but many see the comments as racist- at worse.

A lot of white folks voted for him in 2002- I know. I was in New Orleans during the mayoral campaign, where he competed against then-Polioce Superintendent Richard Pennington; and Louisiana state representative Paulette Irons; and pastor Leonard Lucas. He won, largely due to the white vote. But now, Nagin seems to be burning bridges- and not just in the white segment of the New Orleans population. Before Katrina struck, the black community complained that he was ignoring them (during the mayoral campaign, one radio ad even suggested that Mr. Nagin should change his name to 'Ray Reagan'- due to his support, however alledged, of President Bush).

Nagin should watch his words if he intends to lead New Orleans during this year's mayoral campaign. Four candidates- all white- think they can bridge the city together. It's up to Nagin to prove that he's a builder, not a destructor.