New Orleans re-visited – Obama – who is “on the list” ?

A handful of volunteer mediators and trainers from Mediators Beyond Borders ( www. mediatorsbeyondborders.org) just returned from New Orleans. We and several others spent a week there in March spread out over different parts of the city. This trip we Lower Ninth Ward.

I stood with a couple hundred of the hopeful faithfuls on Thursday the 16th outside Martin Luther King Charter School where President Obama was due to visit. Arriving early I bumped into a few friends who were anxiously waiting in line claiming that their name was “on the list.” Most notably was Ronald W. Lewis, clutching a copy of “House of Dance and Feathers,”  the newest book from the Neighborhood Story Project at Octavia Books. Lewis figures prominently in the book about the museum he built in his backyard. (http://blog.nola.com/susanlarson/2009/03/this_week_a_calendar_for_the_b_36.html  Ronald proudly showed me the personal inscription he made to the President. The plan was to personally hand the book to the President. After all, Ronald was “on the list.”

 

Mark “Pinman” Perez, originally from New Orleans,  flew in from Houston in all his regalia because he was “on the list” too.

I called Ward “Mack” McLendon from the Lower 9th Ward Village (http://www.lower9thwardvillage.org)  he appeared because someone told him that he was “on the list” too.

 

The security staff from the school were allowing some folks into MLK, but most were told that they were NOT “on the list.” At a few points it appeared that I would have to intercede and call upon my peacemaking skills, but cooler heads prevailed. Not longer after, we were all advised to move away from the door. Not long after we wer all moved behind hastily constructed police barricades across the street.

As the heat reached 90 degrees, it became apparent that this was going to be a hot and sweaty morning. New Orleans finest gathered under a tree in the parkway. The only other source of shade was a larger tree on the people side of the barricade. Space was quickly taken.  I found myself standing next to a school social worker who gave up hope of getting access to the school for her weekly visit with her 6 year old “client.”  She, being from New Orleans, brought an umbrella to shelter her from the sun.

Someone sold pies, another chocolate, no one had what we wanted – water! And because we were in the largely ignored L0wer 9th Ward — there are no stores, gas stations, or really anywhere to buy anything, even a bottle of water. Spirits were lifted when we saw Air Force One float by. About 30 minutes later a chopper flew over. The  folks thought it was the Prez, but it was a security pass.

Soon enough, the motorcade flew by. Obama used a back door, so none of us actually saw him, but the cheers were deafening! A chant arose “Obama, Obama, Obama.”  We all presumed he heard. Everybody with him — local politicians, the press corps, etc.– were ALL “on the list” and streamed in.

We decided to wait for the exit.  A couple of the older folks “fell out”  from the heat while we waited. An ambulance was nearby, and they were hydrated and properly cared for. The President’s departure came soon enough. This time the Presidential limo was facing the other way, so we all had a great view, through the limo’s darkened glass, and our own streaming sweat!

And then it was all over. But all of those very hopeful supportive and ,yes, forgotten, Lowe r 9th Ward residents were uniform in their comments:

“Did you see him? He waived right at me! yeah, right at me!”

Beautiful day!

Who needs to be “on the list”  anyway? when you can make memories of your own like that, born from hope, not desperation.

Yes ” the audacity of hope” is alive and well in the Lower 9th Ward!