MetaFilter posts tagged with Louisiana

Shades of Jim Crow and the Black Codes, in 2009

zarq — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:02:23 -0800

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way." Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish’s 8th Ward in Louisiana, has denied a marriage license to an interracial couple, using Tragic Mulatto reasoning. He claims that children of interracial marriages suffer needlessly, and the couple's union won't last. Previously on MeFi: The Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage

Beth Rickey, 1956-2009

Horace Rumpole — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:51:26 -0800

Beth Rickey, instrumental in thwarting the rise of neo-Nazi David Duke in Louisiana politics, died this weekend at the age of 53 in a Santa Fe motel.

Hurricane Chris

TrialByMedia — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:14:46 -0800

Shreveport rapper Hurricane Chris performs for the Louisiana State Legislature.

I don't want to go to there

hifiparasol — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:27:21 -0800

While the world may be abuzz with talk of President Obama's first (sorta kinda but not really) State of the Union Address last night, others are comparing Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal -- who, in his response (part 1, part 2) scoffed at high-speed rail and suggested that monitoring volcanoes is somehow a bad thing -- to, um... well, just check it out for yourself. The speech even got low marks from Fox News, and Rachel Maddow was predictably speechless. The best response (or most inappropriate, depending on your point of view) of the night, however, might actually belong to Chris Matthews.

The Isleños

Effigy2000 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:12:53 -0800

The Isleños are said to be a dying traditional American subculture. Descendants of Canary Island immigrants of Louisiana, the name Isleños was given to them to distinguish them from Spanish mainlanders, known as "peninsulares." But in Louisiana, the name evolved from a category to an identity. For a long time they were one of those rare subcultures that found a way to maintain a living tradition as the world around them modernised by carving out a livelihood as crabbers and 'shrimpers'. Then Katrina hit and the wetlands, which were central to the Isleños identity, essentially dissapeared. Despite the blow to their economy, they still have their songs and annual fiestas, evidence of a strong culture which binds their community together, and their rebuilding following Katrina demonstrated how strong that sense of identity and culture can be. So perhaps the Isleños shouldn't be written off just yet, then. After all, as Isleño Irvan Perez says, "This is home. Where else would we go?"

Major Hurricane Gustav heads for Louisiana

cashman — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:30:20 -0800

Hurricane Gustav is headed for landfall in Louisiana in the next 48 hours, with currently around an equal chance of being a category 3 storm or a category 4 storm. Gustav has 150 mph winds at the moment as it begins to enter the gulf of Mexico and a million people evacuate. After failing in their response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago, Fema is trying to be more proactive. Of course, some people are staying in harm's way, live blogging, and once again, there's the cry "bring it on".

New Orleans tries to do things differently this time.
The RNC national convention schedule may be adjusted because of Gustav.
Gustav could send gas prices back to more than $4 a gallon.
Neighboring states evacuate as well.

Alligator takes boys arm, boy takes alligator's head

ColdChef — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:35:23 -0800

"Get me a robot arm that looks like the Terminator." Slidell, LA boy recounts fight with 'Godzilla' gator While playing on the banks of the former gravel pit where neighborhood kids often swim, the kids spotted the 10-foot, 8-inch reptile known as Big Joe on the other side of the lake. Devin said one of his friends began throwing sticks in its direction. Bad idea.

another beautiful guitarist from louisiana

nicolin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:15:19 -0800

another beautiful guitarist from louisiana Such a wise cat he even could replace t-bone walker in a minute. Well, so he said with his enthralling voice. He was such a beautiful singer. Unique violin player. He disappeared in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. Peace.

The 71st Annual LA Shrimp & Petroleum Festival Present by Shell

[expletive deleted] — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:36:25 -0800

Welcome to the official home of the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival.
Sponsored by, you guessed it, Shell. [via]

"How do the tacos help gumbo?"

ColdChef — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:16:28 -0800

"How do the tacos help gumbo?" Hold the tacos, New Orleans says. In yet another pig-ignorant move in Post-Katrina New Orleans, local politicians have decided to destroy the booming taco-truck business that is feeding the workers (and plenty of the locals) who are rebuilding the city. Blame racism, blame taxes, blame immigration politics: A hundred years ago this line of reasoning would have banned the muffulettas and poor-boys that those invading hordes of Sicilians were using to corrupt our youth.

abandoned places

serazin — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:24:31 -0800

Jim documented his recent trip to Louisiana, including a number of photos of places abandoned after Katrina. Some worth checking: Amoco, post office, middle school, boats, homes. and some rebirth. Via, Live Journal's abandoned places community.

The Best Laid Plans

homunculus — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:52:48 -0800

The Best Laid Plans: The Story of How the Government Ignored Its Own Gulf Coast Hurricane Plans. A new report from CREW describes FEMA's plan to respond to a hurricane of Katrina’s magnitude and its subsequent failure to implement that plan. [Via C&L.]

...students arrived at the local high school to find three hangman's nooses dangling from a tree in the courtyard. ...

amberglow — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:20:20 -0800

Under the ole shade tree... Welcome to Jena, LA -- mix high school segregation, racism, nooses, fights, ineffective school administration, attempted-murder charges, shotguns, and a town in upheaval--a "racial powder keg". Much more here, including links to help.

Last chance for Southeast Louisiana

homunculus — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:15:22 -0800

Last Chance. "It took the Mississippi River 6,000 years to build the Louisiana coast. It took man (and natural disasters) 75 years to destroy it. Experts agree we have 10 years to act before the problem is too big to solve." [Via First Draft.]

Killing Brings New Orleans to its Bloodied Knees

ColdChef — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:47:27 -0800

Killings Bring New Orleans to its Bloodied Knees In the sixth New Orleans murder in less than 24 hours, Helen Hill was killed and her husband (who co-founded a sliding-scale doctors' office to serve the impoverished community) was shot in their home Thursday about 5:30 a.m., said police, who found the bleeding man kneeling at the door of the couple's Faubourg Marigny home, clutching their 2-year-old son.

Louis Gottschalk

Gyan — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 17:22:54 -0800

Louis Moreau Gottschalk - an unjustly forgotten American composer of classical music

New Orleans Commencement Speech

ColdChef — Mon, 15 May 2006 20:08:15 -0800

"The water, it came to your school. The gasoline, chemicals, sewage and blood came to your doorstep. It settled into the ground of this courtyard where we now gather." Chris Rose's commencement speech at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans.

Nueva Orleans

ColdChef — Tue, 09 May 2006 10:35:05 -0800

Nueva Orleans Before Katrina, Hispanics accounted for 3 percent of New Orleans’ population, with just 1,900 Mexicans showing up in the 2004 Census. No one knows for certain how many new ones have arrived, but estimates put the number between 10,000 and 50,000.

Conversation with an escaped murderer.

MotorNeuron — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 06:31:26 -0800

"You know the bad thing about it? You're matchin' up to him." Richard Lee McNair, who was serving a life sentence for the 1988 murder of a truck driver in North Dakota, escaped from a federal penitentiary by hiding in a postal van as it left the prison grounds. McNair convinced a police officer in the tiny community of Ball, Louisiana, that he wasn't the man they were looking for. The conversation between McNair and police officer Karl Bordelon was recorded by the video camera on the dashboard of Bordelon's patrol car.

Mascots helping Mascots

ColdChef — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:07:48 -0800

Mascots helping Mascots High schools across America have witnessed the devastation brought about by several recent natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. An outpouring of sympathy and concern, and a desire to help, have come forth from high schools wanting to assist those in need. To enable schools to help other schools, the National Federation of State High School Associations has initiated a fundraising program called the Mascot Adoption Program.

Whipping and chasing and drinking and praying

tellurian — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:53:59 -0800

A strange ritual is played out in Choupic, Louisiana on Mardi Gras day. Something similar happens in Prague on Easter Monday too. [via]

Photographer's account of Katrina

Pacheco — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 22:45:58 -0800

When the levees broke, he looked for was his camera and a boat. This Times-Picayune photographer tells his story of what happened next.

INSURRECTION

Postroad — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 08:08:23 -0800

INSURRECTION Why were American military sent almost instantly when Rita threatens Texas but we were told that they could not be sent to Louisiana till requested? What is the history behind Posse Comitatus? Does the president have the authority just on his say so to send troops into a "sovereign" state? Nice summary of history here.

Fashionably Late?

mischief — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 21:03:24 -0800

Three days after Katrina hit, on September 1st, Red Cross national president Marsha Evans 'first made the request to undertake the operation' ... 'to enter New Orleans with relief supplies', but the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness 'rebuffed' the request. As events unfolded, 'the Red Cross never launched its relief effort in the city' -- as reported by CNN. Fox News (transcription) broke this story with a slightly different perspective. Somewhere in between, I am sure, lies the truth.

Money Flowed to Questionable Projects

Steve_at_Linnwood — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 07:14:23 -0800

Louisiana Leads in Army Corps Spending, but Millions Had Nothing to Do With Floods
In Katrina's wake, Louisiana politicians and other critics have complained about paltry funding for the Army Corps in general and Louisiana projects in particular. But over the five years of President Bush's administration, Louisiana has received far more money for Corps civil works projects than any other state, about $1.9 billion; California was a distant second with less than $1.4 billion, even though its population is more than seven times as large.

[H]undreds of millions of dollars have gone to unrelated water projects demanded by the state's congressional delegation and approved by the Corps, often after economic analyses that turned out to be inaccurate. Despite a series of independent investigations criticizing Army Corps construction projects as wasteful pork-barrel spending, Louisiana's representatives have kept bringing home the bacon.