Long Live New Orleans and All of the Beauty Out There Like Her |
CounterPunch Exclusives
CounterPunch Exclusives
Long Live New Orleans and All of the Beauty Out There Like Her
Photo by Kristina Volgenau
A recent study recommended that the city of New Orleans begin a planned evacuation due to the inevitable rise of the seas and the loss of protective wetlands. The assumption being that the city will be inundated or at the least become an island within decades. One of the recommendations includes possible movement to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, a place many have already taken to in an attempt to get away from what they perceive as a dangerous city. Those who live in and love New Orleans proper see the north shore as something of a sad facsimile of the culture and vibrancy of the city proper. I’m sure it has its benefits and beauty, but it certainly is a completely different planet than New Orleans itself. The notion of living on the north shore is about as appealing as relocating to Akron, Ohio for many.
The city never made complete sense elevation-wise, and many suffered the fate of disease such as yellow fever, due to the swampy nature of the land. Even so, there really wasn’t a better option when the French wanted a thriving port on the lower Mississippi. The city has a horrible history as well as a sublime.
Something called the Code Noir required that the enslaved be given Sundays off, a minimal gesture to be sure, but one not even replicated in the colonial areas controlled by the English. This “day off” created a situation from which the enslaved could congregate, sell goods and maintain some vestige of the cultures they were torn from in regions of Africa. Congo Square was the site of such gatherings, and you can go there even now…… each Sunday, the drumbeat tradition is kept alive. Prior to the enslaved gathering there, native inhabitants met in the spot and traded goods as the spot was a natural gathering place throughout history. This........