This week, the U.S. Department of Justice quietly closed the book on one of Louisiana’s longest-standing school desegregation orders—first issued in 1966 to Plaquemines Parish, a place whose history of racial exclusion was once so notorious it had a name: Leander Perez. The DOJ framed the decision as “correcting a historical wrong.” But let’s call […]
On May 3, New Orleans voters face a critical decision: Will we invest in making our city safer, more just, and more humane OR allow vital public safety systems to collapse under the weight of political theater? The ballot isn’t asking for a new tax. It’s asking us to renew an existing 2.46-mill property tax […]
Life in New Orleans has never been cheap or easy for the people who call it home. As rent, groceries, and insurance climb higher each year, tens of thousands of residents are finding it harder just to stay afloat. The city’s beauty hasn’t changed, but for many, the cost of living in it has become […]
On Sunday, April 6, 2025, New Orleanians packed Lafayette Square to protest the mounting threats to public services, civil rights, and working-class communities. The event was part of a national ‘Hands Off!’ day of action, and the message was aimed squarely at state and federal leaders: keep your hands off our schools, our healthcare, our […]
Every time someone points at New Orleans and says, “See? Another murder. Another carjacking,” they ignore the reality: the conditions behind crime in cities like ours weren’t random—they were built, layer by layer, over decades. From government-backed redlining to the hollowing out of urban communities through white flight, and the devastating rise of mass incarceration, […]
The U.S. Supreme Court is once again positioned to decide the future of Black political power in Louisiana. This time, the case centers on whether a congressional district map—drawn under court order to comply with the Voting Rights Act (VRA)—should be struck down as unconstitutional. The consolidated cases, Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais, […]
When Democrat John Bel Edwards’ progressive legacy was elected governor of Louisiana in 2015, few expected the West Point graduate from Amite to become one of the most consequential leaders for New Orleans in recent memory. In a deep red state, Edwards defied expectations—not by loud partisanship, but by delivering quiet, pragmatic progress that reshaped […]
Louisiana voters reject amendment in a powerful statement at the ballot box, overwhelmingly turning down all four proposed constitutional amendments on March 29, 2025. This resounding message made it clear that the public won’t be rushed into rewriting core aspects of the state’s tax code or justice system without thorough scrutiny and community input. Amendment […]
New Orleans’ history of land ownership is deeply intertwined with issues of race and power, marked by periods of displacement, resilience, and ongoing struggles for equity. The Original Stewards: Indigenous Lands Before Colonization Long before European colonization, the area now known as New Orleans was inhabited by Indigenous tribes such as the Houma, Chitimacha, and […]
To the Editor: As a concerned citizen deeply invested in the future of Louisiana, I am writing to urge voters to reject the proposed amendments, particularly Louisiana Amendment 3, in the upcoming March 29th election. Our state stands at a critical crossroads, where our choices will either perpetuate a cycle of systemic harm or open […]
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