Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006 - (Page 15)

Y the civic-minded young people of the 1960s right out of their idealism into their time long despair and then, to indifference. Perhaps it was the 1980s when the after we’re all gone. “opportunity” inherent in the American Dream was distorted from the land That’s why it’s of “we” to the land of “to hell with anybody else but me.” Maybe the preimportant to address occupation with technological progress has overshadowed our concern young people in the with human progress. In any case, the result of this social inactivity is reopening of New Orleans — that generations are now named simply for the last letters of the alphayou have always been at the forefront of bet. And these alphabet-named people are distinguished by the ability social change. In rebuilding, let’s revisit to manipulate new technology, buy new things with money they have the potential of American democracy and not earned and be obsessed with the trivial lives of celebrities. But I American glory when its citizens are mobiknow you’re more than that. lized to enlightened action. The soldiers in Martin Luther King’s army were people e have the tendency to make generations demanding change — lawyers, clerks, politiunanimous. But in fact, there really have only cians, housewives, businessmen, maids, clerever been a few people in each generation gymen. The ones on the frontlines were who step out, are willing to put themselves on America’s youth. the line, and risk everything for their beliefs. Young people, much like you, who felt Only a few act the rest of us reap the benefits empowered to better our nation who underof their risk. stood that change required sacrifice who were Yes, I always laugh when people my age complain about their emboldened with a spirit of rightness and were college-age and teenage kids by talking about how much better determined to create change for the betterment of we were. I laugh because I have absolutely no idea what my our country. generation did to enrich our democracy. What movement have That is why, as I stand before you tonight, I say we been identified with that forced our elders to keep the best way to be, is to do. Don’t settle for style. their promises that challenged their failures or Succeed in substance. [Tulane University] built upon their successes? For me, we President Cowen said “don’t come back if dropped the ball after the Civil Rights helping restore New Orleans is not in your Movement. We entered a period of comDNA,” and 91 percent of you Tulane stuplacency and closed our eyes to the dents have returned. Most of you have very public corruption of our democreturned at a time when many would racy. have stayed away. And now that you As we have seen our money are here, you have the opportunity to squandered and stolen, our civic set a new tone, not only for New rights trampled, and the politics of Orleans, but for our country. polarity become the order of the day, Remember, many a revolution started we have held absolutely no one with the actions of a few. For examaccountable. From us, you inherit an ple, only 56 men signed the abiding helplessness. If you realize the Declaration of Independence of which unfortunate consequences of inaction, Ben Franklin said, “We must all hang hopefully you will understand even more together, or assuredly we shall all hang septhe importance of holding both your elders arately.” A few hanging together can lead a and your peers accountable when it comes to the nation to change. rebuilding of New Orleans. Stay up on the facts. What, other than injustice, could be the reason ou know, we love to patronize young people with that the displaced citizens of New Orleans cannot slogans like “the young will lead the way” — when be accommodated by the richest nation in the actually, the young very seldom lead anything in world? You, along with the entire world, saw our country today. It’s been quite some time since a the bureaucratic fumbling and lack of concern younger generation pushed an older one to a higher inflicted on those very same citizens at the standard. My daddy thought — no, he expected — Superdome and the Convention Center. Who that my brothers and I and our generation would make the world a is being held accountable now? better place. He was correct in his belief because he had lived in an Take your example, not from my generaAmerica of continual social progress. Depression followed by prostion, but from generations — from those few perity, segregation by integration, and so on. inspired young people — who stood on the And though I haven’t quite pinpointed it, somewhere between my front lines and fought injustice throughout daddy’s youth and mine, generational aspirations for a richer democrathe course of our nation’s history. For cy changed to aspirations for a richer me — more wealth and more example, in the first twenty years of the leisure time for a lower quality of work. Oh, and forget about our politi1900s, youth supported the Progressive cal process. Voting became too much of a bore — let alone keeping an Movement to keep farmers from being eye on how our tax dollars were being squandered or how our interests shafted by big business, as well as the were being poorly served by our elected officials. movements for women’s suffrage, When did we begin to lose faith in our ability to effect change? Perhaps worker’s rights, a League of Nations the demoralizing murders of John and Robert Kennedy, and MLK scared W We entered a period of complacency and closed our eyes to the very public corruption of our democracy. Winter 2005-06/LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 15

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005 Contents Letters Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Louisiana State Museum After Katrina: “It’s time somebody woke us us up.” Missing New Orleans On Perilous Ground The Buildings of Louisiana (Architectural History by Karen Kingsley) Historic New Orleans Collection Louisiana Association of Museums Back to New Orleans Diary of a Displaced Person Jazz Notes (Music History by Bruce Raeburn) Cradle of the Stars The Terrible and the Brave Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) Forum (Commentary by James Lee Burke)

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

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