Dear Friends,
Summer seems to be the season for weddings, so I know I am not alone in bidding my son congratulations on his recent nuptials. As is the case with many weddings, the occasion was also a family reunion, bringing relatives from all corners of the U.S. to New Orleans for the weekend. Common conversation was the city’s recovery and how much better it looked, from street improvements to the number of people out and about. It was great to hear such positive commentary from our visitors, to which I responded that the improvements continue daily.
Accompanying CM Fielkow and the New Orleans youth to Alabama were Civil Rights leader Reverend Skip Alexander and former Negro League Baseball player Herbert Simpson.
A few days after the wedding, I celebrated another monumental day. Five coach buses departed City Hall the morning of June 1 loaded down with 240 New Orleans youth, chaperones and donated goods all headed to Alabama. The goal of the day was to teach these youth Civil Rights history lessons by bringing them in contact with the people and places that launched a revolution. During our first stop, the Rickwood Classic MiLB game, the kids were not only hotdog-eating spectators but were also given the opportunity to meet former Negro League Baseball players, including the oldest living former player and manager. After the game, we visited the 16th Street Baptist Church for what was possibly the most influential stop of the day. The little girls killed in the church’s basement were the same age as many of the kids on our trip, fueling questions about hatred, racism and retaliation. From there, we went to the Civil Rights Institute for private tours and where the kids learned about peaceful resistance. Our last stop of the day was in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama’s football complex. Assistant Head Coach Burton Burns, a native New Orleanian, spoke to the kids about staying in school before bringing out several athletes to deliver further inspirational words.
Councilmember Fielkow making a donation to Birmingham Mayor Bell and the Salvation Army for Alabama's tornado victims.
Due to the destructive tornadoes that tore through Alabama last month, we added a new component to the annual trip. Donated items collected throughout New Orleans traveled with us and were given to the Birmingham Salvation Army, both aiding victims of the disaster and teaching our kids how good it feels to give to those in need.
Another reason for celebration was yesterday’s RTA groundbreaking ceremony of the Union Passenger Terminal to Press Street streetcar rail. Public transportation is a necessary component for building sustainable and livable communities, to which our streetcars also add a sense of charm. The streetcar grid will continue to expand in the coming years, connecting our communities in a more efficient and environmentally responsible way.
During last week’s City Council meeting, a resolution that I co-authored with Councilman Johnson for the preservation of McDonogh 19 was unanimously passed. This former school building holds a significant place in history as one of the
The groundbreaking ceremony of the new streetcar line, which will run from the Union Passenger Terminal to Press Street.
first sites of desegregation in New Orleans. Furthermore, the Lower Ninth Ward still has many unfulfilled needs that could be met through the use of this building. I look forward to it being put back into commerce so that we can continue reviving this culturally-rich community while also remembering our past.
If you head to the Creole Tomato Festival this weekend, enjoy the food and stay hydrated!
Your City Council Vice President,
Arnie D. Fielkow
