Friday, July 23, 2010
Reconciled
Posted by Clancy DuBos on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 6:25 AM
- Think you know New Orleans? Think again. No matter how long you’ve live here, no matter how many generations back your family might go, if you haven’t sat and listened to the young trainees at Café Reconcile tell their stories, you don’t really know this city.
- Mayor Mitch Landrieu, several of his top aides, Criminal Court Judge Keva Landrum-Johnson, NOPD 6th District Capt. Bob Bardy, and a handful of NOPD cops got an earful Thursday night at a round table discussion with about a dozen Reconcile students — “a listening opportunity,” Landrieu called it.
- The students were asked to tell their guests what it’s really like growing up in the city’s rougher neighborhoods, and they didn’t hold back. They spoke of attending pre-Katrina schools where it was easier to get drugs and guns than take-home textbooks, of feeling so unsafe in their neighborhoods that they dared not even sit on their porches, and of not having NORD programs and playgrounds to keep their younger siblings and cousins out of trouble. Two young men said they had been shot — one of them three times — just trying to walk home.
- They weren’t complaining; they were just being honest. In fact, these same young people were filled with hope, thanks to Reconcile.
- “Each one of you makes me feel small,” Landrieu told them after more than an hour of listening under the direction of Reconcile’s program director, Donna Bowie, and executive director Sister Mary Lou Specha. “Some of you may have come from a bad place, but you have all made a decision to change where you’re going,” Landrieu told them afterward.
- Café Reconcile, 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in Central City, operates as a nonprofit restaurant that serves as a training academy for students aged 16-22 who are seeking to acquire life skills as well as experience in the food service industry. Its graduates now work in some of the best eateries in town. (Emeril Lagasse and his foundation are among Reconcile’s leading benefactors.)
- Co-founded in 2000 by the late Rev. Harry Thompson and several community leaders, Reconcile serves great local dishes at some of the city’s lowest prices. It has become a favorite lunch spot for socially conscious entrepreneurs and professionals. Landrieu, who ranks among Café Reconcile’s most avid fans, has taken many visiting dignitaries there to show that hope is not dead even in some of the city’s roughest neighborhoods.
- At Thursday night’s meeting, the mayor urged the students to continue to “find a way to give light to goodness” — a favorite admonition of the late Fr. Thompson, who as president of Jesuit High School was a mentor to Landrieu during the mayor’s teenage years.
- Several students spoke of not having good experiences with cops after having been victims of crime — mostly that cops seemed preoccupied with asking them questions after someone had been shot and was in need to medical attention. Landrum-Johnson, who served briefly as district attorney before winning a Criminal Court judgeship, reminded them that police officers “ask questions because they want to help solve the crime.” She urged them not to be afraid to work with officers.
- Bardy, who described himself as a regular diner at Reconcile, urged the trainees to visit the nearby 6th District station to get better acquainted with area cops. “We have always believed that we’re not going to arrest our way out of this problem,” Bardy said. “We want to be more user friendly and have more meetings like this.”
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Comments (8)
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Clancy, excellent report. Thank you for being there last night, for listening, and for telling our story.
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Sounds like the politicos and "socially conscious patrons" will listen to the young men of Reconcile... until it comes to the subject of NOPD. Then these powerful supposed listeners stop listening and start TELLING these young men what they should do, and how NOPD "really" is, and making excuses.
Hey "interesting," were you there last night? I was. I personally observed the whole 90 minute program. I know the context. Clancy did not get this wrong; he reported it accurately. But I think your interpretation of what you read in the article is not on point. Look, I am not wild about politicos either. I never know exactly who I can trust or what I can trust that comes out of their mouths. The only two elected officals there last night were Mitch and Judge Landrum-Johnson, who is on our Board. (And I believe in both of them.) No one in that circle made excuses for NOPD. Everyone acknowledged its historical and present flaws and failures. But you have to start the reconciliation somewhere. We have to get these kids to start with some small level of trust. But it's definitely a two way street. These kids have to trust the cops, but the cops have to do the right thing and act ethically and literally "protect and serve the public." Without the two way street, we go nowhere as a city. But "interesting," you would have really loved to see these kids open up and talk, from their hearts, with no fear. Cafe Recocnile offers a safe place for them, a nurturing place for them to grow and blossom and gain the self esteem they didnt have when they walked into the door to begin our 10 week program. You would have really liked that, I think. Come by Cafe Reconcile to eat. I am Chairman of the Board, and I hope to meet you there one day.
I am VERY GLAD Mitch is there listening, these young mens' voices do need to be heard, and I would definitely love to come by and eat there. I have great respect for Cafe Reconcile... I just also happen to think that telling young black new orleanians to "trust" the nopd is asking them to stick their head into a lion's mouth. NOPD has all the power. If they now seek be trusted by ANYONE it is 100% incumbent on NOPD to begin a new course that will EARN that trust. Show and prove!!! I prefer to focus for the time being less on how we should show nopd trust and more on how we the people can avoid being murdered robbed raped or beat up by nopd. But I fully support what y'all are doing, I just responded to that one piece of it.
Excellent point. I do not disagree at all. NOPD MUST "show and prove." No doubt. I just want to make sure that when they try to do that, we citizens don't automatically reject their attempts. Setting the NOPD up for failure despite their good faith (and THAT's the key, you are right!)efforts to change helps no one, and we keep the status quo. It's part of our work here at Cafe Reconcile to be open to accept new things - both ways. It's the "ministry of reconciliation" St Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
What a great model for the country. I am from Iowa and noticed this blog. I admire and respect political officals and law enforcement who actually participate in such community events...not just money maker gatherings. This is the heart of what will change society. Thank you for your efforts in promoting peace.
All is the reality as Mr Interesting says. The story of NOPD is contrary to the mission entrusted by law (gotten the exceptions) and can not be reconciliation if there is no significant and substantial changes in the behavior of the elements of the NOPD, better still it should change to many other elements that are interested in serving and supporting the ciudadanía. All respect for the mayor, I must say that there are sheets and sheets and sheets and sheets and sheets of newspapers, which may be books or encyclopedias with inadequate data and / or abusive and criminal and inhuman behavior of the NOPD elements (not all). It is daunting the task is waiting for the mayor.
