I first learned of these exotic birds living wild in New Orleans when a friend and I spotted some in palm trees in an open area of the Audubon Zoo a few years ago. Delighted to see two of them pay me a visit in Mid-City, I decided to learn a little more about them.

The birds are Monk Parakeets, also known as Quaker Parrots, Quaker Conures, or Gray-breasted Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). Native to Argentina and other South American countries, they are known for their unique nesting habits, using sticks to build large nests resembling apartment complexes with a separate entrance and rooms for each parrot family. The largest nest found in Argentina had over 200 compartments and weighed over 2600 pounds.

The first confirmed sighting of feral Monk Parakeets in the New Orleans area was in the early 1970s in Metairie, although there were rumored sightings of them as early as the 1940s. They can now be seen throughout the area, traveling in noisy, flashy flocks. It seems these bright, friendly birds have found a home in this colorful city.

Submitted by Rebecca Connor, a freelance writer living and working in New
Orleans.

About a week after the Super Bowl, I woke up one morning laughing. The evanescent memory of the game had caught a spark again somewhere within my dozy consciousness, and I lay there laughing for no other reason than that the Saints had won and it was good.

And really, there is nothing better than good. Good is grounding, good is nurturing, good joins our hands and points us in the right direction.

For all these reasons it was a good football season and these are good times. Call it karma, kismet, destiny, or God’s will, it surely does feel like there is something at play in this city, something that is both beyond and eminently part of our everyday affairs.

Of course, you can see it not so much as miraculous as mathematical. Maybe it’s just the law of averages finally evening things out. I can’t remember when I finally stopped crying after Katrina, but I know I was visited by tears almost daily for a year and maybe more. Perhaps we’re all due a few laughs.

I’m thinking now of something I read during the football season. Billy Kilmer, the team’s very first quarterback who led the Saints in those primal, dark years characterized by so much frustration and heartbreak, shared with the Times-Picayune his take on the several lucky breaks the Saints received in their improbable come-from-behind 33-30 victory against the Washington Redskins:

“Every time the ball bounced their way, I said, ‘Dadgum, you owe us one of those. You owe us plenty of those.’”

Dadgum, Billy, here I go tearing up again even as I type your words. And it feels so very, very good.

Through a grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Community Revitalization Fund, NORA developed a property database and GIS mapping system that allows it to identify and catalog properties, pinpoint blighted areas, and cluster properties for redevelopment.

What is attractive about New Orleans?

The whole world is watching what is going on in New Orleans right now. There are a lot of other communities that will take hope and ideas from what New Orleans is doing.

What does NORA do?

NORA is currently working with the State to dispose of Road Home properties, working to implement redevelopment projects that the City has identified, and looking to rebuild neighborhoods across New Orleans with both residential and commercial projects.

We can move neighborhoods from being fragile to healthy. We can create neighborhoods where people want to live and raise their families, and where private partners want to come and invest.

How much blight exists in New Orleans?

There are about 68,000 abandoned properties in New Orleans. Some of them are post-Katrina issues, but actually many of them predate Katrina. The population in New Orleans peaked in the 600,000 range, and by the time Katrina hit, the population was down about 200,000. So, you have a lot of abandonment that predates the storm. What you encounter now is that more neighborhoods are affected with vacancy rates between 40 percent to 50 percent.

How does NORA do its work?

Redevelopment Authorities across the country have very broad powers. They have the ability to issue debt in order to finance projects, the ability to assemble land, and the ability to participate in transactions to stimulate residential, commercial, and industrial developments. For example, NORA recently partnered with 13 community-based partners to apply directly to the federal government for Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding  and through a competitive process received $30 million grant to assist organizations to assemble parcels of land and build new housing.

How are you introducing technology into this system?

We are working to utilize technology in a very aggressive way. We need to be able to map out what land is available and what land we can put back out for development. With technology we will be able examine neighborhoods with a bird’s eye view. We’ll know foreclosure, vacancy, and home ownership rates.  We’ll know where the schools are, the challenges of flooding. These tools did not exist before. As we move forward, we also look to get more stakeholders on board sharing systems with each other.

In his lovely essay, “The Evolving American Foundation,” James Allen Smith describes how the germ metaphor ignited the imaginations of many who worked in the foundation field at the turn of the last century.  This metaphor was especially seductive because it suggested we might understand and address our social ills the way we diagnose and cure disease.  According to Smith, the germ metaphor fell out of favor some time later and was supplanted by others that more accurately reflected social complexities.

But the use of the germ metaphor has stuck with us.  It’s clearly related to the metaphor of the root cause which persists in the parlance and thinking of philanthropy.  We still hear of organizations that aim, for example, to address the root causes of poverty in America.  A casual Google search on the phrase “root cause(s)” will turn up many examples.  The metaphor of the root cause has many cousins in philanthropy, among them the lever and the key (as in the “key to the puzzle”).

Nowadays we recognize, as others did long ago, that there are conceptual difficulties in identifying anything like a root cause of poverty, beyond the condition of not having any money.  The phenomenon of poverty is part of a dynamic system of many parts, interacting in complicated ways.  This complex system has no discernible root that we can yank out of the ground as we might the root of a noxious weed.

Yet we shouldn’t let ourselves be too awed by the image of the complex system.  Physicists, economists, electrical engineers, and others have been successful in modeling very complex systems and using these models to predict the behavior of these systems over time.  Jay Forrester, for example, used one such model to analyze industrial business cycles and another to analyze the behavior of the stock market.  What’s unusual about these models is that they lack a point of origin-there’s no discernible “root.”  What you have instead are “feedback loops” and entities called “stocks” and “flows.”  These constructs enable you to predict how a system will respond when you change one of its properties.

The figure below, taken from a May 2009 Scientific American article, traces the causes of food shortages in developing states.  This model suggests that while food shortages have multiple proximate causes (e.g., loss of topsoil, spreading water shortages, and reduction in crop yield), these causes can themselves be traced back to a single root cause: population growth, which itself has multiple causes not shown in the diagram.  Assuming this analysis is correct, a funder attempting to address food shortages without addressing population growth would appear to be on a fool’s errand.

While many of our social problems do not have clearly discernible “roots,” they have multiple causes, and it’s possible to analyze and address these multiple causes.  It’s unfortunate that in our weaker moments, we might invoke the complexity of a system as an excuse for our inability to make any headway on a given problem.

Some eloquent historian will name the pivotal three days of February 5th through the 8th of 2010 in New Orleans. That grand scholar will certainly spin beautiful, descriptive words to describe how residents voted decisively, paraded exuberantly, and cheered our beloved Saints football team to victory. Being a unified city is more often the stuff of dreams than reality. But the hundreds of high-fives, handshakes, and hugs I’ve received over those three days are proof that New Orleanians are deeply connected. However, I don’t believe historians should attribute Landrieu’s agenda or the Saints’ Super Bowl run as catalysts for this palpable sense of community. I think the election and the Saints’ victories are by-products of post-Katrina recovery work by individuals, families, and communities.

Scanning the rooms of various candidates’ post-election victory parties, I was reminded of the hours of meetings, hundreds of pages for numerous applications, talks with parents, arguments with public officials, and the hard physical work of cleaning up immediately after returning home in the wake of Katrina. Sunday night when I screamed, “Who Dat!” at the top of my lungs at a makeshift second line on St. Charles Avenue and then on a jubilant Bourbon Street, I reflected upon my marriage in the African-American Heritage Museum in Treme in 2006, joining a church in 2008, and getting awarded charter schools in 2008 and 2009. All of these actions forged deep relationships with my fellow New Orleanians. These personal connections deepened my commitment to the idea of New Orleans as a greater, better city. Others like me also reflected upon how we deserved the victory we forged.

The tremendous biracial support that Landrieu received in victory can easily be construed as a sign that New Orleanians have agreed upon an agenda for change. But writers undoubtedly will link the Saints’ improbable rise from the professional football ashes to the highest heights with their emblem of the fleur de lis—a national symbol for perseverance. However, they should also write about how our unyielding support of elected officials and sport teams has met our high expectations too.

Without question, we will remember the weekend of Super Bowl Sunday, but August 30, 2005, the day after levee breeches decimated our city, is the day when we decided to make victories happen. If we can continue to work beyond the date of an election or a championship game, we will have many more historic weekends to write about.

Dr. Andre Perry is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of New Orleans, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and CEO of the UNO Charter Schools.

The name of this blog, The Second Line, is exactly what I want to talk about. Actually, it’s the Second Lines and black New Orleans culture. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with this city, before Katrina brought me down here on a more permanent basis. And it’s this aspect of New Orleans life that everyone was secretly afraid would be washed away by the tears of Mother Nature and a less-than-reliable levee system.

There are so many people that live in this city who have never experienced a Second Line. Some of you may have never been carried away by the thumping sounds of drums, horns, and tambourines echoing through the streets of neighborhoods like Central City or Treme.

Everyone knows that New Orleanians celebrate and enjoy life to the fullest. In death, lives are celebrated as well, and for a few hours on random Sundays, the struggles of surviving life in the “Big Easy” are forgotten — seemingly lost in the hypnotic pulse of brass band music. The failing schools, the senseless violence that takes the lives of the young, the inequities that have been left since the days when this country could never imagine a black president, the simple hardships of being born into poverty — despite all of this, there is reason to celebrate life.

In the haze of 24/7 CNN news coverage of Katrina I remembered the first Second Line funeral procession that I witnessed. I was simply amazed at how people could celebrate life and ooze freedom, joy and happiness in the solemn moments usually attributed to death.
Even after that storm came and washed away dreams, there was a celebration to be had in black neighborhoods of New Orleans. In these neighborhoods the Second Line is simply a part of New Orleans culture and a way of life. It’s the break everyone needs. It’s the moment to lose yourself in a rhythmic spell and enjoy the beauty of sounds and moving bodies. As long as these parades with their pied pipers of social aid and pleasure clubs lead the way, New Orleans will always be NEW ORLEANS.

“I’ve recently found my means of expression through photography, says Shawn. Visit www.shawnescoffery.com.

If you’ve never been to a Second Line, please take the time to venture into the real New Orleans and experience what it means to celebrate life.

Until I write again,

Shawn Escoffery

Shawn Escoffery is deputy director of the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative and currently a Rockefeller Fellow through the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence-two organizations receiving grants last year from the Community Revitalization Fund. Shawn has a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Want to learn more about Second Lines? Click here to hear an interview with the director of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a Community IMPACT Program grantee.

How long have you been the announcer for the New Orleans Saints?

The New Orleans Saints’ front office folks hired me to replace Buddy Diliberto for the third Saints season. I’ve been there ever since. I haven’t missed a single home game including the ‘home’ games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge in the first post-Katrina year.

How do you describe the spirit of New Orleans right now?

The spirit of New Orleans is to be found wherever you go and with whomever you meet. It is an unquenchable fire of love, dedication, and devotion to our remarkable team. It is a spirit born of hope, forever unflinching in the face of all-too-many defeats over a 43-year history. New Orleans is a winner in the truest sense. Our boys are going to the Super Bowl, and there ain’t nothing better, nicer, or more rewarding.

How do you describe how closely this team’s success is tied to the recovery of New Orleans?

Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees believe that the resilience and the indomitable spirit of our people have spread deeply into the psyche of the football team. The players sensed that mentality and responded in their approach to preparing for this wonderful season.

As the voice behind the New Orleans Saints, what is your message for Super Bowl Sunday?

Never, never give up. The team won’t. FINISH STRONG!

A home-grown story emanating from New Orleans has drawn featured coverage from CNN, The Economist, Entrepreneur magazine, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal-all in the past six months.

It’s the remarkable transformation of post-Katrina New Orleans from standing floodwaters to a burgeoning entrepreneurial hub for creative and digital media companies.

Continuing upon the momentum that inspired Entrepreneur magazine to praise New Orleans as a “blueprint for economic recovery” in 2009, Greater New Orleans, Inc. has worked with local partners to secure three more business expansions to the region. Los Angeles-based Graphite, Manhattan-based Orphmedia, and Baton Rouge-based RallyPoint will all be establishing offices in New Orleans in 2010. The arrival of the three firms highlights the rapidly emerging creative and digital media presence in New Orleans.

The New Orleans Region is uniquely positioned to attract creative professionals. With our combination of rich culture, inexpensive business conditions, and best-in-class incentives, Greater New Orleans is evolving into a creative professional hub that will soon be competing-and beating-places like Austin, Seattle, and Montreal. The result will not only be more, better jobs, but also an infusion of fresh talent and energy for the region.

A grant from the Greater New Orleans Foundation provided seed money for GNO, Inc. to conduct an economic development study of the 10-parish area after the storm. Click here to learn more about their achievements in 2009.

The program provides services for vulnerable and out-of-school youth. Prior to opening YEP in 2004, Melissa earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University specializing in at-risk adolescents and urban education reform. In 1998, she was a Teach for America core member in New Orleans and assigned to Booker T. Washington High School.

Q: What is the Youth Empowerment Project?

A:  We’re a nonprofit organization in New Orleans that addresses the needs of young people in our community, particularly those who have been identified with significant risk factors. They have been involved in the court system, have dropped out of school, been pushed out of school, or are under juvenile probation or parole.

Q: What sets your program apart?

A:  We have a relationship-based model that is very individualized. We provide wrap-around services. As you can envision, by wrapping-around, we’re providing someone with all the emotional and psychological support they are going to need to grow into a successful person.

Q: Can you give us examples of wrap-around services?

A: We have a mentoring program where we provide a mentor who works with the kids, goes to their schools, picks up the mom or dad, does crisis intervention, takes them to tutoring, and takes them to enrichment programs. An education system that is going to succeed must include wrap-around services.

In our GED and NOPLAY Literacy Program, you can see tangible outcomes. Now, 49 of our young people received the GED. That is another step forward, but yet their challenges aren’t over whether they are college bound or want to be gainfully employed. We are currently assisting with ACT preparation, paying for registration fees, assisting with first time enrollment in first semester courses, and providing transition counseling. We also help with childcare assistance, filling out a job application, or getting a uniform.  Once a kid is part of our work, they are always part of our work.

Q: What is your message to the greater community?

A:  What I see in the community is a divisiveness in terms of one’s responsibility. We are all part of the same community and ultimately the health of this community is going to reflect the health of our young people. We want young people who are employed, paying taxes, and who aren’t a drain on other resources.

Q: How do you accomplish this?

A: We have to empower young people and give them the skill set to make healthy choices. We want them to continue on their path for success, and to know they always have a stable organization with caring, invested people behind them to make that happen.

The Youth Empowerment Project is a grantee of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and it was one of the organizations featured on WWNO’s Community IMPACT Series sponsored by GNOF. Click here to listen to the interview.

When you traveled throughout Orleans parish campaigning for mayor, what made you the most hopeful?

What made me the most hopeful was the will and energy of the people. In every neighborhood you find people engaged and who care. The level of active engagement and the number of people giving their time and energy is inspiring-from fighting blight to revitalizing NORD to helping small businesses succeed to efforts to help the elderly-you name it, and there are folks in the city working to fix it or make it better.

And caused you the most despair?

We deserve better from city government. Working mothers have no safe place for their kids to go after school or on holidays because NORD doesn’t function properly. A homeowner can’t get the city to cut the grass on the vacant lot next door- one that the city owns. It shouldn’t take a year to get a streetlight fixed. It can take a business owner one week to get a permit, when it should only take an hour. Many neighborhoods can compete for the worst roads. I could go on.

As a passionate voice for education reform, what advice will you give to the next mayor?

Historically, the mayor has had little engagement with public education and has no direct role in running schools. While our schools need to get better, they are much improved since Katrina and there is a lot of good momentum. City services, on the other hand, need major improvement. Given the challenges facing the city, my advice to the next mayor is that the city is really broken - go fix it! Reducing violent crime, creating good jobs, working with the neighborhoods on code enforcement and blight reduction, developing a functioning city hall and balancing the budget will take leadership and focus from the next mayor.

On education, the mayor can use the bully pulpit to help children and schools. In the annual state of the city address, include a report card on the state of our children: In education, what percentage of our fourth graders are reading on grade level? What percentage of our freshman graduated from high school four years later and how prepared are they for college or to join the workforce? If these indicators are not improving, the mayor could be a powerful voice in demanding change. The annual report should also include crime indicators: what percentage of our youth are victims or perpetrators of violent crimes? And I would have a measurement to capture the mental and physical health of our young people as well.

I also see the mayor engaging with the school facility master plan to make certain all schools are in good facilities and that we find ways to partner with NORD in rebuilding, so we can co-locate NORD facilities on school campuses.

What role is the nonprofit community playing in our city?

Our nonprofits are playing a critical and inspirational role in almost every issue or problem confronting the city. You will find people with energy and deep knowledge who can help New Orleans address our problems. Examples are everywhere. The Afterschool Partnership has focused on out-of-school programming and the redevelopment of NORD. Beacon of Hope, the Broadmoor Civic Association and the Neighborhood Partnership Network have worked long and hard on neighborhood recovery issues and combating blight. The Crime Coalition has invested tremendous energy in understanding key reforms needed for a more effective policy department and criminal justice system. The nonprofit community has been stepping up to both understand the issues and work on solutions . The next mayor needs to tap this energy and expertise and find a way to leverage it in making New Orleans a much better city.