Seminar Schedule

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. Everybody has been asking about the seminar schedule; we finally have it, complete with times. This year’s theme is “Essence Cares! Claiming Our City … Claiming Ourselves.”

THURSDAY – RESTORATION

11 a.m. Restoration Ceremony
11:20 a.m. Opening Remarks: Susan L. Taylor
11:30 a.m. Host: Angela Burt-Murray
11:40 a.m. Children’s Defense Fund: Dr. Jeanne Middleton-Hairston
11:50 a.m. Welcome Home: New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin
12:05 p.m. In Defense of Our Children: Atlanta Cares – Special presentation by Mable Ivory to Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Al Dotson, Jr., Tracey Knight & the Atlanta Cares Team, Brenda Coleman and Kathleen Bertrand
1:15 p.m. A musical interlude
1:30 p.m. Louisiana Lieutenant-Governor Mitch Landrieu
1:35 p.m. Out of the Storm: Voice from the New Orleans Community
1:45 p.m. The Future is Ours: Marc Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League
2:10 p.m. Sometimes I Cry: Sheryl Lee Ralph
2:35 p.m. Restoring Our Souls: Bishop Eddie Long, New Missionary Baptist Church
2:55 p.m. The Power of Mentoring: Frankie Lane, National Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children
3:25 p.m. Into the Light: Putting an End to Black Pain. An excerpt from the play “Living Dark Lives” by Madeline McCray
3:35 p.m. Panel discussion: Terrie Williams, Dr. Denese Shervington, asha bandele, Gina T. Charbonnet and Katrina survivors
4:30 p.m. Standing in the Eye of the Storm: Iyanla Vanzant

FRIDAY - LOVE

11 a.m. Opening Remarks: Michelle Ebanks
11:05 a.m. Host: Reverend Andriette Earl
11:15 a.m. In Tribute to My Son: Eddie LeVert
11:25 a.m. Hip-Hop Moving to a Higher Ground: M1, Michaela angela Davis, Michael Eric Dyson, Marcia Dyson, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. James Peterson, MC Lyte, moderated by asha bandele
12:15 p.m. Greetings from the State of Louisiana: Senator Diana Bajoie, Louisiana state senator and president pro tempore
12:25 p.m. The Power of Us: First Lady Serita Jakes, the Potter’s House of Dallas
12:50 p.m. Out of the Storm: Voice from the New Orleans Community: poetry by Sunni Patterson
1 p.m. The Power of Mentoring: Rodneka Shelbia
1:10 p.m. Social Entrepreneurship: Judy Reese Morse, Deputy Chief of Staff for the office of Lieutenant-Governor Mitch Landrieu
1:30 p.m. Six Goals for Building Wealth in the 21st Century: the African-American Angle: George Fraser
2:20 p.m. Shifting the Lens: Altering the Landscape of Your Life: Reverend Deborah Johnson
2:45 p.m. Tribute to Eddie Griffin: Terrie Williams
3 p.m. Musical performance by Desiree Coleman-Jackson
3:15 p.m. Stomp the Hate, Start the Love: Nu Mu Citywide Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
3:25 p.m. The Issue with our Images: Tom Burrell
3:50 p.m. It’s All About Love: Mo’Nique
4:15 p.m. Poetry with Devynity
4:25 p.m. Sisters Take Issues with out Images: Regina King, Kimberly Elise, Victoria Rowell, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dr. Joy Leary, moderated by Michaela angela Davis

SATURDAY – POWER

11 a.m. Opening remarks from Ed Lewis
11:10 a.m. Host: Jeff Johnson
11:20 a.m. Claiming God’s Blessings: Staying Focused on Your Power & Purpose: Dr. Debra Morton, Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church
12:10 p.m. House Hustle Real Estate: From the Projects to the Prosperity: Kenny Rushing
12:55 p.m. Music from the People of New Orleans: Mother Tongue
1:10 p.m. Tribute to Hill Harper: Myra J
1:25 p.m. Rebuilding the Village: How to Save Our Children: Introduction – Tyler Perry
1:40 p.m. Dr. Shelia Evans-Tranumn
1:50 p.m. The Village Nation: Andre Chevalier, Fluke Fluker, William Paden
2:10 p.m. Fyre Youth Squad (Village Nation Re-Actment)
2:20 p.m. Dr. Sandra Baxter
2:30 p.m. Left Behind Documentary: The Story of the New Orleans Public Schools: Vince Morelli
2:35 p.m. Out of the Storm: Voices from the New Orleans Community: Sandra Hester
2:55 p.m. In Defense of Our Children: Tracey Knight
3 p.m. United States Senator Mary Landrieu
3:15 p.m. What Makes a Man: Common
3:20 p.m. a clip from the documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes by Byron Hurt
3:30 p.m. Voice of GOD intros Chuck D
3:40 p.m. Panel Discussion: Common, Chuck D., Byron Hurt, Lyfe Jennings, Reverend Conrad Tillard, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, David Johns, Hill Harper, moderated by Roland Martin
4:30 p.m. Musical performance by Lyfe Jennings
4:40 p.m. Strength, Courage and Wisdom … We Can Move Mountains: Michael Eric Dyson

A Little Good News

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. One of the major challenges the city has faced as it tries to rebuild has been developing a plan that city leaders and politicians in Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. can all sign on to. That challenge has led to a recovery that has moved in fits and starts, accompanied by a lot of drama and anxiety.

The city got good news in this area Monday when the city’s plan was approved by the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the agency in Baton Rouge that administers rebuilding money. That approval starts the process of releasing $117 million in federal block grants to help address New Orleans’ needs. That money will go to address school needs, recreational facilities, community facilities, city roads and infrastructure, libraries, economic development and jobs programs, homeownership and neighborhood recovery assistance and soil assessment, remediation and hazard reduction.

As exciting as it is to see the LRA authorize the program and the $117 million, recovery officials estimate that the money represents 10 percent of what the city needs to meet its plans. Still, it’s a good start and a good sign.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

What You Can Do

"Coming Home" is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready
to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music
Festival. Recently, a blog reader asked, "What can we all do
collectively as participants of Essence's wonderful festival to help
our people get back on their feet?" Here are a few quick suggestions:

1) Give back. In the May 1 entry – "The Volunteer Army" – I wrote
about volunteer opportunities. We can use all the help we can get
here, and there's no better way to meet people and find out how people
are really doing than to spend a half-day or a day working with them.

2) Spend your money. Eat, drink, be merry – it's all good to us.
French Quarter businesses have had a tough time since Katrina, and
there are few problems here that wouldn't be helped by more money.

3) Spread the word. Tell people about the good times you had and about
the messed-up nonsense you saw, too. We need people to know we're open
for business and that you can have a good time in New Orleans, but we
also need people to know that the job's not done.

4) Listen. It's natural to want to share your thoughts on Katrina, but
if you let people tell you about what they went through and what it's
like to live here now, you'll learn a lot more. And it's all more
complicated and interesting than what fits in a soundbite or a blog
entry.

5) Remember us at election time. Vote for candidates that put taking
care of people first. Politicians that can turn their backs on New
Orleans could do the same to other cities. Require them to share the
values we hold dear.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

The Next Old School

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. One of the interesting parts of this for me has been watching the Old School/New School discussion that has gone on around this blog. Me – I want both, and love artists such as Common who have feet in both schools. I want the Isley Brothers who have a million songs I know, and I want to hear somebody that, 10 years from now, is going to have a bunch of hits and is going to be considered Old School then.

Recently, The New York Times talked to Ne-Yo about the music he is listening to. Ne-Yo plays Saturday night on the main stage of the Essence Music Festival, and what is impressive in the article is the breadth of music he listens to. He talks about Ciara and Robin Thicke, who also appear at the festival, Ciara on Thursday and Thicke on Friday, but he also has interesting thoughts on R. Kelly, metal band Linkin Park, British rock band The Feeling and New York City cabaret singer Regina Spektor.

Of Thicke, he says, “His second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, leans more toward R&B, but it’s got this rare feel to it. A lot of today’s R&B is hip-hop-based, but the lion’s portion of this album is more Marvin Gaye. It’s an older sound, more traditional R&B.” On the other hand, “I listen Ciara when I want to dance,” Ne-Yo says. “If you’re a girl, you listen to “Like a Boy” from The Evolution to feel empowered. Her music makes women feel sexy and makes guys want sex.” For more of Ne-Yo’s takes, click here.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

Fight the Power

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. It’s good to see Chuck D. and Public Enemy on the bill; if there’s a voice we need to hear right now, it’s Chuck D.’s.

Public Enemy played the House of Blues in March and if it was any indication of what to expect, he and Flavor Flav are still unafraid to Bring the Noise. Professor Griff and the S1Ws were part of the show, but instead of Terminator X, they had live musicians. That change made songs such as “Fight the Power” and “Welcome to the Terrordome” all the more intense. It was a little disappointing that they did medleys of many of their best known songs – I was ready for a full length “911 is a Joke” and so was the crowd - but it was hard find fault with what they actually played.

It was also reassuring to see that Chuck D. has continued to put his money where his mouth is. He was outspoken in his criticism of the federal response, and you had to be deaf and close-minded after the Katrina tribute “Hell NO, We Ain’t Alright” not feel smarter, angrier and ready to roll up your sleeves and get down to the business of rebuilding New Orleans. The next day, he visited the Lower Ninth Ward and a high school class, where he shared insight into the rap business (there’s too much money involved to call it a game) then asked the students to tell him their Katrina-related experiences. "I could never play New Orleans and see it as a regular date," Chuck D. says. "It's impossible for me to go there, get paid and leave."

If Public Enemy’s performance in the Budweiser Superlounge Saturday night and Chuck D.’s appearance as part of the “Voice of God” panel discussion late Saturday afternoon at the Convention Center are anything like his last visit to town, they should give people a lot to think about.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

New Orleanians at Essence Music Festival

"Coming Home" is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. It's nice to see some additions to the Essence Music Festival lineup, including Smokie Norful and Vanessa Bell Armstrong and the Isley Brothers – another old school touch - to Thursday night, and Kelly Rowland to Saturday night.

It's also good to see area artists in the Superlounges, with Roi Anthony, Legit and Lafayette's Cupid performing Thursday and EMF regulars the Rebirth Brass Band on Saturday, July 7. Cupid's "The Cupid Shuffle" filled dance floors in southern Louisiana all spring.

The Rebirth Brass Band keeps the neighborhood second line traditions alive, which is more important now than ever. I recently saw Rebirth in Tucson, Arizona, and Rebirth's appearance was a rallying point for all the New Orleanians in the area who have been dispersed since Katrina. It was an entertaining culture clash to see people used to second lines dancing with umbrellas in Arizona rocking Saints jerseys and baseball caps, surrounded by an audience accustomed to sitting down and listening contemplatively to jazz. Eventually, everybody was on their feet, but it was pretty moving to see how much Rebirth meant to that crowd, and how the night became a celebration of New Orleans. It occurred to me that many New Orleans bands on tour experience this sort of love, and that their shows bring a little home – including neighbors – to people who can't get back.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

David Stern, Obama and the Superlounges

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. The city recently got a vote of confidence from NBA commissioner David Stern, who Thursday announced his desire to make the NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans next February more than just a game, a slam dunk contest and a three-point shootout. Nothing has been carved in stone, but he says, “ We’re wrestling now with how we can define something that is more than just a communications policy to have a positive impact coming out of the All-Star Game in New Orleans.” He went on to say, “Although we’re happy to participate with the tourism industry to make it better and to demonstrate the vibrancy of it, we’d also like to find a way to cross over and make more of a contribution to what seems to be picking up steam of developments in New Orleans.”

This is not only a good news, but it’s welcome reinforcement after Billy Hunter of the NBA Players Association expressed concern last February about the players’ safety. “We’ve watched large groups come in and out of New Orleans, far larger than any groups that we’re going to bring in,” Stern said. “It’s going to be a great, great All-Star weekend with respect to the reopened hotels, improved law enforcement and services.”

In other business, it’s exciting to see presidential candidate Barack Obama will appear Thursday, July 6 on the opening night of the festival. Salon.com had an interesting take on what makes Obama such a refreshing campaigner: “Barack Obama is simultaneously both aware of the power of cheap rhetoric and easy emotion - and intellectually contemptuous of it. He is a candidate in quiet rebellion against the banalities that too often govern political discourse. It is questionable whether he can maintain this high-minded stance through the debates and the primaries. But for the moment, Obama is running for president on his own terms, and succeeding.”

Finally, Renata recently wrote asking if the superlounges required separate tickets, wondering if they were free. Long-time Essence Music Festival goers know that the superlounge shows are some of the best of the festival, and as another reader wrote, the superlounges are rooms inside the Superdome. Your ticket gets you into the dome, and you can go to your seat to see the shows on the main stage, or you can check out the superlounges. The rooms are smaller, so it gives you a chance to see legends such as Chuck D and Public Enemy, stars including Angie Stone and Lyfe Jennings and up-and-coming talent Jermaine Paul mere feet or yards away. Typically, artists play a couple of sets so you have a few chances to see them in a night, and watch the schedule because some play more than one night. You can’t, however, get to the superlounges without buying a ticket to get you into the dome for the night.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

Big City Blues

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. One of the issues many of you have asked about is safety. We always face the question in New Orleans of what to tell people about what’s happening here – tell them the good news in hopes that they’ll come and bring business, or tell them the hard news in hopes that it will keep the powers-that-be aware that we still need a lot of help. I’ve probably erred on the side of good news.

As I’ve said before, much of what you hear about the city’s recovery is true. Progress is being made and there’s work to be done. A lot positive is happening, but we also have a crime problem. Fortunately, some of the readers of this blog have put the problem in perspective. Derrick says, “All I can say about the crime issue without sugar coating it is that yes, New Orleans has a crime problem, but so does every major city in the country. I lived in Atlanta for a while and honestly, the news reports I see on TV every night here are no different then what I saw when I was in Atlanta. N.O. is a big city and has big city problems, the same as most major cities...probably including yours.” He also says, “The 100% honest truth is that if New Orleans was as bad as some believe it is, I WOULD NOT be living here. I’m not crazy.”

In most ways, crime in New Orleans is like it was pre-Katrina. The same neighborhood-based beefs drive the violence, and if you’re not a part of the affected neighborhoods, you’re as safe as you are in any major American city. Nia E. says, “I've been to New Orleans many times. The areas around the Superdome/Convention Center are heavily populated during the festival, so there should be no problem. And the French Quarter is so full of cops, U’ll feel overly protected.” She goes on to say, “I've never heard of any drama at the festival itself. Everyone is usually in a positive state of mind, just wanting to have a good time with no drama.”

Mayor C. Ray Nagin has echoed Nia’s comments a number of times, stating that the city always experiences a decrease in the crime rate when the Essence Music Festival is in town. The bottom line is that New Orleans still relies heavily on tourism, so it takes protecting tourists very seriously, and Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest went off virtually drama-free, and people including the organizers of Essence Music Festival and the NBA All-Star game, which will be in New Orleans in 2008, have good reason to believe that the city will make sure their fans and supporters will remain safe. In fact, Essence officials work with the NOPD to create a safe environment and the past suggests their efforts have worked. There have been no incidents of violent crime in the festival’s 12-year history.

Obviously, it pays to be smart and vigilant, just as it was a good idea pre-Katrina and just like it’s a good idea in most major American cities. Nia E. had good suggestions – “Be mindful to be aware of your surroundings. Travel in numbers if possible, and if U’re going to be out, don’t get so intoxicated that U’re not in aware of what's going on around you.” The police department also has a number of common sense tips worth checking out before coming to town.

There’s no question that crime statistics can be pretty dramatic, and the stories of violence are heartbreaking. If anything, though, the crime in New Orleans says just how badly the city needs the Essence Music Festival to return. With the empowerment seminars and shows that bring the African American community together, it’s model for a better way to live – a model the city could really use about now.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

City Park and Seminar News

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. Since Katrina, a particular effort was made to get the French Quarter and Central Business District ready for conventioneers and tourists so business can return. From there, efforts to improve the city have radiated outwards, and City Park is one of the new priorities. The golf courses remain glorified pastures, shaggy and overgrown as City Park officials and various funding agencies try to agree on a vision for that property. The gateway to City Park – the road leading from Wisner Avenue to the New Orleans Museum of Art – is undergoing a facelift as it will be transformed into a tree-lined alley bordered by live oaks and crepe myrtle trees. The federal government announced last week that it was committed to spending at least $8.6 million rebuilding City Park, and more money could be available if necessary. In addition to the beautification of the entrance to the park, renovations are underway on the park’s antique wooden carousel and Storyland, its playground for kids, is open.

In Essence Music Festival business, Mary J. Blige headlines Saturday night. It was recently announced that Blige is also going to be one of the featured performers when MTV re-launches Unplugged, its concert show that presents artists with acoustic or semi-acoustic instrumentation. It’s hard to imagine an artist better served by a show that focuses on singers and their voices.

Finally, I’m starting to get the word on the empowerment seminars. The plans aren’t finalized yet, but the focus of Thursday’s presentations at the Morial Convention Center is Restoration. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and National Urban League President Marc Morial are among the speakers, and a session titled “Into the Light: Putting an End to Black Pain” is moderated by Terrie Williams and Dr. Denese Shervington. It includes interviews with New Orleans residents who have started their lives over in New Orleans since Katrina.

In the next few entries, I’ll pass along more about the seminar schedule.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana's music and culture magazine.

Where's the Beef?

“Coming Home” is a blog looking at life in New Orleans as we get ready to meet again in the Superdome July 5, 6 and 7 for the Essence Music Festival. It’s now less than a month away, and I look forward to the announcement of the speakers at the empowerment seminars taking place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Those sessions help give “the party with a purpose” its purpose.

One of the “Coming Home” readers asked about places to eat, and I’m certainly interested in where you eat when you’re in New Orleans. One restaurant that opened a block from the Convention Center worth checking out is La Boca. This Argentinian steak house just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and it’s excellent. Like traditional steakhouses, La Boca serves the usual New York strips, filet mignons and rib-eyes, but unlike them, it specializes in less common cuts. It features hanger steak, flank steak and outside skirt steaks, all of which have distinctly different tastes and textures. The sides are similarly wonderful—french fries rolled in garlic before serving and a sweet corn pudding being particularly good.

For those who want a more classic steakhouse experience, Crescent City Steaks reopened earlier this year on Broad Street near the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club den. To walk into Crescent City Steaks is to walk back in time in menu, furnishings and prices. The steaks are good, but you can get better. What you can’t improve on is the feeling that you’re having your steak the way people did 50-plus years ago, which nice in a time when so much is changing so quickly.

In other news, Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocations, two companies that help professionals relocate, recently ranked New Orleans the 25th best place to move to. It’s rare to cheer about being number 25, but all things considered, that speaks well for how people see the city’s future. Evidently the city’s diversity, its arts, its recreation possibilities and the post-Katrina cost of homes all work in New Orleans' favor.

Writer Alex Rawls edits OffBeat, Louisiana’s music and culture magazine.