“white flight… said…
not much activity or interest on the Lamar blog – I think the lecture did it.”
The lecture? I think you’re wrong on all three claims, but what do I know?
What I find most interesting is that this person signed their name “white flight.” Boy, if that isn’t a strong indication of his/her political philosophy, then it must a strange example of nuanced irony.
Recently, it has occured to me that the biggest problem facing Central Louisiana is that there seems to be a lack of the balanced, mainstream perspective. Everyone wants to claim that they’re “mainstream,” because it makes them feel sane. But I have only met a handful of people who really understand that Alexandria is most effective when there is a consensus. There will never be a consensus when the white community and the black community constantly bicker about who “should be” in power. The truth is that both blacks and whites deserve positions of power.
The Failures of White Leadership:
1. Underfunding (for over forty years) the development of majority black neighborhoods like Lower Third.
2. Not respecting the expert opinions of many black businessmen and community leaders. This is either due to entrenched racism or plain ignorance. Or both.
3. Not understanding or empathizing with the unique struggles of minorities. The “boot straps” concept can only go so far.
4. Not presenting a leader who can truly facilitate discussion and build a consensus.
5. Installing their own good ol’ boys to the exclusion of others.
The Failures of Black Leadership:
1. Overcompensating projects in majority black neighborhoods, much in the same way a white-run council overcompensated projects in white neighborhoods.
2. Misplacing their priorities, and feeling an obligation to a small group of constituents, less than half of whom actually vote, to the exclusion of more rational, holistic approach. (i.e. The Master Plan should dedicate attention to all areas of town).
3. Not respecting or empathizing with the expert opinions of many white businessmen and community leaders. This is either due to entrenched racism or plain ignorance. Or both.
4. Not presenting a leader who can truly facilitate discussion and build a consensus.
5. Installing their own good ol’ boys to the exclusion of others.
CenLamar 
Perhaps if we talked in terms of quality of leadership instead of color of leaders . . . . ???
Yes, we should be talking about this. But the situation in Alexandria requires that we take the first step and recognize everyone’s culpability. My point was that it’s not a black or a white thing, because both engage in similiar racially-driven policies.
There seems to be a lack of people, like yourself Mr. What If, who understand this has little do with color and everything to do with quality.
The debate is not structured correctly; people confuse a statement of quality with race. For instance, if I were to attack a white leader’s policies, many in the white community would only see color. The same applies when one criticizes a black leader’s policies. Why aren’t there people in the middle? People who understand this isn’t a black or a white thing.
most people are in the middle. its the ones at the top, the ones with the most to lose which is their power base that always bring up the race card etc in order to divide and conquer.
if iam a white leader and you’re a black leader and we see that our followers are about to come together and oust us then of course we are going to invent things to throw out there to cloud the issue and redevid (sic?) the people so that we retain the power.
Exactly the method that Jesse Jackson has been using since forever, to cloud the issues and foment racial division. He makes his living at it!