But it’s not the kind of press we want.

Last weekend, CNN featured an hour-long documentary on the sudden proliferation of hanging nooses in public places– a story that became heavily publicized after two teenagers from Grant Parish drove into Downtown Alexandria with a noose tied to the back of their pick-up truck on the same day as the massive peaceful demonstration in Jena, Louisiana.

The “I-Report” footage of the red truck, which was captured by an Alexandria citizen named Casanova Love, was repeatedly featured in the documentary (and in the commercials advertising the documentary).

All told, the documentary (however didactic it seemed at times) was very insightful, particularly when they interviewed a shock jock radio host from New York who claimed the noose was a simply a symbol “for justice.” I can’t believe the man actually has any listeners.

Regardless of how one feels about the legal definition of hate crimes, one thing is certain: the ugly head of racism did rear its head in Alexandria that night. And thankfully, it was immediately exposed and denounced.

2 thoughts

  2. So here’s a PR idea. As residents of Cenla we know that most of us are anything but racist and that we definitely don’t elect our governments based on race or their willingness to promote race-based governing. Just in the metro area you can take the fact that majority-white Pineville loves their black mayor while majority-black Alexandria gladly elects a white one. I’ve lived in other parts of the state and in many larger cities like Lafayette and Baton Rouge you can actually feel the racial tension. Luckily, with all the problems Alexandria has, we for the most part have been spared the scourge of racism. This doesn’t mean we’re perfect. In fact we still have a long way to go. But generations before us made a decision that racial discrimination and hate would not be a part of the fabric of our Central Louisiana society. We owe them a great deal of thanks for this, and have a responsibility to make sure that the world knows that while racism still exists in the US, in the South, and in Louisiana — that is is not, has not been, and will not be tolerated in CenLa!

    As some of you know, I don’t currently live in Central Louisiana. I live in Germany but will always consider myself an Alexandrian. I pay taxes there, vote there, take a great deal of interest in our community, and one day hope to return to a metro area that is stronger and better off than when I left.

    As an Alexandria-Expat, I keep an eye on media coverage of our area. One thing that I was recently very proud of during the unfortunate noose incident compliments of our Colfax cousins was the much less actively reported story of Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy rushing downtown clad in his pajamas to take a stand against this abhorrent behavior.

    I would like to wonder if CNN bothered to report this aspect of the story, this symbolic stand against what is being reported as an ingrained aspect of our CenLa mentality. But, i know they probably did not report this, either time. Good things like this just don’t sell advertising as well as half-reported controversy.

    So, I say we produce our own i-Report. If Mayor Roy can show up in his Pajamas to let the world know we’re not racists, why can’t the rest of us?

    Why not ask your neighbors, your councilmen, your government leaders, ministers, children, everyone in Central Louisiana who wants the world to know that WE are not racist and WE will not be represented by the misguided actions and words of a very few bigots, to stand up and be heard.

    I would propose the biggest Pajama party we can muster. Let’s fill as big a space as we can, all come together in our nightly best, and show the world that when it comes to standing up to racism, the people of Central Louisiana would ALL gladly hop out of bed in the middle of the night to set the record straight!

    Let’s get photos and videos of this. See if CNN is an honest lot. If they like reporting the bad, they will look pretty terrible ignoring the good.

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